Montreal, Canada, known for its vibrant local culture, is home to some of the most highly-anticipated festivals. Throughout the year, locals and tourists can experience Montreal’s taste for music, art, food, and diverse cultural traditions. After all, the city is known as a premiere destination for the world’s best circus performances! 

In fact, one of Montreal’s top festivals is the Montréal Complètement Cirque, where attendees enjoy eclectic street performances, live shows with real circus performers, colorful clowns, impressive acrobats, and other aerial feats. Learn more about this popular festival and many more in the guide below. 

The Ultimate Circus Festival

The ultimate celebration of contemporary circus arts is held every July in Montreal. The city literally transforms into a festival of colorful costumes, music, and performances. Besides marveling at fantastic visuals, there are plenty of activities for the whole family at Montréal Complètement Cirque.

For example, kids love getting their faces painted by circus professionals and enjoying towering cones of cotton candy afterward. Attending live circus performances is the most popular activity at this festival; attendees may enjoy free circus shows or purchase tickets for even more spectacular experiences.

Festival attendees are encouraged to dress up in circus-inspired fashion. Festival-goers may also purchase shirts, hoodies, and accessories to get in the spirit. It’s an excellent place to find unique gifts for birthdays and holidays. 

Interactive workshops are a fun one-stop shop for attendees who want to learn more about circus performance, set design, and costumes. Attendees get hands-on experience and instruction from real circus veterans, from juggling to design. Workshop attendees also leave with unique creations they made themselves.

Montréal International Jazz Festival 

This next festival is even recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s largest jazz festival. The Montréal International Jazz Festival is a must for any music enthusiast and a wonderful way to introduce young attendees to Jazz. This popular festival is held every summer between June and July. 

Brace yourself! This festival features about 500 concerts! 

Festival brochures are available to help attendees plan their festival experience so that they don’t miss a favorite band. Set lists are also available on the festival’s website. Similar to the circus festival, there are both free and paid concerts to enjoy. 

This festival introduces emerging artists in the Jazz world, as well as Grammy-winning legends. The open-air venues are perfect for Montreal’s summer weather and offer plenty of space for dancing. Even spontaneous jazz jam sessions are encouraged by festival planners, so find a spot if that sounds like you!

You can’t have a music festival without creative festival fashion. Expect to see comfortable bohemian dresses, colorful accessories, and festival shirts with Jazz legends. Of course, comfortable attire is encouraged for all-day festival goers. 

Don’t forget your dancing shoes!

Francos de Montréal

Montréal is a mecca for French-Canadian culture, making the annual Francos de Montréal a global destination for Francophone enthusiasts from around the world. This festival is another summer favorite held every June, celebrating the best French-language music, from new artists to Canadian Francophone legends. 

Like previous festivals, attendees may enjoy a mix of free and ticketed music events, making it an accessible event for all festival-goers.

Besides experiencing the best in Francophone culture, attendees enjoy an impressive selection of French-Canadian cuisine, arts and crafts fairs, and countless artisans and vendors. This festival is the perfect place to show off sophisticated evening outfits, styled with your favorite Diamondere jewelry, accessories, and shoes. Of course, it’s one of the few times of the year where you can go “full Francophile” with traditional berets and French fashion.

Expect a range of genres, as well, including pop, hip-hop, rock, and classical. You don’t need to be fluent in French to enjoy this eclectic festival. 

L’International des Feux Loto-Québec

If you love fireworks, you can’t miss the next Montreal festival; the city’s international fireworks competition is held every summer, drawing attendees from across the globe. Expect to see the latest advancements in pyrotechnic entertainment, including the largest, most creative fireworks you’ve ever seen. 

Since it’s a competition, representing countries put a lot of time and craftsmanship into creating immersive entertainment, bringing together both fireworks and music. 

Attendees are encouraged to arrive at the festival early to snag the best viewing spots. Visitors should bring lawn chairs, blankets, pillows, and food and beverage coolers. There are also plenty of local food vendors selling favorite street foods. 

Light-up accessories like LED jewelry and glow sticks are popular at these events. Attendees can also purchase these festival goodies from event vendors.

Don’t Miss Montreal’s Top Festivals

Remember to mark the above events on your calendar to experience Montreal’s world-renowned culture. 

From memorable music concerts and fireworks to circus entertainment, the city’s festival scene cannot be missed. Remember to bring the essentials you need to stay comfortable during long festival weekends, including bottled water, backpacks, sweatshirts for summer nights, and snacks. 

