Montreal police are searching for a man accused of attempting to kill a woman Friday after he allegedly abducted her and forced her into a car, which later plunged into the Richelieu River.

Le Sapin a des boules, the French-dubbed version of holiday classic National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, has been gathering a cult following in Quebec for decades. For the past few years, Montrealers have been participating in special screenings, filling theatres and dressing up as their favourite characters.

Indigenous leaders, environmental groups and experts say the province isn't being transparent as it tries to modernize the forestry sector. They worry logging companies will have too much sway over what forest gets cut.

The Viande Solidaire program was created in 2020 to divert meat that would be wasted back to food security organizations in the Coaticook, Que., area. The idea has proven so successful that it is now moving to a regional level.

Canada might be asked to make concessions in order to satisfy the Trump administration's demands on drug trafficking and illegal migration — concessions that could affect Canada's sovereignty and its ability to make its own decisions.

While making a flight at Trudeau airport has become increasingly difficult during peak hours, mainly due to vehicle traffic, the airport has taken some steps to make things run smoother during the holiday season.

Businesses in Montreal's Mile End are grappling with costly break-ins this holiday season, including a designer boutique that lost $8,000 in goods. Business owners are increasing security measures and calling on police to step up efforts.

Depicting Bob Dylan’s life from the time he arrives in New York City to meet his hero, Woody Guthrie, to his famous “electric” Newport performance in 1965, A Complete Unknown is the latest craven corporatization of the musician’s career to grace our screen in the past decade. Walk the Line director James Mangold takes the helm in this glossy, competent, pacifying look at Dylan’s life, a film that softens not just the mercurial star’s difficult reputation but renders his environment as a branded product, removed of any of its political weight.

A Complete Unknown becomes a series of surfaces — Instagramable faces, costumes and sets that are earthy without being dirty, tailor-made to be consumed. The performances aren’t bad and the movie has enough signs and signals to Dylan aficionados to feel well-researched. It has the appearance of care, even though it lacks in understanding, presenting a story virtually unrooted from its context. It’s a film that substitutes any anti-establishment sentiment with a portrait of unexamined genius, preferring to focus on Dylan’s love affairs as it shows him scrawling lyrics onto paper through the long, dark nights, than anything else. 

For all its perceived failures, a film like Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis uses the cinematic form in anachronistic ways to draw the audience to the feeling of Presley’s rise. This film does little to contextualize or embody the excitement of Dylan’s arrival in the world. It has nothing to say about a young mystery man from the Midwest arriving in New York and quickly becoming a sensation. Even the film’s title, drawn from the lyrics of his song “Like a Rolling Stone,” which suggests an inherent unknowability about Dylan as a person or persona, does more heavy lifting in terms of self-reflection than anything in the film. Taken in tandem with Todd Haynes’ fractured portrait I’m Not There, which imagines Dylan as different incarnations in an attempt to reconcile his multifaceted identity and artistry, A Complete Unknown makes no attempt to understand Dylan or his era.

This leads to the frustrating narrative choices that, at their best, present Dylan’s story as a series of story beats off Wikipedia, and cynically reframe history. The movie’s deplorable moral core positions the world of folk music as an antagonist. While its subject is quite obviously an asshole throughout most of the film, it does little to actually examine Dylan’s true character. As the movie progresses through folk music spaces, musicians like Joan Baez are uprooted from their activism and presented as image-obsessed fame-chasers who search to maintain rather than challenge the status quo.

One particular scene, a recreation of a combative duet between Baez and Dylan of “Blowin’ in the Wind,” presents Dylan as an avant-garde asshole. Baez, who attempts to soften the moment and give the people what they want, becomes framed as the establishment. It renders the ideological and artistic battles within the film as purely individualistic, with Dylan rising to the top. The scene sets up Dylan’s war against the purity of folk music, which bolsters the film’s entire final act, as he rebels against the world he emerged from. This isn’t to say that folk music is above impunity — many films including Inside Llewyn Davis and the aforementioned I’m Not There examine the narcissism inherent to the movement. However, in framing the core conflict this way, the movie diminishes folk music’s opposition to war, inequality and capitalism to a point of almost non-existence.

Though the film uses television sets or radios to establish political and social context, it ends up treating the depiction and creation of art within that context as completely unrelated. Narratively speaking, only Dylan emerges as an anti-establishment artist, and only through his commercial appeal (despite the hostile audience reaction during the final Newport performance) was he able to put them in their place, so to speak. The film’s decision in this context to only examine this early period of Dylan’s life, for a general audience the only period that is palatable and “interesting,” only serves to flatten the radicalism of that departure. It does a disservice not just to Dylan but everyone else within the film.

The entire treatment of history within the film only flattens it. Everything is in favour of storytelling at the detriment of understanding or engagement with ideas or people. The b-narrative integrating Dylan’s friendship with Johnny Cash feels like a not-subtle hint towards Mangold’s previous musical biopic, Walk the Line, and is handled like a Marvel-style Easter egg rather than anything meaningful. Having the actors like Timothée Chalamet sing their own versions of the songs, a seamless work of pantomime, similarly rubs the wrong way, suggesting a kind of interchangeability between original and copy that only further dilutes our relationship to art.

A Complete Unknown doesn’t have the same offensive sheen as something like Bohemian Rhapsody, but part of that digestibility only contributes to the film’s cynicism. It’s a movie that wants to excite audiences through music but doesn’t ask them to understand where that music comes from. It’s a movie about an era heavy with political and cultural change that renders those movements as background elements that are barely consequential within the framing of the story. As the movie attempts, as Elvis did, to also pay tribute to the Black musicians that inspired Dylan, the artistic decision to otherwise divorce folk music from politics (except in the most superficial and palatable ways) feels particularly offensive. Music, art and politics become merely aesthetics, transformed into a corporate product, ready to be consumed. ■

A Complete Unknown opens in Montreal theatres on Wednesday, Dec. 25.

For our latest in film and TV, please visit the Film & TV section.

The post A Complete Unknown turns Bob Dylan into a corporate product appeared first on Cult MTL.

Experts say the holiday months are a perfect time for gift card fraud, but there are a few simple steps you can take to help protect yourself and your gift card recipient.

Quebec signed a historic agreement in Montreal with the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake (MCK) today, one both parties hope will pave the way for a more constructive relationship moving forward. 

“Today marks a new beginning in Quebec’s relationship with Kahnawake,” premier François Legault said as he addressed a room of journalists there to witness the signing of the document – the Statement of Understanding and Mutual Respect. 

“I’m hoping that this is more than just a symbolic gesture, and I truly feel that it’s more than that – that there’s actually a real commitment,” MCK grand chief Cody Diabo said. 

Quebec minister for Indigenous relations Ian Lafrenière and Council chief Jeffrey Diabo, who were both actively involved in the negotiations over the agreement, were also there for the celebration.  

The premier had already assured the MCK grand chief in November the agreement would be signed before the new year, a promise he kept. 

“This Statement of Understanding and Mutual Respect embodies our collective effort to establish a foundation for constructive dialogue, practical collaboration and a peaceful co-existence,” Diabo. “It represents years of hard work and the willingness of both parties to address issues directly and respectfully.” 

Lafrenière said there will continue to be disagreements between the province and the band council, but that doesn’t mean both sides can’t resolve their disputes through mutual respect. 

“It’s the beginning of a good relationship. We’ve established the ground rules on how we’re going to work together, so it means a lot to us,” the minister said.  

The next step will include the formation of various sectoral tables that’ll be used to further discussions on key priorities – like transport, economy, environment, energy, language, and more.  

The framework that’ll be followed will be similar to one the MCK is in the process of establishing with Canada, which comes following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the government earlier this spring. 

This new agreement with Quebec replaces another the province signed with the band council roughly 15 years ago, Lafrenière said.  

Quebec also already has an equivalent agreement in place with the Inuit Nation in the north of the province, he said. It was signed exactly one year ago as of this Friday – on December 20, 2023. 

“What we want is agreements like this with all First Nation communities, by taking a nation-to-nation approach,” the minister said. 

What makes this newest agreement distinct from prior ones the MCK has signed with Quebec over the decades is its emphasis on basic language, Lafrenière said, and how the province and band council can coexist peacefully when working with one another. 

“The Mohawk Council of Kahnawake advocated for an agreement that is simplified, clear and mutually respectful, one that avoids language and references that have historically caused disputes,” Diabo said. “At times our efforts have been hampered by processes and language that did not fully acknowledge our distinct perspectives or reflect the balance and equality we seek.” 

A full copy of the memorandum is expected to be published in full on Quebec’s website. 

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In an American cinema starved for good sex, a film like Babygirl can feel like a revelation. As the movie opens, Romy (Nicole Kidman) is making love with her husband. The film is shot in such a way that it defies, through point of view and framing, both pornographic and male perspectives to focus instead on Kidman’s perceived pleasure. After her husband orgasms and she seems to, she runs instead to her home office; an enclosed glass box overlooking the city. She lies on her stomach, quickly searches for soft BDSM porn and quickly cums. The laptop closes and she returns quietly and efficiently to her high-powered life as a CEO. Pleasure hangs at the edges of her life but remains elusive, ephemeral. 

In front of her office building, a passerby is being attacked by a dog. Frozen in place and struck by the casual animalistic violence, the dog soon turns its attention to her. As it rushes towards her, it suddenly stops, drawn to a young man. The violence stops, suddenly under control. Romy is breathless, the intensity of the moment inspiring fear but also arousal. The young man, Samuel (Harris Dickinson), she will soon learn, has been hired as an intern at her tech company. The two will become entangled in a dom-sub relationship that endangers all of Romy’s success.

Babygirl may have a surface-level understanding of self-annihilating passionate desire, but it does so enclosed within the safe framing of American moralism. It’s a movie that can just barely escape the eye-rolling clichés of its premise through a chic gender swap as it relies heavily and inescapably on grand psychological explainers to make sense of the central dynamic. If the film leans into the idea that a woman like Romy has more to lose than a male counterpart in the same position, it only ends up feeling like the liberal fantasy that positions feminine authority as inherently more morally upstanding. Even if the film deconstructs that idea, it does little to tackle with any level of seriousness the violence perpetuated by the indecent wealth discrepancy presented within the film. As the movie does hand-wringing of everything Romy has to lose, it presents her upscale life of luxury as the pinnacle of success and comfort — it’s as indulgent and shallow as 50 Shades of Grey. 

