Toll Latest

Provincial police they'll continue to maintain a strong presence at the toll booth on Couchiching First Nation.

The band has been asking motorists on highway 11 to pay a dollar fee since Friday.

OPP Inspector John Kendrick says its created a unique situation for police.

"We're in a unique situation where we have officers on scene and have been on scene for some time," says Kendrick. "This is a complex issue that's under review by many involved provincial authorities. The OPP are currently in a situation where they're trying to mediate a difficult situation."

Police have issued notices to those manning the toll to "discontinue their interference with traffic," but Kendrick says no arrests have been made at this time.

Still, OPP say motorists should feel safe when passing through the toll.

Constable Anne McCoy says they're making sure traffic moves smoothly through the site.

"We are their primarily to keep the peace and to protect the public," says McCoy, "but also to ensure there is an orderly flow of traffic which we do have with minimal wait times."

McCoy says police can't say if motorists should or should not be pay the toll being asked.

The discussion of the toll on Facebook is also being closely monitored.

Police say there have been more than 700 threats of violence found online against Couchiching First Nations.

Couchiching Chief Chuck McPherson says many of the threats were anonymous, although some people did use their names.

He says none of the threats originated from Couchiching.

Meantime, efforts to hold a public meeting in Fort Frances regarding Couchiching First Nations' toll.

Band leaders say they would like the opportunity to explain the reasons behind their actions to others in the district.

The band says they've been in contact with Mayor Roy Avis about a possible meeting, but so far no arrangements have been announced.