Remember to check for the latest festivals, restaurants, shops, and experiences in Cult MTL, your premier source for local Montreal culture.

The post Essential Tips for Enjoying Montreal’s Diverse Cultural Festivals appeared first on Cult MTL.

The post QCT Online Print Edition – Feb. 26, 2025 appeared first on The Quebec Chronicle Telegraph.

Montreal's public transit agency sounded the alarm about the Metro being relied upon as a "last-resort shelter." What can be done to improve the situation?

After multiple service disruptions and other issues, operators of the REM are rolling out a series of measures, including free service from Monday to Friday this coming week.

Heather Ross shares her journey in conservation

By William Crooks

Local Journalism Initiative

A captivating exploration of biodiversity and conservation is set to unfold on Feb. 26, 2025, at 7 p.m. at the Centre Communautaire Amédée Beaudoin in Lennoxville. Heather Ross, a retired veterinarian and passionate nature lover, will share her inspiring journey of creating a nature sanctuary on her 200-acre property in the Eastern Townships. Hosted by the St. Francis Valley Naturalists’ Club, the presentation, “Nurturing a Nature Sanctuary,” will offer an in-depth look at Ross’s efforts to discover, document, and protect the precious biodiversity thriving on her land.

Ross’s property, nestled in the Cookshire-Eaton area, is a remarkable blend of ecosystems, including cultivated land, a rare old-growth sugar maple forest, and over 100 acres of wetlands. In an interview, she shared the story behind her conservation mission, which began almost five years ago when she was struck by the rich diversity of life on her land. “I didn’t even realize they were all there,” Ross said, describing her first encounters with the abundant wildlife captured on her nature cameras. “When I saw all the wildlife and some of the rare plants and birds, I thought, ‘I’ve got to somehow preserve this.’”

Her property is a sanctuary for a range of species, including moose, bears, lynx, snowshoe hares, and a family of coyotes. Ross has documented these creatures through video footage collected over nearly a decade, which she plans to share during her presentation. “I have footage of all these animals,” she explained, adding that she has also observed rare plant species, such as orchids and unusual ferns, as well as ancient maples that are estimated to be between 200 and 400 years old. “The biologists who visit are always most impressed by the big, huge maple trees,” she noted.

The old-growth forest is not just a relic of the past but an active habitat for diverse wildlife. These ancient trees, some of which are partially dying, provide crucial refuge for owls, woodpeckers, and fishers. “That’s probably why I have fishers,” Ross explained, highlighting the importance of these ancient habitats. The wetlands on her property also play a significant role in maintaining the ecosystem’s balance. “The coyotes help keep the beavers in check, preventing them from getting out of control,” she added, emphasizing the interconnectedness of predator and prey dynamics on her land.

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L’article Nurturing a nature sanctuary est apparu en premier sur Sherbrooke Record.

A man in his 50s was fatally crushed by a semi-trailer truck near a Laval recycling business on Sunday, police confirmed.

A model of consistency of late, Canadian speed skater Laurent Dubreuil collected his second silver medal in three days over 500 metres in Sunday's World Cup men's race in Tomaszów Mazowiecki, Poland.

After nearly a week of work, Montreal snow-removal crews have cleared 38 per cent of streets and 60 per cent of sidewalks. The city suspended garbage collection for a week after the storm. Why have many people left their household waste on the curb earlier than expected?

Milk And Bone will hit the festival circuit in the summer with songs off their new EP Baby Dreamer.

Canadian media: Stop normalizing Trump’s 51st State propaganda

A fire can’t spread if you suck all the oxygen out of the room. If only someone told Cross Country Checkup host Ian Hanomansing.

This Sunday’s show asks: What do you think about Canada becoming the 51st state? Hanomansing emphasized that 100 NPR stations will simulcast the episode, and that this is a chance for Canadians’ voices to be heard by Americans.

The Venn diagram of NPR listeners and Trump supporters are two circles separated by a million miles. Just like Pierre Poilievre, Trump also wants to defund public broadcasters.

It’s hard to understand what Hanomansing was thinking: Canadians do not want to be annexed and hate Trump for resurrecting Nazism.

Better judgment is needed at the CBC. The subject should be critically examined — not normalized. And the CBC sucks when it comes to normalizing bad ideas. How much publicity have they given Pierre Poilievre, despite his vow to destroy it? And why has the CBC and the rest of Canada’s mainstream media been so soft in fact-checking Poilievre’s rhetoric.

The CBC shouldn’t ignore Donald Trump’s annexation threats, but as a foundational element of Canadian culture, they have a public responsibility to fight it with extreme prejudice at every opportunity they get.