It’s hard to approach the film as anything other than a bourgeois pornographic fantasy. An older woman who no longer feels desired finds excitement with a younger, authoritative younger man. Though self-destructive, the film always sways back to the status quo; Romy’s lifestyle is never truly criticized. Romy’s desire, rather than threatening or subservient, only ends up bolstering her authority. There is no real transgression as she remains fully in control, even of her downfall. It’s a movie without real edge that utilizes aesthetics that challenge the dominant “male gaze” in only superficial ways. If the film has an erotic edge, it’s empty, devoid of any real meaning.

Part of this lies in the obsession in American cinema to psychologize action and feeling. Romy’s sexual proclivities are comfortably and easily grafted onto pre-existing ideas about powerful people. The film includes a further, vague backstory about her upbringing within a cult — we’re meant to put together all the pieces to make sense of who she is and what she desires. The movie’s shallow understanding of the world means that it feels that presenting an older woman giving into her pleasure is, in itself, a radical act. The need to over-pathologize renders the movie into smooth and non-threatening. It’s a film where everything makes sense intellectually, removing the edge of non-reason and true annihilation at the heart of violent passion. Pleasure, in this case, becomes another luxury to be acquired; a product rather than something subversive.

That being said, it’s hard to criticize either Harris Dickinson or Nicole Kidman. They both give intense and vulnerable performances. Babygirl, unfortunately, is symptomatic of an increasingly rising style of filmmaking that feels the need to over-explain and simplify the world to be more comfortable for a fickle audience. If you’re thirsting for a film about an older woman and a younger man that is actually interesting, just go watch Catherine Breillat’s radical Last Summer, which also released in theatres this year. ■

Babygirl opens in Montreal theatres on Wednesday, Dec. 25.

For our latest in film and TV, please visit the Film & TV section.

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If you ask Jeremiah S. Chechik, director of National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, what his favourite Christmas movie is, he has an easy answer: “Bad Santa!” The Montreal native who went on to have a career as a photographer, filmmaker and artist never expected he’d be known for broad comedy. “I wanted to do small, intimate films,” he says. He was reluctant to even take on Christmas Vacation because he “was really quite snobbish,” he says. “Oh God, a broad comedy. But it was my first movie and I had very good advice from Kathleen Kennedy, who said, ‘Take it, do your best and just embrace it. Then do another one.’”

Not only did the film go on to be a massive success at the box-office, it was #1 for a month (something unheard of these days), and the film became part of an annual rotation of Christmas classics on TV. Thirty-five years after the film’s release, Jeremiah S. Chechik is back in his hometown to present a series of animated screenings of the film’s dubbed French version at Club Soda, with a more intimate Q&A for the original English-language version at Cinéma du Parc on Sunday.

Chechik spent his childhood in lower Westmount, but says he spent most of his time around Jean-Talon and in Old Montreal, as well as the area between St-Denis and Parc. “That’s my Montreal,” he says. He would go on to study theatre in McGill. He never wanted to act. “No, never,” he says. “I wanted to direct.” 

At the time he attended McGill, he says it was an exciting place. A lot of American artists were studying with them due to the Vietnam war. It felt like a central hub for culture and innovation. He remembers studying under Harry Anderson, a professor from the English department, who was “very provocative and very interesting. That period was very influential on my sensibilities.” 

Chechik always kept up with cinema chez-nous (he name-drops Michel Brault as an influence, and speaks about his friendship with the recently departed Jean-Marc Vallée), despite what he saw as the lack of opportunities here for a young anglophone at the time. “Unless you worked at the NFB and to do that, you needed to be a made man… or woman, but mostly man at the time,” you weren’t going to get a shot to make any films in Quebec.

He went on to become a commercial photographer, then eventually work in film. Despite his reluctance to make Christmas Vacation, he was soon totally immersed. “I wasn’t trying to please everyone, I was just trying to please myself. I always felt that if I thought something is funny, maybe one other person will laugh,” he says. Chechik felt that the film had a strong foundation with a strong John Hughes script. Hughes also served as the film’s producer, and effectively gave Chechik carte-blanche. If the studio had notes or issues, Chechik says he’d agree, then tell them to double-check with John — who was busy shooting and rarely answered the phone. He’d usually get his way in the end. 

For a long time, Chechik put some distance between himself and the film. “I didn’t watch it for many, many, many years. Then I was invited to do a Q&A at the American Cinematheque, I think about 20 years go, and I sat in the audience with multi-generational people spouting their favourite lines. It was maybe the first time I could watch it semi-objectively and it was a pretty funny film. Before that, with every scene I’d just recall everything that was going on on set that day — you know, complications and the intensity, arguments that weren’t so fun, the lunacy of it all. But as I get more distant from it, I can embrace it as more of a gift from the universe.”

Chechik went on to have a fairly successful career as a film and TV director. He made movies like Benny and Joon and The Avengers. His TV credits include Rogue, Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders, Helix and Reign. He now directs theatre and is also a visual artist. “I’m a master of none,” he jokes. 

As someone who has worked in the film industry for decades, Chechik has some questions about the future. The incoming Trump administration worries him incredibly as someone who now lives in America. He also wonders about A.I.’s impact on filmmaking. “For me, it’s more about how it will impact how film is financed rather than creatively,” he explains. “I just can’t imagine A.I. writing something based on the human experience. I even think it can be a tool to expand the visual language of film, when appropriate.” Having worked in Hollywood for a long time, he notes that, over the years, the marketing department had a bigger and bigger place at every negotiation table. “I think they will advocate for A.I., punching in names or genres, even scripts, to decide if it will make money or not and whether it will be made or not.”

A 4K version of National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation will be presented at Cinéma du Parc followed by a Q&A on Sunday, Dec. 22, 2:30 p.m.

For our latest in film and TV, please visit the Film & TV section.

The post Montrealer who directed National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation back in town for 35th anniversary screening in 4K appeared first on Cult MTL.

Levana Ballouz has been sentenced to life in prison without possibility of parole for at least 25 years in connection with the killing of her partner and two children in Brossard, Que., two years ago.

Was a doc about a rotting moose Quebec's best film this year? And why too much 'goodwill cinema' or 'film bienveillant' signals a growing rift between audiences and critics.

The Val-Saint-François regional county municipality is asking the Quebec government to launch new public consultations on monitoring the spread of fertilizing residual materials.

According to a study by the Angus Reid Institute, 86% of Quebecers believe that corruption has played a role in the rising costs of housing in their community.

Overall, 54% of Quebecers agree that illegal or questionable activities have played “a big role” in the rising cost of housing in Quebec, while 32% agree that they’ve at least played “a small role.” Just 5% believe corruption has played no role at all in the high cost of housing, groceries and other essential goods.

Overall, 85% of Canadians agree that illegal or questionable activities have contributed to the rising cost of essentials.

“As Canada’s federal government offers a tax holiday to help Canadians deal with the high cost of living over the holiday season, many say there is another culprit playing a big role in raising the price of essential goods like groceries and housing: corruption. The last few years have been difficult for Canadians as inflation has made essentials such as groceries and rent more expensive. Canadians broadly agree (88%) that the people responsible for corruption are rarely brought to justice.”

The Angus Reid Institute in partnership with the Mindset Social Innovation Foundation and the World Refugee & Migration Council conducted an online survey from Nov. 14 to 19, 2024 among a representative randomized sample of 1,615 Canadian adults who are members of Angus Reid Forum

For our latest in news, please visit the News section.

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Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), influenza and COVID-19 are circulating at increasing rates, according to Quebec's Health Ministry.

According to a new report by Berkshire Hathaway, Canada is the second safest country in the world for LGBTQ+ travellers in 2025. The report also named Canada as the third safest country in the world overall.

The report’s findings were determined using a compilation of survey results, in addition to data on risk, crime, climate resilience and more.

New Zealand and Ireland round out the top three safest countries for women travellers, followed by Australia and the United Kingdom.

Canada was also named the second safest country in the world for people of colour and women travellers.

For the latest in news, please visit the News section.

The post Canada named second safest country in the world for LGBTQ+ travellers appeared first on Cult MTL.

In 1990, Brooklyn Leblanc hunkered down to stand up for Kanien’kehá:ka sovereignty in what became known as the Oka Crisis, with almost all his money funneled to the nation for food and guns.

“I fought from beginning to end in 1990, in the forest every night,” he said.

Now 73 years old and facing charges of conspiracy and fraud for his engagement in the tobacco trade, he was no less ready for a fight, even as his lawyer told him he could have pled guilty for a slap on the wrist.

“If you’re going to believe in something, you can’t do it halfway,” said Leblanc. “You’ve got to believe all the way, and I always believed in this place, and I believe that our business is legal, and it is.”

But the fight ended before it even began.  For the first time, another huge tobacco case was used to win the day and secure a successful motion to acquit before trial.

The precedent-setting case by Kahnawa’kehró:non Derek White and Hunter Montour last year was applied in this case, proving the magnitude of what White and Hunter accomplished.

“When they won, they won for everybody that’s in the tobacco industry,” said Leblanc. “People need to realize the victory they got, that’s why we got off, because the precedent was already there.”

He noted that White spent millions of dollars and the better part of a decade fighting for the recognition of treaty rights.

“What Derek and Hunter won affects the whole town here, and we’re the first ones to prove it,” said Leblanc, who was acquitted alongside his Onkwehón:we co-accused – Logan Kane, Christina Williams, Theoriwathe Beauvais, and Cody Raven Jacobs.

“We don’t live by their tobacco rules,” said Leblanc. “They had it for 150 years. Now it’s our turn. They want taxes, and it’s never going to happen here.”

Even recognizing the importance of the White-Montour decision, Leblanc was skeptical, to say the least, when his lawyer, Julio Péris, approached him with the idea of a motion to acquit before trial.

“I didn’t think we had a chance in hell,” Leblanc said. But his lawyer’s confidence was borne out.

In his decision on the motion on Wednesday, Quebec Superior Court judge Daniel Royer affirmed his obligation to follow jurisprudence set last year in a ruling from Judge Sophie Bourque, which created a new standard for the consideration of treaty rights, even as that decision faces appeal by Quebec.

White and Montour were arrested in 2016 as part of Project Mygale, a large-scale, international investigation into cross-border tobacco trading, which the government characterized as smuggling.

In 2019, White was acquitted of defrauding Quebec out of more than $40 million in excise taxes but was found guilty of conspiracy to commit fraud and profiting from organized crime, with Montour deemed guilty of aiding organized crime.

However, Bourque’s judgment on a constitutional challenge issued a permanent stay of proceedings based on an analysis of historical treaties that she said affirmed the pair’s right to trade tobacco.

Royer also explicitly rejected the argument of the attorneys general of Quebec and Canada that the White-Montour decision should be viewed as an isolated one.

“It would be more accurate to say that it is the only decision in the issue,” reads Royer’s judgment.

Leblanc believes the fact this precedent has been applied in a second case will make the authorities think twice before pursuing Kanien’kehá:ka tobacco traders again, considering the resources wasted on a complicated investigation that included surveillance.

White, who was keeping tabs on the case, was not surprised that the defendants in the Leblanc case were spared a trial, but he was impressed by the directness of Royer’s ruling.

“I knew they were going to either throw it out or basically delay it until my appeal went through,” said White. “But the judge ended up going straight to the point with the White-Montour case. Basically, they threw it out of court, not threw it out, but actually, our people won.”

To White, it’s a validation of his choice to dig in his heels when he faced his own charges under the Excise Act, essentially tax legislation –  the same law used to charge Leblanc and the others.

“I knew what I fought for the last seven years, it would have helped everybody out,” White said. “At the end of my case, we saw that it was historic. It’s going to help everybody across the board, not just tobacco. It’s everything else.”

And while it is expected that the Leblanc acquittal will be appealed by the government, much like the White-Montour case, the significance of the decision being used in another case is clear.

“They can all thank Derek, because Derek was the first one to do it, to pay all those attorney fees for years, and it’s really a success for everybody else,” said Pierre L’Ecuyer, who represented Williams in this case and who represented White in his criminal trial.

The facts in this case were very similar, he said, leading to the decision to move ahead with a motion to acquit before trial, which he described as unusual.

“It’s exactly the same fact that because of the old treaties, Native people from Kahnawake are allowed to trade tobacco, so it applied,” he said.

Bourque cited the Covenant Chain, 10 treaties negotiated between 1664 and 1760, which the judge recognized as a kind of “meta-treaty” with the Haudenosaunee that guarantees tobacco trading rights for the Mohawks of Kahnawake.

While the attorneys general for the government argued the precedent should not apply because it is being appealed, Royer rejected this position outright, saying a losing party cannot undermine a judgement simply by appealing it.

The acquittal of Leblanc and the others was not only a milestone for the recognition of Haudenosaunee treaty rights, but also a relief for the defendants.

“It’s a very nice Christmas for our clients,” L’Ecuyer said. He predicted a “100 percent” chance of appeal; the case will be tied to the fate of White-Montour, which is currently at the Quebec Court of Appeal but will probably not be heard for years.

In an interview with The Eastern Door, Leblanc repeatedly emphasized the importance of the White-Montour verdict, imploring his fellow Kahnawa’kehró:non to understand the weight of that victory.

“What they accomplished was good for the whole of Kahnawake, not just them,” he said.

“They fought it.”

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Marcus Bankuti, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Last term, Mohawk Council of Kahnawake (MCK) chief Iohahiio Delisle was in a meeting that he found heartbreaking. Karihwanó:ron, the community’s Mohawk immersion elementary school for more than three decades, was full of mold, teaching the language out of an “old cigarette shack” on the cusp of being condemned.

“For me, I was like, let’s get them out of there,” Delisle said. And he did, offering the school his family home on Zachary Road in time for the 2023-2024 school year, with the intention to build a new home elsewhere.

“I’m a big promoter of the language, so for me it was necessary to try to provide them a solution,” he said.

When the school moved in, even before a lease was finalized, a sense of relief was palpable. Just a few years after finally securing core funding from the MCK, Karihwanó:ron finally had another lifeline – a location it believed could become permanent.

After all, the school was promised an option to buy the property, one that seemed to perfectly suit its vision of a home-based environment.

But things weren’t so simple. Delisle, not only an MCK chief but also a Kahnawake Shakotiia’takehnhas Community Services (KSCS) board member at the time, was planning to rent out, and ultimately sell his home, to a school that receives funding from both organizations.

When announcing the move alongside Karihwanó:ron, Delisle dismissed questions posed by The Eastern Door about a potential conflict, asking community members to look at his intent, which he said was to contribute to the revitalization of the language by providing a much-needed space at a below-market cost.

He also noted he was not on the education portfolio.

But Delisle’s gesture was nevertheless deemed a conflict of interest, he acknowledged this week in an interview with The Eastern Door, his roles with Council and KSCS scuttling the deal. The school has been based out of his home rent-free since, with no prospect of buying it with community funds.

“Sometimes when people do good things, some people don’t really look at it like that,” said Delisle.

“At the 11th hour, when the school put the request in for funding to purchase it, I was called on a conflict of interest, which in turn sort of sabotaged the initiative. But I don’t have any hard feelings on it. It’s just the way the bureaucracy works in Kahnawake.”

As a result of the debacle, Karihwanó:ron is once again, less than two short years after moving in, left without a home. It is unclear when the school will be moving, but it will be sometime after the end of the current school year.

“I really put my family outside the box there and tried to provide this solution, but either they buy the home so I can build a new home, or we’ve got to find them a temporary solution  for now until their new school is built,” said Delisle, who has two children who attend Karihwanó:ron.

Now the school is again looking at a fate it only narrowly avoided last year – teaching the next generation of Kanien’kéha speakers out of makeshift trailers on land that is yet to be determined.

“Karihwanó:ron has never had a chance of running smoothly,” said Joely Van Dommelen, the school’s administrator.

She highlighted its crucial role in the quest to restore Kanien’kéha as the community’s spoken language, even as it spent 30 years fighting for core funding, whether locally or through other levels of government.

“Karihwanó:ron took part in discussions that led to the birth of Ratiwennahní:rats. Karihwanó:ron was part of discussions to develop the Kanien’kéha version of the Rosetta Stone teaching tool – in fact, most of the pictures in that teaching tool are Karihwanó:ron students.”

After the school was made to move in 2023 from its location on Mohawk Trail, the sale of the Zachary Road house fell through, putting the school in a tough spot once again. 

The move was announced to parents of Karihwanó:ron students last month, Van Dommelen said.

“It’s unfair that such a program like Karihwanó:ron has had to struggle like this for this long,” Van Dommelen said, imploring community members to help out. “There is so much money in Kahnawake. There is still land to build upon for the sake of our language and culture. This is how I feel as an individual and an employee.”

However, she disputed that the school is being evicted.

“To crush rumors, the landlord is not throwing us out; rather, we need to give back his home since we did not purchase it and need to progress in building our forever home,” she said.

Meanwhile, despite its apparent role in curbing the deal, the MCK did not speak with The Eastern Door to update the community about progress in securing land for the school despite repeated requests.

According to Tish Pungartnik, spokesperson for KSCS, the community organization continues to provide support to the school for operations and, while no agreement has been reached, discussions are ongoing about contributing to a capital project.

“Regarding the potential sale of the property, KSCS was not involved. Karihwanó:ron approached KSCS for funding to support the purchase; however, an agreement could not be reached as it required the involvement of additional community partners. To our understanding, the sale ultimately did not proceed,” said Pungartnik.

“In accordance with our conflict-of-interest policy, any board member must disclose a conflict of interest related to any matters before the Board of Directors. If a board member has a monetary or business interest in a decision, they are required to recuse themselves from that decision. Iohahiio would have followed this policy for any matters directly involving him,” she said.

Delisle no longer sits on the board as he is no longer assigned to the health portfolio.

As for a location, Delisle said there are a number of organizations working on finding land for a permanent home for the school, including the MCK and land management committee, Kahnawake Education Center (KEC), and Kahnawake Combined Schools Committee.

Delisle is also looking into helping the school find a different solution, he said, possibly even putting the school up temporarily in another property he owns, but he is wary.

“Now that I’m trying to find a location, am I going to be called into a conflict of interest again?” he wondered.

He acknowledged the value of bureaucracy, but feels it has its limits. “It’s needed, but I think in this case it should have been a good prime example of stepping outside policy and providing a solution for the better wellbeing of children,” he said.

PlanIt Consulting is currently conducting a needs assessment survey to try to determine what a future permanent home should look like. The project had been underway before the Zachary Road house, so it was simply restarted once the sale fell through, according to Van Dommelen.

[email protected]

Marcus Bankuti, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The good news is 2024 is almost over, and whether it was a pretty good one or a pretty rough one – or somewhere in between – 2025 is definitely exciting to think about, plan, and, most importantly, get done!

Whether you celebrate Christmas or not, this season reminds us of the importance of our families and our health.

We lost many people this year, including first-language speakers who took their stories and rich Kanien’kéha talent with them, and they must be remembered. They built who we are today.

Our elders are walking books of such amazing and vital information, and sitting down to talk to them is a privilege in any language, but to do it in our own language is something special.

We also welcomed many little ones into the fray, full of hope, promise, and a bright future.

We must nurture them and try our best to give them a better life than we had growing up.

We always like to take this time to remind people to check on our elders and those in need, especially when the temperatures drop. Some people may have no one to turn to for help, and many just won’t ask.

It’s up to us to keep our eyes and ears open for the ones who need help most. If we’re the ones in need, it’s up to us to seek help. We must heal ourselves to help others heal.

Hurt people hurt people, as the saying goes; well, the opposite energy is what we need to work on to get us back on track as a proud nation.

It’s all part of making a better community for everyone, including the ones who sacrifice so much yet ask for so little.

If you had a rough year, now is a time to reflect, ball it into a piece of paper and throw it in the fire. Next year is a new beginning and it’s going to be awesome!

Need to lose weight? Want to go back to school? Looking to get a better car, a higher paying job or your first house?

All those things are attainable if you work hard enough, but it’s also important to pace yourself to achieve lofty life goals.

For us at The Eastern Door, we want to listen more intently, to what’s going on, to the people who come to us for help, to everything around us. We already do it every day as reporters, but we’re always striving to do more, and keeping our doors open for anyone to be heard is our job.

We want to fight harder for our community even though we already sacrifice so much in that regard; with the long hours, so much time lost with our families, and personal time eaten up by the job.

We’re always fighting for our language, and will never stop. If you haven’t “liked,” shared or donated to Sharing Our Stories (www.sharing-our-stories.com) yet, now’s a good time – it’s a project for everyone and will ensure our history is recorded for future generations, along with our beautiful Kanien’kéha language for all to read, hear and learn.

Resolutions made for the new year are often broken mere days into it, but if you take every day as a new one, attempt to correct your mistakes and always try to be better, one day you will be.

Work on yourself and give yourself breaks as needed. It’s a marathon, this life we live, not a race, and we don’t know where the finish line is.

We want to say niawenhkó:wa sewakwé:kon, to those who helped us this year, but also in years past. The Eastern Door turns 33 next month and January will also mark the same amount of time owning the paper (16-and-a-half years) for editor/publisher Steve Bonspiel as founder Kenneth Deer. That’s a lot of stories.

And a lot of lost sleep.