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

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Ever wondered where the snow goes after a winter storm? There are 10 snow dump sites on the island of Montreal, each can hold the equivalent of 800 Olympic size swimming pools filled with snow.

Beloved community worker Leonora Indira King died unexpectedly at the end of December at 42. Members of Parc-Extension — the community she served over the last decade — are gathering Saturday to celebrate her life and legacy.

Santé Québec, the province’s health authority, is warning people to avoid emergency rooms whenever possible as occupancy rates are still strained, especially in the Montreal area.

On Thursday evening, Montreal police responded to calls for two separate incidents in the Metro system involving men in their 50s being beaten by teenagers.

It could take another 10 days for city crews to clear the snowbanks left over by last week's record-setting snowfalls. 

CAA-Quebec has some tips on how to efficiently and safely free your car after major snowfall.

The teenage girl found earlier this week in the snow in Châteauguay, Que., has died, the city's police service confirmed Friday.

The following is a capsule review of the Montreal restaurant Cabaret l’Enfer. To read the 2025 Montreal Restaurant Guide, please click here.

Cabaret l’Enfer

Chef-owner Massimo Piedimonte delivers a veritable Masterpiece Theatre experience, with him, his team and their creations at centre stage. Piedimonte looms large with charisma and talent, boasting a tasting menu that highlights both a dedication to his Italian upbringing and a show of precise French techniques. Given his lineage in kitchens tracing back to Noma in Copenhagen, Maison Boulud and le Mousso, be prepared for a night to remember. The wine list is topnotch, the music is pitch-perfect and all conspires to ready your senses for the unforgettable meal that lies ahead. (4094 St-Denis)

For more on Cabaret l’Enfer and to make a reservation, please visit their website.

For more on the food and drink scene in Montreal, please visit the Food & Drink section.

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The Quebec Crown says its expert has concluded that the man accused of killing two children and injuring six others after a city bus crashed into a daycare should be found not criminally responsible due to a mental disorder.

Mayor Valérie Plante says about one-third of the city's roads have been cleared since the recent snow dump. The operation will slow down over the weekend to allow city workers who've worked six consecutive days to rest.

Mayor Doreen Assaad said Friday she wants the 45 and 90 bus lines — which transported riders over the Champlain Bridge into the city before the REM’s non-compete clause axed them — re-established. 

For Kahnawake Tourism’s Kimberly Cross, sharing the history and culture of Kahnawake is one of life’s greatest joys.  

“It’s super important to me. We’re storytellers, we’re here, and we’re telling our story from our perspective,” said Cross, who is the tourism development manager at Kahnawake Tourism.  

“Part of tourism is revitalizing and keeping our cultures alive, because we’re out there, we’re showing and telling about our culture.” 

Cross is one of many Kahnawa’kehró:non involved in the 2025 edition of the International Indigenous Tourism Conference, hosted by the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC) which will be held in Montreal next week for the first time in its 12-year history. Around 1,200 attendees are expected to flock to Tiohtià:ke for the event, which ITAC says is the biggest tourism conference in Canada. 

Cross and the team at Kahnawake Tourism were involved in planning aspects of the conference. 

“I’m really excited for it to be here, because when I first started attending in 2014 when I started my job, it was quite a lot smaller, it’s grown a lot in the past 10 years,” Cross said. 

“There’s people I’ve seen at this conference each year that I’ve networked with and we’ve created that nationwide family, this network of tourism operators, and they’re coming here and getting to experience what we’re doing.” 

Also playing a role in Kahnawake’s involvement in the conference is Bronwyn Kawenahawe Johns, Kahnawake Tourism’s public relations officer.  

She’ll be sitting on a panel hosted by The Original Original, an organization that works to identify what tourism businesses are truly Indigenous-owned, where she’ll be talking about how to respectfully attend powwows. 

“Powwows are something really important because they’re a moment of solidarity between all nations, and our continued support of each other is really important through the changing governments around us,” Johns said.  

It’s a good opportunity to educate people who might not know about powwow etiquette, Johns said. 

“When people are coming it should be common sense to pay attention to what’s going on and follow protocol, but sometimes people are just caught up in the moment and don’t listen to what the emcees are saying,” Johns said.  

“We want to have the participation of all of the visitors who come to the community at our powwows, but we want to put it out clearly what to expect when you come so as not to be disrespectful.” 

The logo for this year’s conference features an abstract design created by Kahnawake’s very own Leilani Shaw, who designed it around a year ago.  