We appreciate you talking to us, trusting us, supporting us, and encouraging us, from the person wearing an Eastern Door shirt to the ones who participate in our hockey raffles, to our advertisers, readers, and overall general supporters: 

You’re the best, and we honour you every day! 

Here’s to a new beginning and a brighter future!

Steve Bonspiel

The Eastern Door

After over five years, Joe Jacobs has been reunited with the diabetes wampum belt he created back in 1997. The famed belt and leather bundle it’s carried in has been brought to over 20 First Nations since the late 90s. It’s traditionally travelled by foot, bike, and canoe, all part of an initiative to raise awareness about the disease that disproportionately impacts Onkwehón:we.

The belt, which reads Teiakonekwenhsatsikhe:tare – our blood runs sweet – has been at his home since last week after it was returned to him.

Treena Wasonti:io Delormier, an associate professor, and Dr. Brittany Wenniserí:iostha Jock., an assistant professor, both at McGill University, have been using it as part of a research project since 2019. 

But for now, it’s made a pit stop with Jacobs. It’ll be handed off next to Alex McComber, a colleague of theirs at McGill, where he works as an assistant professor in family medicine.

The Eastern Door had the privilege to come see the belt and accompanying bundle last week. The bundle is adorned with emblems, many of them made of beadwork from the communities across Quebec and Ontario that have accepted it.

The message to create the belt came to him from the Creator, Jacobs said.

“I started having dreams,” he said.

It was a series of them, and so he started to write them down. 

“It was an instruction to do something concerning diabetes, especially for our children,” he said.

Even though as an adult he’d yet to have the disease or be seriously impacted by a family member with it, he knew he had a mission he needed to accomplish. So, he crafted a loom and got work beading the belt, which he made using plastic from old electrical wires.

Kahnawake already had its own diabetes prevention program aimed at youth back then, but other Onkwehón:we communities weren’t as lucky. Each First Nation that agreed to accept the belt had to also agree to creating programming for children aimed at preventing the disease by promoting exercise and healthy eating, he decided. 

“It’s about taking care of the seven generations,” Jacobs said.

The belt soon became the centerpiece of educational talks, often in schools. Each community was also encouraged to take part in walks to whichever community was next on the itinerary. 

By 2002, it had been walked, biked, and canoed from Kahnawake to Akwesasne, Tyendinaga, Alderville, Hiawatha, Curve Lake, Mnjikaning, the Barrie Native Friendship Centre, Beausoleil First Nation, Six Nations, Oneida, Moraviantown, and Walpole Island. 

Jacobs and his wife Carol Boyer-Jacobs and many other Kahnawa’kehró:non took part in those early voyages. 

“I’m struck by several memories,” said Tom Dearhouse, “by the activities that we took part in. Walking was one, to Akwesasne. Biking around Peterborough, I think that was when it was on its way to Curve Lake. And then the two-day paddling trip in Lake Simcoe.”

Jacobs’ wife Carol was among those that took part in the first trip, the walk from Kahnawake to Akwesasne. 

“There was a huge gang, there were like 50 people for the first one,” she said. “We walked in at the border, and then on the other side everybody was waiting for us.”

Kateri Memorial Hospital Centre executive director Valerie Diabo’s daughter Rebecca, just one-year-old then, also came along for the voyage. 

“She was always with us, whether in a stroller or behind the bike,” said Diabo. “It was such a rewarding experience, meeting other First Nation communities, sharing Joe’s vision of the belt.”

Katsitsoronkwas Jacobs, a schoolteacher back then, also took part in three of the walks. 

“You go and you share your stories, and they share their stories. And it’s just a whole… just a feeling of community, no matter where you go,” she said. 

Up until 2019 when the belt was given to Delormier, it had been sitting in Jacobs’ home, unseen, since 2017. 

Delormier had started getting involved in a research project aimed at gathering health data on children and youth in First Nations across Canada. She decided to reach out to Jacobs for advice on how she could get the communities engaged in the survey. 

“We wanted to use Indigenous methodologies to engage the community meaningfully, so that it wasn’t just about collecting data,” said Delormer, who was also involved in Kahnawake’s diabetes program in the mid 1990s.

It was then he offered her the belt and bundle, asking her to bring it to the communities the researchers would be visiting. 

“He handed it to me and said, ‘I think this is what you need,’” Delormier said. “When you ask for things, you have to be ready for what comes your way.”

The project – the Food, Environment, Health and Nutrition of First Nations Children and Youth – which is still ongoing, is being led by various universities with funding from Indigenous Services Canada (ISC). 

Their team works alongside community members in each First Nation that carry out the survey, in collaboration with local band councils, schools, and health and health centres. The survey’s results have yet to be published. 

“It was really great seeing that the belt and the bundle really inspires and draws people in,” said Dr. Jock.

In the time since 2019, her research team has also gone on to craft its own leather bundle, just like the one created by Jacobs. 

The belt and bundle at Jacobs home right now will soon be passed back to Alex McComber. From there it’ll continue to be brought to more communities under another research study. Dr. Jock, Delormier, and researchers Lucie Lévesque from Queen’s University and Université du Québec à Rimouski (UQAR), are all involved.

“This is a project where we’re trying to learn from and replicate the successes from the Kahnawake Schools Diabetes Prevention Program, and learn about how we can support community mobilization for diabetes prevention in other First Nations communities,” Dr. Jock said. 

“It’s about spreading this message about diabetes prevention and how we can promote health for future generations.”

[email protected]

Patrick Moses Montour has a leaking roof. 

He has for years now, even after having it replaced about eight years ago.

“Obviously it wasn’t put in right,” said Montour, who lives along Route 207. “They did a lousy job.”

He lives with his son and two grandchildren in the home. And soon, there will be a newborn under the roof too. 

“I told them, we have to figure something out. If not, if this doesn’t go through, well then there’s going to be more work for me,” said his son, Patrick Walter Montour Jr.

Right now, his family can’t afford to pay to replace the roof, but they’re hopeful about their chances of being approved for financial support from the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake (MCK). 

The pair were among some of the first Kahnawa’kehró:non that got the chance to fill out forms to apply for up to $40,000 in funding for major home renovations at an event hosted Tuesday at the Knights of Columbus. The new renovation program announced earlier this month is now officially open to applicants.

It’s geared toward homeowners that have at least one child under 26 living with them. Applicants must also have the land in their name and be listed on the Kanien’kehá:ka of Kahnawà:ke Registry (KKR).

Roughly 15 households will be able to benefit from the program, made possible thanks to funding provided earlier in the summer by Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) under its child and family services fund. The $2 million in funding will also pay toward the construction of two 16-plexes in the community.

“It’s been the largest cash injection in the history of housing,” said Council chief Ryan Montour, who was at the Knights to answer questions from community members.

In prior years, Canada would usually only provide about $60,000 to support the MCK’s home renovation program, Montour said, an amount so low that oftentimes only one household would be able to benefit. This year, that envelope was roughly $65,500.

“We hear what the community wants, we run on campaigns that say we’re going to do this, we’re going to do that, but to implement it,” Montour said, is another thing. “This is a major plan of implementation that we came up with.”

Shyann White, a manager at the MCK’s Housing Unit, was there by the door to welcome community members in and guide them along the application process. 

“This is to address all home renovation needs for people that don’t have access to this type of money,” she said. 

The funding to support the renovation program will last for the next five years, she said. 

Homes with mold, overcrowding, weak structures and severe deterioration, plumbing and electrical system issues will be prioritized under the new program. Multi-generational homes will also be eligible to apply, as long as there are grandchildren in the home under 26.

“We don’t want to have our children homeless,” White said.

Onkwata’karitáhtshera, which handles Jordan’s Principle requests, also had a table set up at the event. Minor home renovation projects, such as those geared toward accessibility needs like ramps, can be covered by the federal program, and it’s important community members know what kind of options are out there, White said. 

Staff with the MCK’s housing unit were also there to share information about the other programs they run, like their home repair loan programs, which can go toward the construction of new homes or the renovation of existing ones.

Homeowners that want to apply for funding under the newest renovation program will have until February 1 to do so. 

[email protected]

The Mohawk Council of Kahnawake (MCK) shared three new housing related announcements with the community this week, following a council meeting held on Monday. 

The housing unit has created a list of community members that will soon be able to benefit from upward of $500,000 in mortgage account write-offs, as long as they are in good standing. 

“We’’ve been working on a plan for reconciliation of accounts to bring everybody into good standing who hold mortgages with the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake,” executive operations officer Alan-John Rice said. 

Elders with limited ability to make payments will benefit from the write-offs. Others who’ll be offered write-offs include some who were harmed following the 2018 housing scandal. 

The prior year community members began being threatened with eviction letters over missing payments, despite most having paid their owed balances. It later became evident rent and mortgage payments from residents were not being tracked properly, and allegations of mismanagement were rampant.

A criminal investigation was launched, but ultimately there wasn’t enough evidence for prosecutors to lay charges against anyone involved. 

“We ran a financial analysis on different impacts and the amounts that could possibly still be remaining, that haven’t been taken care of since the last time we did a reconciliation,” said Rice, who said that was in 2019. 

“Council giving the financial subcommittee of Client Based Services the authority to approve the write offs is a way to streamline the process.”Also announced this week was a major change to the housing unit’s on-reserve loan guarantee program, which it offers through loans approved by the Caisse Populaire. 

Those loans can now reach up to $400,000 – whereas previously they couldn’t exceed $175,000. The loans can be used to pay toward the construction or purchasing of new homes. 

Rice said this update to the program comes following a thorough financial review carried out with the help of consultants. 

“We’ve heard the community’s request time and time again through different surveys to have that limit increased,” he said. “We also understand the market value of housing right now. Building a home for under $175,000 is very difficult.”

Requests for these loans will begin being considered by the housing unit as of this January, Rice said.

More rental housing in the queue

More rental housing is going to be built in the Lot 106 area, following an agreement signed between Council and the Canadian Mortgage Housing Corporation (CMHC). 

Though the project is still in its early days, Rice confirmed it’ll include anywhere between four to six units. Construction will likely begin in the summer. 

He couldn’t confirm how much the entire project will cost, but did share that the MCK has committed close to $500,000 to it. The CMHC will cover the remaining “majority” of costs, he said.

[email protected]

Winona Polson-Lahache has a reputation for giving her all to the job – it’s not uncommon for coworkers at the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake (MCK) to make jokes about her truck being permanently stationed in the MCK parking lot after hours.

“I’ve definitely earned a bit of a reputation,” Polson-Lahache joked. “So, I’m really looking forward to taking the opportunity to get some rest in, and spending time with my family, and spending time outside in the bush, just reconnecting.”

Since 2015, Polson-Lahache has served as MCK’s chief political advisor, guiding the political and strategic work of the Office of the Council of Chiefs (OCC). 

Throughout the years there’s been no shortage of political challenges, with Polson-Lahache heading up responses and navigating such events as the 2020 rail blockade, the pandemic, and Bill 96.

“There’s always been a really big issue to tend to, so it was a steep learning curve with jumping right in, and then it’s just been one whirlwind after another,” she said.

Polson-Lahache’s resignation was announced last Friday, during which it was noted that she will be staying on in her role throughout the posting and recruitment process of a new chief political advisor. She will also be staying on throughout her replacement’s orientation and transition period, with her expected end date being sometime in February of next year.

“It’s pretty widely known that I hold a lot of the institutional and historical knowledge of things that have taken place over the years, and I wanted to ensure that we were maximizing every opportunity to make sure all of that is documented and transferred to the next person doing this work,” Polson-Lahache said. 

“I’m pretty exhausted, but I’m committed to making sure we do as thorough of a job as possible with the transition.”

Many feel that Polson-Lahache leaves behind big shoes to fill, including Gerald Taiaiake Alfred, who has worked with her throughout the years in various political roles with the MCK.

“She’s one of the most intelligent, hardworking, and dedicated people that MCK has ever had working there,” Alfred said. 

Alfred said he and Polson-Lahache connected right away over their shared vision of moving governance in Kahnawake away from the Indian Act, and transitioning MCK to be part of a traditional governance structure – Alfred currently leads the Kahnawake Governance Project, charged with initiating that transition.

He said Polson-Lahache’s biggest strength is her vision for Kahnawake – as well as her dedication to the community.

“She devoted herself completely to the job and to serving the community through that job,” he said. “Her dedication to community service and her commitment to the goal of maximizing our jurisdiction and sovereignty, that’s impressive to me, and it’s motivating to work with someone who has that degree of commitment and direction.”

Leaving behind the team at MCK was a difficult decision to make, but Polson-Lahache said it’s time to prioritize her family and connect with herself again.

“We have such a tight-knit team that are all here for one reason, and that’s to figure out a way to ensure the community’s rights and interests are protected and defended,” she said. “Not being a part of that environment every day is a very scary feeling, but at this point I’m trusting the universe to know that if I’m meant to do this work again in the future, then an opportunity will come.”

Despite the late nights and early mornings at the office, Polson-Lahache said that her time at MCK has been more than worth it.

“When we’ve been able to prevent detrimental impacts to the community, it’s insanely rewarding. When we see community members appreciative of some of the benefits of that work, it fills not just your heart, but your spirit,” she said. 

[email protected]

Grade eight students from Kahnawake Survival School (KSS) have wrapped up a semester of fun with the Concordia Journalism department, having produced their own podcasts with university student mentors.

“They were great, they were so funny and smart, and so energetic,” said Kristy Snell, a Concordia journalism professor who coordinated the project. 

She joined forces with the Kahnawake Education Center (KEC) and KSS to come up with a course outline, building upon work done during a previous iteration of the project which was done with grade 11 students starting last year.

Throughout the course, Concordia journalism students learned about Kahnawake and reporting in Indigenous communities, and then the students joined with KSS groups to work on the high schoolers’ very own projects.

Each class came up with a theme for their podcasts – one group focused on Mohawk Myths and Legends, with the other class focusing on social justice and cultural resurgence, for instance – with the objective of learning more about broadcasting and journalism.

It’s hoped that the finished podcasts could find a home somewhere with CBC – Snell said that she’s currently coordinating with the broadcaster in the hopes that Kahnawake’s next generation of storytellers can hear their words on the radio.

Students also spent a day at Concordia University, where they got to record their episodes in the journalism department’s recording studio, and learn more about university life.

“It’s my hope that they feel empowered that their knowledge and their perspectives matter, because how often do you get to hear from kids in grade eight like this?” Snell said. “I want them to see that journalism is something they can try and something they can be good at.”

Concordia student mentors were also on hand to show Kahnawa’kehró:non the ropes, and share with them a bit about their own journey with journalism and higher education.

“We want the university to not be this faceless, monolithic institution, it’s actually a place that can be friendly and welcoming, and where they can find success, because they absolutely can,” Snell said.

Groups shared stories including of the bell in Kateri Church and how it found itself in Deerfield, Massachusetts, as well as a spooky story about the Top Hat Man. 

Another group made an educational podcast about the Harvest Festival and discussed foods and ceremonies, and another focused on Kanien’kéha names, and shared the meaning of their own names. 

One group even zoomed in on wrestling in Kahnawake and took a deep dive into how the so-called Oka Crisis impacted the wrestling culture in the community.

Grade eight KSS teacher Candia Flynn said the partnership helped students develop their journalistic skills and build their confidence.

“We hope projects like these can continue for our students. Any time we can give them learning opportunities with real-world applications, it’s a win,” she said. “Sharing their stories and learning from each other made this experience a positive endeavour.”

Flynn said the students particularly benefited from their visit to Concordia and contact with the student mentors.

“This project exposed students to university students working towards journalism degrees. The mentors bonded with our student groups and shared their passion for the work they do in the field,” she said. “Our trip to the university also gave our kids a glimpse of the further opportunities that expanding their education can offer.”

Concordia will be working with KSS students again next semester, as they bring the project back for grade 11s, who will this time be working in radio. 

[email protected]

An environmental group filed a judicial review at Quebec Superior Court this Wednesday in the hope of halting a city-led plan to build housing over wetlands in Chateauguay. The wooded area sits along Highway 30, just next door to Kahnawake. 

Three citizens that live nearby are also named as applicants in the challenge. It also seeks approval for a permanent injunction against the city, which would force it to cease moving the housing project ahead – should it be approved. 

The city hopes to build upward of 2,000 units on the 28.6-hectare stretch of land bordered by Saint-Jean-Baptiste and Pierre-Boursier boulevards, known by locals as Faubert’s land.

“Why are we launching this judicial review? Because the city refuses to listen to the position held by many in the city who maintain it has chosen an inappropriate site for the project,” said Chantal Payant, part of a coalition of citizens opposed to the project.

There’s no need to destroy wetlands to respond to the city’s growing housing crisis, she said. The city itself has also identified other areas in the city that could be good candidates for more housing. 

“The city’s existing urban development plan prioritizes development around the Faubourg area, in the west-end of the city (near Anna-Laberge hospital), along René-Lévesque Boulevard, on Anjou Boulevard in the city’s downtown, and by the transit hub on St. Jean Baptiste Boulevard,” said Payant, one of the three applicants in the filing. “Faubert’s land isn’t among any of the areas prioritized for residential development in that plan.”

The two lawyers involved hope the court will squash three zoning by-laws adopted by the city earlier this November to move the project ahead. 

They maintain the city failed to abide by Quebec’s laws surrounding land use planning, and that it should have instead brought the project forward through a different urban planning mechanism, which would have required all zoning changes to be approved through a referendum.

“Our objective with this challenge is to call into question, before the courts, the validity of these by-laws, because we think it’s in the public interest and in the population’s interest too,” said Gabrielle Champigny, one of the lawyers involved.

The way the project is currently structured leaves it to the regional county to approve requested zoning changes. The three by-laws targeted in the legal challenge have yet to be approved by the county – the MRC de Roussillon. 

“One can understand why, because the opposition in the community seems to me to be pretty strong, so they know what the result of that referendum would likely be,” said Franklin S. Gertler, the other lawyer involved. “Those mechanisms were put in the law for a reason. They’re protective of the environment, protective of municipal democracy, and they have to be followed.”

The two other citizens named in the filing are Alexandra Richard and José Luis Banda. Both live right next to the woods. 

Richard used to go there often to walk her dog alongside her boyfriend. She’s no longer able to as of this May, when trespassing signs were installed by the paths leading into the forest.

“There’s tons of birds, tons of animals, and we were permitted to go in and spend time there. We would visit often, and take pictures of all the flowers there in the spring. There’s plenty to look at, the trees are beautiful,” said Richard, who’s lived in the area since 2011. “Now, we’re no longer allowed in.”

Most of the trees there would have to be cleared to make way for the project, and a large portion of the wetlands would be destroyed too. The city has assured it’ll keep some areas intact, promising to conserve at least 30 percent of the existing habitat.

“I find it unfortunate that advocacy groups believe that their vision is superior to that of the population, and that they’re trying to use the courts to that end,” Chateauguay mayor Éric Allard shared in a written comment to The Eastern Door. “It’s just as important that the population’s rights are respected. The city council is elected by the majority and is responsible for making decisions on their behalf. That’s what we’re doing here, for the benefit of the entire population, and for present and future generations.”

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Marie-Claude Bernard, the former finance head for the disbanded Emergency Response Unit (ERU), has been reinstated to her position at the Mohawk Council of Kanesatake (MCK) finance department following a labour tribunal ruling, the MCK announced this week.

A police investigation into the ERU is still ongoing, years after a scandal first broke alleging misappropriation of funds intended for COVID-19 pandemic relief, in which members of the ad hoc body were accused of financial mismanagement that included large “top-ups,” in which ERU members were paid two salaries.

The report summary also flagged a number of transactions deemed suspicious by the auditor.

Bernard did not respond to multiple requests for comment for this article, but soon after the audit summary was released in summer 2022, she told The Eastern Door, “I don’t know how they did the audit, but nobody ever contacted me, so I’m sure there’s a lot of wrong things in it, and they need more information.”

She returned to work this week at her previous salary, according to MCK chief Brant Etienne. As Council’s finance manager, she was being paid $2,288 biweekly, according to the audit summary. She received an additional $4,720 biweekly for her role as the ERU’s finance head during the same period, which covers April 2020 to July 2021, for a total of $231,122 in that time.

A response from former ERU members after the audit summary was released pointed to overtime compensation as a reason for such elevated numbers.

Bernard’s employment was terminated by the MCK near the beginning of this Council term, according to Etienne, but Bernard responded with a wrongful dismissal complaint that led to her reinstatement this week.

Other details are yet to be determined, Etienne said.

“She was unjustly dismissed according to the tribunal, she’s been reinstated, and for now we have other things to deal with,” he said.

The press release announcing her return indicated that “an evaluation of her case will be conducted” in the new year, however this is not a reference to any sanction; rather, it refers to her role in the department, which has been severely understaffed since the recent departure of the subsequent finance manager, Ami-Lee Trentin Hannaburg, who accepted a position at the Kanesatake Health Center (KHC).

“Our focus is on making sure the finances of the community are stable, all the bills are being paid, all the employees are getting their salaries, that everything is in the black, and it has been for the last four years,” said Etienne.