“It’s always kind of surreal. I did the logo so long ago that it kind of escaped my mind, but it’s like an art project that takes on a life of its own, that people are going to do things with, in the future,” she said.  

“I’m really excited to see the little logo that I made on my laptop be on a so much bigger platform, and in person.” 

The day before the conference kicks off, media and tour operators from across Turtle Island will be taking a tour of Kahnawake, situating them before the conference starts on Tuesday.  

During the first day, around 400 attendees will be taking part in cultural activities either on site at the Montreal Convention Centre, or in Kahnawake, with each event facilitated by artisans and knowledge keepers. Cultural programming will also take place in Kanesatake, including a tour led by Wanda Gabriel. 

Attendees can also take part in a cornhusk doll workshop which will be facilitated by Skanaiè:’a Deer, a beadwork workshop by Annie Kanionwarishon Marquis, and a bracelet-making workshop with replica wampum beads, facilitated by Ahonwakerane Stacey.  

Marquis will be teaching attendees how to make beaded pop sockets that they can attach to the backs of their phones. She sourced customized beading kits for her group, with supplies bought locally from Nicia’s Accessories. 

“I’m excited to see everyone get creative in the colours they choose, everyone has different colour palettes and sometimes you’ll see colours that you never thought would click,” she said. 

She said that she’s excited to share her teachings with brand new and seasoned beaders alike – that’s part of the beauty of tourism, she said. 

“Tourism is important not just to me but for everyone to see how developed our community is, and how many people outside of our community are intrigued to learn,” she said. “It’s important for events like this to continue because it helps our culture to continue to thrive and be sustained. Continuous learning and teaching will only make our culture stronger and prosper.” 

Others will learn about maple tapping followed by a Two 0 Seven Restaurant brunch, and groups will also be heading out to the marina for ice fishing with Kirby Joe Diabo, with food provided by Eric “Dirt” McComber.  

Caterers of all kinds are also involved in the conference, with local businesses like Screaming Chef, Simple Pleasures, Berrylicious, and TLC all providing food to hungry guests. 

“Everybody’s going to get a taste of our traditional foods with a modern twist,” Cross said.  

Dancers include Owen Mayo, Tehorahkwané:ken Albany, and Kaiè:wate’ Jacobs, who along with a range of local artisans will be showing the conference’s attendees what Kahnawake is all about. Keith Henry, president and chief executive officer of ITAC estimates that around 60 percent of attendees are Indigenous, with the non-Indigenous attendees often being tourism industry partners or big companies.  

“We’re creating these platforms where there’s Indigenous and non-Indigenous people partnering because they want to, because it’s in everyone’s mutual interest to do so,” he said. “What this industry really requires is for us to work together to be successful, and I think that this is the most powerful way that we can show that in the industry and lead by example.” 

The conference is a significant investment, costing around $1.8 million a year to run, funded in part by sponsorships and delegates tickets 

“We don’t do it to make money, as long as we just break even,” Henry said. “We’re happy because we’re trying to lift Indigenous experiences locally, that’s really what we’d love to see.” 

The conference will conclude on Thursday evening with an awards gala and performance by Inuk singer-songwriter Elisapie.  

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Last year we ran an editorial condemning a shameful backlog in the processing of Jordan’s Principle requests, a delay with real consequences for First Nations children in Canada. But now we see that was just setting the stage for an unacceptable about-face from this government, which once again is letting its hypocrisy show. 

A person is nothing without their principles, and it doesn’t get much more sacred than Jordan’s Principle, a promise to Onkwehón:we children that their needs will be met, first and foremost, and the rest will be figured out later. 

Given the government’s many failures when it comes to living up to its legal and moral obligations over the years, it’s tempting to call it a better-late-than-never promise – after all, it emerged just a couple decades ago – but that would be too glib. 

After all, it came too late for Jordan River Anderson of Norway House Cree Nation, after whom the program is named, and countless like him. Jordan died in hospital as a young child as the province and federal government argued for years over who would pay for his care, having never spent time in his own community. 

Thus Jordan’s Principle emerged as an acknowledgment of the government’s duty to uphold the human rights of Indigenous children – a step in the right direction, even if it took ages for the government to plug holes in the program’s implementation.  

When the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal ruled in 2016 that Canada’s delivery of services to First Nations children was discriminatory, Jordan’s Principle was a natural vehicle for many of the needed reforms. 

But equity is elusive, which is one reason Jordan’s Principle needed to grow to address many of the government’s shortcomings in providing services to First Nations, some of which could have been, should have been addressed in other ways – but weren’t. 