While Council would be compelled by a ruling to allow Bernard to return, Etienne – who was not in Council at the time of the ERU – said he has not seen hard evidence that in his view determines the guilt of any ERU members.

“All of that information that was being fed to people prior to the election and right after, they should rethink if that was true or not. If the investigation does find something, then at that time we’ll take action, but so far, where’s the body? Where’s the evidence?” he said.

He suggested the ERU investigation has been used as a political wedge by MCK grand chief Victor Bonspille, who has railed against the defunct pandemic response unit at public meetings for years.

Bonspille invoked the ERU scandal in comments directly to prime minister Justin Trudeau at the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) special chiefs’ assembly earlier this month. There, he said the investigation had been elevated from fraud to embezzlement.

Bonspille did not reply to a request for comment for this article.

According to Etienne, the MCK subsequently clarified with police that there was no change in focus.

Contacted by The Eastern Door, Surete du Quebec spokesperson Marc Tessier suggested any determination of this nature is premature.

“I can only say that it is an investigation,” Tessier wrote. “It is the result of the investigation which will subsequently determine the type of possible accusation. (Example: this involves fraud, embezzlement, breach of trust, etc.)”

The MCK also announced the position of finance clerk was filled this month, easing the burden on the department, which still needs to submit the 2023-2024 financial statements that will be made available online and were due in July.

[email protected]

Marcus Bankuti, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

At this year’s World Lacrosse Box Championships in Utica, New York, local lacrosse star Ava Weriasanoron Gabriel played for a hometown crowd, even signing autographs for the young Kanehsata’kehró:non athletes who travelled hours and hours to cheer her on.

“We have a lot of girls trying out lacrosse, and to see that kind of level of play happening in our community, it’s inspiring,” said Selena Beauvais, sports and recreation coordinator at the Kanesatake Health Center, which operates the Kanesatake Warriors minor lacrosse association.

The trip was a celebration of the U11 Warriors’ gold medal championship last season.

“We needed a banner to come back home, and it was nice seeing it,” said Beauvais, who witnessed the squad’s 5-1 victory over Terrebonne for the gold in the La Crosse Quebec end-of-season tournament.

The U11 squad was the association’s oldest group last year, with the Warriors also putting together a competitive U7/U9 squad and a U5 team to show the littlest ones the ropes.

This year, Beauvais expects KHC to be able to put together a U13 team, with many of the U11s aging out of their group, and others staying put. No matter their ages, Beauvais has seen the impact the success has had on the young Kanehsata’kehró:non.

“They still talk about it to this day,” Beauvais said. “I see them almost every day, the kids, during the week, and they’re all excited for lacrosse. It just motivates them to keep playing, that’s what’s nice.”

Registrations are underway for the Kanesatake Warriors’ minor lacrosse association, with an end-of-January deadline to sign up, well ahead of last year. This will allow teams to get a head start on practicing together before the season starts in the spring.

All fees and jerseys are paid by the KHC for participating athletes; parents only need to provide the playing equipment.

“I know a lot of kids want to sign up now that didn’t sign up last season, so that’s good,” said Beauvais.

The KHC is welcoming signups for players aged four to 21; like last year, if there are too few older players for Warriors teams, the players will join forces with St. Eustache.

Local mother Kahontókta Beauvais is looking forward to getting her middle child onto the U5 team this year, while her oldest, Kanonwakèn:rat Oakley McGregor, 10, is looking to reprise his role as goalie for the U11 squad – and maybe even win another gold medal.

“I’m so ready for lacrosse again,” said McGregor, who appreciates the chance to play with his cousins and friends on the team.

“I can’t wait to be back.”

McGregor was among the players who watched the world championships in Utica, and he said he wanted to emulate their play style. His mother also had the chance to go.

“It was incredible to watch. I’ve never screamed so much in my life,” Kanonwakèn:rat said. “I was very proud to be there to experience it with my kids. Ava made us all proud in Kanesatake.”

She is excited for the season to begin and relishes the chance to get her children involved in the sport. “It teaches them confidence, self-esteem, and it helps grow friendships and build bonds with their peers,” she said.

Selena has also seen how it builds the confidence of local youth, not to mention the way it promotes an active lifestyle and teamwork. But above all, she sees it as a way to connect with Kanien’kehá:ka culture.

“It’s our roots,” she said.

That’s, in part, why it’s been so satisfying to watch the sport grow in recent years.

“It’s a Jurassic change since I was young, since I was playing,” said Selena, who got to flex her skills at the most recent LAXNAI invitational lacrosse tournament, also in Utica. “I love seeing that.”

Signups go until January 31, and a signup form is available through KHC’s Facebook page, while those seeking more information can contact Selena at [email protected] or 450-479-1411.

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Marcus Bankuti, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The Orville Standup Memorial Food Basket has now officially been presented with the $20,000 check from the Kateri Memorial Foundation (KMF), with the money having been raised by the 10th edition of Karonhiaráhstha’s Winter Wonderland.

Last Friday, KMF board member Lisa Skye and office administrator Sandra Schurman presented Food Basket coordinator Cory Rice with a giant check as well as $13,600 in Shop Kahnawake gift cards, which will be included in the Food Basket’s Christmas delivery this year.

“Thank you to everyone involved, I know a lot of work goes into planning the Winter Wonderland event,” said Rice.

The two representatives of the KMF were proud to be able to give the money and the Shop Kahnawake cards to the Food Basket this year.

“It feels good, because we’re helping our own community. We are able to give back to the community in one of the most essential ways, meaning feeding them, especially during the holidays,” said Schurman.

Skye said the choice to go with Shop Kahnawake cards will give greater liberty to choose what is needed to those that will receive the cards – worth $100 or $200 depending on number of people in the household.

“People that are in need know what they need. They can take those gift cards and buy what they need,” said Skye.

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Kahnawake’s Animal Control Services has been in the spirit of giving this festive season – and they still have a few small bags of dog food and treats for community members to collect on their last day before the holiday break.

 “We give it out to the community to help offset the cost of everything, because pet food can be expensive too, and a lot of people are feeling the crunch of the cost of everything,” said Deidre Whyte, assistant animal control officer. “We want to try to help out in any way we can with people who have pets.”

 Animal Control Services held their Share the Food event last week, where community members stopped by to pick up packages of food. Whyte said it was great to “paw it forward” to locals.

 “They were very appreciative, and they love the idea of being able to get some assistance from here,” she said.

 Community members can stop by today, Friday December 20, to pick up treats and small food bags from Animal Control before they close for Christmas break. The team is expecting to be able to host another Share the Food event later in January.

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As we get closer and closer to December 25, the gift-getting window of opportunity shrinks more and more.

Instead of doing a run on one of the malls on the island or the South Shore, why not make some time for one of the many businesses and crafters in town?

“By shopping locally, you’re supporting your community, you’re supporting your family, you’re supporting your friends, not just directly, but also indirectly,” said Daryl Leclaire, director of business services at Tewatohnhi’saktha.

He said that spending money in a local business can allow them to also spend that money to help other local businesses, either when buying supplies or for their own private purchases.

“At the end of the day, it’s all about supporting one another in that way,” said Leclaire.

Kahnawake boasts a lot of different kinds of local businesses, which means a lot of options to find something for that special someone in your life.

Many offer gift baskets crafted specifically for the holidays, like Sequoia Soaps, or Mohawk Gas & Mini-Mart.

Or, if you’re looking for something out of the ordinary, going to Thrifting the Night Away and giving a second life to something special or unique will definitely be a nice change of pace from something bought in a mall.

Some places offer a place to be and an ambiance on top of the products they sell. That includes Astronomical Cards and Comics, who don’t just offer the collectibles any trading card game enjoyer could want, but also a fun place to spend some time with like-minded folks.

“We have a very wide variety of comics, collectibles, toys, posters, all kinds of trading card games, hockey cards, and football cards,” said Wishe Delisle, owner and manager of Astronomical Cards and Comics.

“And on top of that, we have TVs, we play music, and Sundays are for football. We have football up on the TVs while we have our Magic: The Gathering event.”

Not sure what to get someone on your list? There’s always the Shop Kahnawake program to help you out.

“Given the season, it’s a great stocking stuffer,” said Leclaire, who added that Christmas is by far the busiest time of the year for Shop Kahnawake gift certificates.

“But going beyond Christmas, if you’re not sure what to buy somebody, but you know you want to get them something, there are over 150 locations that accept them locally. There’s a guarantee that there’s something for everybody.”

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The process of buying gifts and then wrapping and unwrapping them creates an enormous amount of waste each season. Oftentimes, that waste can’t be recycled either, as is the case with most gift-wrapping paper. 

If you’re looking to scale back how much waste your household produces this holiday, then look no further. We have some ideas for you.

Reuse used wrapping paper

Old wrapping paper can be used to add festive covers to notebooks, create custom made confetti, or as lining for shelves and the inside of drawers. Just be careful not to tear the paper too much when unwrapping your gifts!

Ditch the wrapping paper 

entirely

Instead of opting for wrapping paper, try wrapping your gifts in something reusable, like a patterned piece of fabric or a scarf. You could also make a point to wrap your gift boxes in materials you’re sure can be recycled, such as this newspaper. Pre-made gift boxes and bags can also be used year after year – you can store them with all the holiday decorations you already take out each year.

Buy good-quality 

decorations

It can be tempting to choose the cheapest Christmas lights and tree ornaments when shopping, but we all know how often items like these tend to be thrown out. Hooks often fall from cheap tree balls, and entire sections of light strands might unexpectedly stop working. It’s worth it to invest a bit more in your decorations. 

You could also take the effort to repair broken items when possible or hand craft your own ornaments with durability in mind.

Save your Christmas cards

You could store them in a box and reread them years later. You might also see a way to incorporate them into arts and crafts projects, like collages, or in making your own homemade ornaments. The possibilities are really endless.

Regift

It can be tempting to just throw out gifts you don’t like. Instead of getting rid of them, see if there’s someone else you know who might appreciate the present. You could also donate items to a local church, food bank, or thrift shop. 

Proper disposal

Old electronics like lights can contain materials that are harmful to the environment. Make sure to throw them out the right way. Items like these can be brought to Waste Management’s Transfer Depot on Seaway Road. Old Christmas trees are also accepted there. 

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Last New Year’s Eve, as the clock struck midnight, community members young and old joined hands and cheered as part of Kahnawake’s first-ever sobriety powwow.

This year, organizer Don Barnaby will be bringing that magic back, as he prepares for an even bigger and better celebration to ring in 2025.

“I’m really trying to promote healing in the community, that’s what this is all about,” Barnaby said. 

The event will take place at Kahnawake Survival School from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m., and giveaways will take place every 15 minutes, with prizes ranging from gift cards for local businesses to handmade gifts.

The evening will also include an honour song, paying tribute to those lost because of addictions.

“Having families go out and do something together culturally is a beautiful way to celebrate New Year’s. And by seeing the joy in the community, by seeing all these kids running around, hopefully the parents who still might have issues might realize you don’t need to have alcohol to have fun,” he said.

“Children won’t always follow our advice, but they will follow our actions, so it’s up to us to be good role models.”

Arena director for the night will be Rahentes Bush, and Lance Delisle will take on the role of MC. Kaiewate Jacobs will be head judge, with first, second, and third place dancers taking home $300, $200, and $100 respectively.

Black Bear Drums will be coming from Manawan to be the night’s host drum, and the Wesheshkun Singers from Waswanipi will take on the role of guest drum.

Having a vibrant programming of guests and prizes was made possible thanks to funding from Kahnawake Shakotiia’takehnhas Community Services (KSCS), which is also sponsoring catering by Berryliscious.

“It fits with everything that we’re trying to promote in terms of healthy lifestyles and cultural revitalization and safe places for families, it checks all the boxes,” said Rebecca D’Amico, clinical lead of secondary prevention at KSCS. “It’s a really, really perfect event for us to support.”

D’Amico explained that KSCS takes a harm reduction approach and wants to make sure there’s options for people who do choose to be sober.

“We want to create spaces where if you have decided to be sober, or if you’re in recovery, you can go where others are living the same lifestyle and having the same experience,” she said. “I’m seeing a bigger increase in people feeling more comfortable and proud to talk about their recovery and sobriety.”

Barnaby has been sober for 26 years and said that events like this are what saved him.

“The kind of medicine I was searching for my whole life didn’t come in a bottle, it didn’t come in a pill, it didn’t come in weed,” he said. “It’s the medicine that’s in that circle.”

Community member Margaret Konwawennontion Kelly was a vendor at the event last year and will be back again to sell her ribbon skirts and earrings.

“I don’t drink, and I don’t do drugs, and without this I’d be sitting at home, so it provides me an opportunity to go out and do something interesting and to see people,” she said. “It’s just a really good feeling when the drums are going and the feet are tapping.”

Admission to the event is free, and registration for dancers in four categories (seniors, adult, teen, and tiny tots) can be completed on site. Grand entry will take place at 7 p.m.

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Though Kwaharani Jacobs’ first single “parking lot” might sound studio-quality, listeners might be surprised to hear how the track got its name.

“We actually recorded it in a parking lot, in the car,” Jacobs said. “I’ve thought of creating my own original music for years and I always envisioned it this certain way of having everything really perfect. But I thought, let me just rip off the band aid. Let me just get it out there.”

“parking lot” is a heady R&B track with smooth vocals and plenty of reverb. It was produced by Teiowerente McComber, who Jacobs first reached out to about making music around a year ago.

“He’s really, really talented musically,” said Jacobs. “We were recognizing each other’s differences and similarities in the creative process, which was really cool. I feel like we balanced each other out.”

McComber said that when he heard the final song, he knew he and Jacobs were the perfect creative match. 

“It sounded amazing. It was all done in one session, usually things take a bit longer, but this one just came in, like, three hours,” he said. “It was pretty crazy.”

The biggest challenge was making the intimate recording setting of the car sound right in the track. 

“You could kind of hear the engine running, and the fan running in the actual recording,” he said. “I wanted to find out how to get rid of that without losing its presence in her vocals.”

McComber meticulously engineered the song, adding reverb and decorating the track with glittery synths and a thumping baseline.

The sparseness of the track – it’s hard to identify the individual noise of any “instruments” – works in the song’s favour, pushing attention towards Jacobs’ ethereal vocal acrobatics. 

Those vocals are accentuated in McComber’s favourite moment around halfway through the song, where Jacobs’ voice shifts between the left and right speaker, making for a goosebumps-inducing effect for headphone listeners.

“It was really an experiment,” Jacobs said. 

The lyrics to “parking lot” are simple – the song itself is only one minute and 40 seconds long – with lines including “Want you to feel the same way I do/Want you to feel the same places that I choose.” 

“I think my creative process really comes from how I’ve feeling. I’ve always really liked poetry, and so sometimes I’ll find a sentence that flows, that sounds really nice to me, or just really describes how I’m feeling in that moment,” she said of her writing process. “Typically, what happens is I have a sentence with a melody, and then I build it from there.”

Jacobs said she was nervous to release the song, but has been touched by the outpouring of support from friends and family. McComber added that he’s already seeing people in other cities add the track to their R&B playlists, which has been a rewarding stamp of approval.

The duo is planning to work on more music together in the near future, starting with a stripped-back, live version of “parking lot.”

“It definitely sounds pretty different from the studio version – or, I guess, the parking lot version,” Jacobs said.

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The annual Christmas Bird Count in Kahnawake saw 34 different species of birds spotted within the community.

“The most exciting thing is the variety of birds we saw,” said Julie Delisle, environmental projects coordinator at the Kahnawake Environment Protection Office (KEPO), who coordinated the count. 

Teams split into two for the count, which took place from sunrise to late afternoon last Saturday. Each team had around five participants, with the Inland Team covering Tekakwitha Island, green spaces along the seaway, the old railroad tracks, tower road, the golf clubs along Route 207, and common lands near Highway 30. The North Wall Team focused on the North Wall area, from the Ste. Catherine locks to the end of the current Kahnawake land base.

The Inland team saw a total of 32 species, with the North Wall team reporting 26 species. 

Types of birds spotted included cormorants,  red-bellied woodpeckers, northern flickers, and a Peregrine falcon, with the North Wall team even catching sight of three bald eagles.

Delisle said the teams took note of where there were especially diverse ranges of birds, observing that some man-made environments were made particularly attractive to our avian friends.

“There was a huge variety in people’s yards, where people had feeders set up,” Delisle said.

The Eastern Door has a large bird feeder and stand set up by Onawa Jacobs, which Delisle said was particularly enjoyed by the birds the Inland Team saw.

“Onawa has a really diverse habitat just in her backyard, so we were able to see four species just right there,” Delisle said. “It really shows that if you create the habitat that the birds need, they will use it.”

A brown creeper, a tufted titmouse and finches were spotted at Jacobs’ feeder.

“These are ones that we didn’t see anywhere else, so backyard feeders and giving them what they need really makes a difference,” Delisle said.

Having a variety of birds is a sign of a healthy, biodiverse community, and there’s plenty of steps community members can take to encourage more wildlife in their gardens. As well as setting up feeders and researching what kind of grains different birds need, it’s also a good idea to let your yard grow as naturally as possible, and to have a variety of trees including shrubs and mature trees.

Living near water – like the creek – will also mean that different species are more likely to pay your yard a visit.

“Birds all have different habitats, so they all have different things that they’re drawn to,” Delisle said.

Most of the attendees for the bird count were avid birders from nearby birding societies, including volunteers from organizations like the McGill Bird Observatory, who participate annually.

The data collected by Kahnawake will go towards the national Christmas Bird Count, which has been running since 1900, making it the longest-running citizen science project in North America. Bird counts take place in more than 2,000 locations, and summaries of each year’s count can be found at birdscanada.org.

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Any day with a home game is a good day for the Kahnawake Minor Hockey Association (KMHA). 

But 15 of them? That’s something special, and that’s what December 14’s Kahnawake Day at the Kahnawake Sports Complex was for everyone who packed the arena for a full day of hockey.

“It went really well, and we received positive feedback on how nice it was to see so many games and that everyone got to watch everyone play,” said Brianne Alfred, president of the KMHA. 

Alfred said that giving the opportunity to players to see how teams in other age groups played was a large factor in deciding to hold Kahnawake Day last Saturday.

“I thought it would be a great idea to have all teams play at home, so the younger teams get a chance to watch the older teams,” said Alfred. “The same goes for families, it was a chance for everyone to hangout and watch a day’s worth of hockey, instead of running from arena to arena, where some may have to miss one sibling’s game to go to the other.” 

Almost all of the teams participated in Kahnawake Day. Only the U21 team, which had a game scheduled in Ile-Bizard, and the U11B Mohawks, who were in a tournament, did not play at the Sports Complex on Saturday.

Lou Ann Stacey, director of the U15 team and manager of the U13C team, was present for five games on Saturday, and she said the arena was chock full of enthused parents, fans, and kids.

“It was packed inside. It was a busy day, especially with a lot of kids that were playing and hustling around. It was really good. You could feel that good energy,” said Stacey.

An important part of Kahnawake Day was the participation of U7 and U9 teams from Akwesasne, who came for a “Fun Day” with Kahnawake teams.

“I reached out to Akwesasne early on, before the season kicked off, and asked if their U7 teams would like to come down for “Fun Day” as they hosted us last year,” said Alfred. 

“This year we also made arrangements to have their U9 team to include our U9 teams.”

Storm Adams, U7 coach and president of the Akwesasne Minor Hockey Association, said that they were happy to accept the invitation, and everyone had a lot of fun.

“Our group had a blast. Everything went great,” said Adams. “And it seems like everybody from the Kahnawake community and their teams were happy as well.”

Stacey, who has a niece on a U7 Mohawks team, said that the kids from town had a blast, too.

“She was just so happy and so excited to get to play a game. Usually, in U7, you’re not playing games, it’s a lot of training,” said Stacey. 

Adams said that U7 in Akwesasne works similarly, and that these “Fun Days” serve as a nice and easy introduction to playing against other teams instead of just doing drills or practicing. 

The Akwesasne minor hockey president said that because of the familiarity many in each community have with the other, and how much fun each game day has been, they are looking at making “Fun Days” a regular occurrence going forward.

“Everybody here loves going to Kahnawake, and then everybody there likes coming to see us here. I’d love to make it an annual thing, where we have both of our groups play either here or there, depending on what is more efficient,” said Adams. 

As for Kahnawake Day itself, Alfred said the event is surely to become an annual fixture in Kahnawake as well.

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While there is perhaps not the amount of snow on the ground one would want less than a week out from Christmas, it is still not a bad idea to start planning some potential outdoor activities during the holiday break and throughout the winter season.

With winter sports often comes the matter of equipment. If you are new to winter sports, or the equipment you do have is no longer up to the task due to wear and tear or age, it can feel daunting to have to buy new stuff – especially with the ever-increasing cost of living.

What you may not know, though, is that the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake (MCK)’s Sports and Recreation Unit rents out equipment, free of charge, and has done so for years.

“Unfortunately, people don’t really rent things from us,” said Roiatate Horn, director of the Sports and Recreation Unit. “I’m guessing people are still not aware of it, so we don’t have a lot of people borrowing stuff, but it’s here for them.”

There are about two dozen sets of snowshoes of varying sizes, as well as a little more than a dozen sets of cross-country skis – in children and adult sizes – available for rent, said Horn.

He recommended that interested community members call ahead before coming to the Sports and Recreation Unit’s offices for the rental, to make sure the equipment is still available in the sizes they need. 

Equipment use is not limited to trails or areas in the community, said Horn. It can be taken for a weekend chalet trip, or an outing to one of the region’s many parks.

“We just ask that they take care of the equipment and return it in a good state, and that it be used for a reasonable timeframe,” said Horn. “It’s here for the community to use, and we have gotten good feedback from the community members that did use it over the last two years that I’ve been here.”

To Horn, staying active during the wintertime is very important. 

“If we can help facilitate that through equipment rental, so people don’t have to actually go out and spend $200 or $300 on equipment, and they could use it for a weekend and bring it back to us, that’s really good. We’re really excited to offer this again, and hopefully the community comes out and supports this.”

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Kahnawake minor hockey is continuing to have a strong season, with the U11B Mohawks the latest team to have a strong showing in a tournament.

The team competed in the 29th Notre-Dame-de-Grace (NDG) Provincial U11 tournament last weekend, going undefeated in five games.

U11B Mohawks coach Kyle Zacharie said that the team has had a successful season so far, currently sitting with a 13-4-2 record.

They have also done well in tournament play – this being their second tournament of the season – but they went into the weekend looking to improve on their performance in the Cumberland Dukes House League Showdown in Ottawa in November.

“We had a good run at the Cumberland Dukes Showdown in Ottawa, but unfortunately we lost in the semifinals,” said Zacharie.

The Mohawks started the tournament off strong, with a pair of wins on Friday, December 13 to get them to the Saturday quarterfinals – a 5-3 win against the Verdun Bulldogs and a 4-2 win against the NDG Panthers.

In the quarterfinals, the Mohawks continued their winning ways, with a decisive 7-3 win against the Rosemont-Petite-Patrie Pioneers.

That got them back to a tournament semifinal, in a meeting with the Hochelaga Phoenix.

This time, Kahnawake punched their ticket to the finals on Sunday, thanks to a 6-5 win in a close affair.

“It was a really exciting back and forth game,” said Zacharie.

The Mohawks coach said that once the team reached the elimination round, he could feel that they were getting nervous.

“But, they were able to focus on their goals and play their game,” said Zacharie.

It would be another close game come finals time, where they met a team from their own league, the Mount Royal Outremont Diablos.

“We played them to a 3-0 victory in the second game of the season, but hadn’t met up since,” said Zacharie.

Because it had been a while since they played each other, Zacharie was not sure what to expect going into the game. 

Some of the Mohawks’ players felt some nervousness before the game against the Diablos Sunday.

“Before (the game), I was very nervous, I thought our tournament lives were on the line,” said Austin Kane, who plays forward for the Mohawks.

“I was nervous, because it was gold medals that we were playing for,” said Rotkwenionhatie Diabo, a defender for the Mohawks.

Goaltender Mason McGregor-Brown, meanwhile, did not feel those nerves before the finals matchup.

“I’ve played in a lot of gold medal games,” explained McGregor-Brown.

The goalie put up a great performance against the Diablos, said Zacharie, including a last-minute save to preserve a two-goal lead.

“He made a stretched out flashy glove save during a breakaway attempt,” said Zacharie. That save kept the score at 4-2 in favour of the Mohawks, who won the game and the gold medal.

“The goalie was doing good, his saves kept us alive for the whole tournament,” said McGregor-Brown’s teammate, defender Shotarowan:ne Jacobs.

Zacharie said the win was a “total team effort,” and that it helped put their performance in Ottawa behind them.

“The team was really excited to win gold, but it also went a long way with their confidence following the Cumberland Dukes tournament,” said Zacharie.

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Quebec TV host and producer Julie Snyder told a civil trial Thursday that she was sexually assaulted by Just for Laughs founder Gilbert Rozon in Paris more than three decades ago.

By William Crooks

Local Journalism Initiative

Marie-Claude Bibeau, MP for Compton-Stanstead and Minister of National Revenue, shared her perspectives on key federal issues and local concerns in a year-end interview. Addressing topics from internal Liberal Party challenges to tax disputes, border security, and the economic future of rural communities, Bibeau emphasized the importance of collaboration, stability, and forward-thinking leadership.

Tax issues in the RV industry
Bibeau shed light on a recent issue involving back taxes in the recreational vehicle (RV) sector, a matter that drew attention from businesses and stakeholders. She said the situation arose when a U.S. supplier failed to comply with Canadian tax regulations, creating a ripple effect along the supply chain. “The tax rules apply uniformly across sectors, including the RV industry,” Bibeau explained, adding that the misunderstanding had been resolved with clear communication to all involved businesses.

While some questioned whether legislative changes were needed, Bibeau confirmed this was unnecessary. “After a thorough review, it became clear that this was an isolated case. The rules are already in place, and the problem stemmed from one supplier’s error.” She emphasized that the impact on Canadian businesses was largely a matter of cash flow rather than a fundamental economic loss, as taxes are typically balanced at the end of each financial cycle.

Liberal party in transition
Amid reports of internal challenges within the Liberal Party, Bibeau likened the situation to a family going through a period of reflection. “As the prime minister said, we are a family, and just like any family, we sometimes face moments of tension. The holiday season will allow us to pause, reflect, and regroup for the new year.”

Bibeau praised Trudeau’s leadership, pointing to his significant achievements in areas such as Indigenous reconciliation, transitioning to a greener economy, and expanding social programs. “We recognize the transformative impact he has had, from protecting the environment to addressing longstanding injustices.”

She also expressed concerns about the potential leadership of Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre and former U.S. President Donald Trump, citing risks to rural economies, women’s rights, and environmental progress. “For rural Quebec, particularly our farmers under supply management, the stakes could not be higher. A Poilievre-Trump alliance could jeopardize key industries and undermine hard-won progress on social and environmental issues.”

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L’article Bibeau reflects on political challenges, priorities, and border concerns est apparu en premier sur Sherbrooke Record.

By William Crooks

Local Journalism Initiative

A newly released report from the Institut de la statistique du Québec highlights a worrying trend: a sharp rise in mental health issues among high school students over the past decade. The report, which draws on data from over 70,000 students in French and English schools across Quebec, underscores alarming increases in anxiety, depression, and other disorders—issues that experts like Dr. Tina Montreuil emphasize need urgent attention.

Dr. Montreuil, an Associate Professor in Educational and Counselling Psychology at McGill University, reflected on the findings during a recent interview. “This report provides a snapshot of how mental health among teenagers has evolved over the past ten years,” she noted. While some conditions like attention deficit disorders have long been present, new phenomena, such as eco-anxiety, have emerged as significant concerns.

Stark statistics on youth mental health

The report paints a grim picture: professionally diagnosed anxiety disorders rose from 9 per cent in 2010–2011 to 20 per cent in 2022–2023. Depression also climbed from 4.9 per cent to 7 per cent, and eating disorders showed the most dramatic increase, from 1.8 per cent to 5 per cent. Attention deficit disorders now affect a staggering 25 per cent of students, up from 13 per cent in 2010.

The data also reveals gender disparities. Girls are disproportionately affected by anxiety (8 per cent take medication compared to 3.8 per cent of boys), depression, and eco-anxiety—a newer metric that tracks stress tied to environmental concerns. The decline in self-esteem was also more pronounced in girls, dropping from 15 per cent in 2010 to just 7 per cent in 2023. For boys, the decline was smaller but still significant, falling from 24 per cent to 16 per cent in the same period.

Dr. Montreuil pointed out, “Eco-anxiety is a reflection of our increasing awareness of climate change and the stress it induces, especially in younger generations who feel they have little control over the situation.”

Factors behind the numbers

While the pandemic has been blamed for rising mental health challenges, Dr. Montreuil argued it’s not the sole culprit. “Interestingly, the steepest increase in issues occurred before the pandemic,” she explained. “During the pandemic, there was more awareness and discussion about mental health, which might have temporarily slowed the upward trend. Parents were more present, and there was a surge in available resources.”

Dr. Montreuil emphasized that increased awareness and better diagnostic tools also contribute to the rising numbers. “We’re more attuned to what anxiety looks like, which leads to more diagnoses,” she said. “But there’s no denying societal factors, like social media, play a role. Platforms like TikTok and Instagram amplify social comparison, contributing to low self-esteem and even eating disorders.”

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L’article Mental health struggles surge among Quebec’s teens est apparu en premier sur Sherbrooke Record.

By William Crooks

Local Journalism Initiative

From the jingle of sleigh bells to heartfelt carols, holiday music has a unique power to evoke nostalgia and bring people together. Professor Ariane Couture, a musicologist at the Université de Sherbrooke, shared her insights in a recent interview into why these seasonal melodies hold such a special place in our hearts.

“Christmas music is deeply rooted in our traditions and emotions,” said Couture, who teaches music history and research methodology at the university. “The music becomes a part of our collective identity, anchoring us in shared experiences and memories.” Having joined UdeS in December 2021, Couture also leads the specialized graduate diploma program in music production and performance.

Her recent exploration of holiday music was prompted by a commission from the Université de Bordeaux, which sought a reflective piece for the holiday season. “They thought it would be great to talk about music, and I was interested in examining it through the lens of attachment,” she explained.

A tapestry of traditions

Holiday music transcends genres and cultures, appealing to diverse tastes and traditions. Classics such as “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” “Mon beau sapin,” and “Il est né le divin enfant” exemplify the broad repertoire, from secular pop hits to traditional carols.

“This diversity makes holiday music accessible to everyone,” Couture explained. “People love to sing along to familiar lyrics, celebrating in joy and unity.” She notes that the communal aspect of singing or playing music is integral to the season. For many, attending concerts like Handel’s “Messiah” or “The Nutcracker” has become an annual tradition, fostering a sense of belonging.

Couture shared a personal example: “My mother used to sing ‘Les trois anges’ to me as a child. Now, I sing it to my children. It’s a tradition that carries nostalgia and creates new memories. Maybe one day, my children will pass it on.”

Diving deeper, she referenced the sociological theories of Antoine Mignon and Christophe Maisonneur. “They studied how fans develop emotional attachments to pop stars or musicians, and the same principles apply to holiday music,” Couture noted. Repetition and familiarity foster a sense of comfort, linking listeners to cherished memories.

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