That’s why Jordan’s Principle has emerged as a last line of defence against government indifference to this land’s rightful stewards: the next seven generations of Onkwehón:we. 

If a child is living on reserve in a mold-infested home, is it not in the interests of equity that the government reverse its neglect and support renovations? If the home is overcrowded because housing is scarce, has Canada not failed to ensure access to enough quality housing? 

For years, the program accepted these needs as falling under the mandate of Jordan’s Principle, encouraging people to apply. Yet now Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) has pulled the rug out from children who need a safe place to call home, among tons of other equity measures, unless the request meets a narrower definition of meeting a child’s health, social, or educational needs. 

Some might argue a broader understanding of these goals goes beyond the parameters or intention of the program or even the government’s responsibilities, but those people would be missing the point entirely. 

First, let’s start with the almighty dollar, the bottom line for centuries in this country. After all, we’re not talking about what Canada should give to Indigenous children. We’re talking about what they are owed. 

Canada boasts that it has pledged nearly $9 billion to meet the needs of First Nations children through this program since 2016.  

Sure, that sounds like an impressive sum, even if there are individuals in this greedy world that could pay that many times over. But think about it another way. What is the value of all that heel-digging perpetrated by colonial power on Tiohtià:ke alone, which is unceded Kanien’kehá:ka territory? 

We’re talking about all those houses, condos, and skyscrapers dotting Montreal; the land they sit on that was handed down across generations as the beneficiaries of colonialism built networks of wealth denied to Mohawk children. 

Here’s the thing: the Montreal area alone has a gross domestic product (GDP) of more than $200 billion a year. The value of the land where that productivity happens is obscene. And all that real estate is generating tax bills that boggle the mind. 

How much is all the property in Canada worth? That’s measured in trillions, plural. 

In other words, $9 billion over eight or nine years is a drop in the bucket from a country whose existence is predicated on land theft from coast to coast. 

And how to square up the ISC announcement with the stated goal of Jordan’s Principle: “that First Nations children have substantively equal access to government services, taking into account their distinct circumstances, experiences, and needs.” 

The fact is, expenditures on competitive sports and travel can go a long way to ensuring that First Nations children have the same opportunities as children off the reserve have or should have. 

No one, including Cindy Blackstock of the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society, is saying every single request should be approved under the program, but if there are backlogs, the government should fund the administration of the program to keep up with requests, not start dismissing categories of them. 

And if the government isn’t convinced the Jordan’s Principle program is the right way to approach it, then it needs to step up and say what it’s going to do instead to make sure every Indigenous child in this country has the opportunity to fulfill their potential and live a happy, healthy life that should be their birthright. 

TED Staff

Sex trafficking happens in every community. That’s the message behind Caught in my Dreamcatcher, a new book written by two Montreal police officers. 

“It hits in the best of families. It hits no matter where we come from. It’s a crime of opportunity,” said Josée Mensales, who co-wrote the book alongside her colleague Romy Verge-Boudreau.  

The two also work for the Surete du Québec (SQ) unit dedicated to arresting those who profit off the sale of others, touring communities all over the province prior its publication last week.  

It largely consists of the testimonies of survivors, edited and collected by the two police officers that worked directly with them to help them navigate the justice system. One comes from a woman from an unnamed reserve in the province. One Inuk woman, from a community in Nunavik, also shares her experience. In between are chapters dedicated to educating readers about the resources that exist to support victims of sexual violence. 

Though it’s known Indigenous women, girls, and boys are overrepresented in the sex trade, they’re underrepresented in police investigations in the province. So much so that it’s hard to track which communities have it worse than others, Mensales and Verge-Boudreau told The Eastern Door, as it’s a crime not often reported to authorities.   

“Very little of our police statistics concern people that come from First Nations or Inuit communities, but we know that more than 50 percent of the people being trafficked in Canada come from Indigenous communities,” Mensales said.

Both are now working on getting the book distributed to First Nations and Inuit communities across the province, through their work with the Programme Les Survivantes that they head. It provides educational workshops all over Quebec to raise awareness about the signs of human trafficking, often with survivors in attendance there to share their stories.  

“At the beginning, they feel that they’re doing that with their consent. They believe that they’re doing it as a joint venture,” Indigenous affairs minister Ian Lafrenière told The Eastern Door, while at the launch for the book in downtown Montreal last Thursday. “That’s why it’s so hard for people to realize that they’re victims, because at the beginning, they believe they’ve fallen in love with someone. This is a joint project.” 

The former officer and spokesperson for the Montreal police wrote the book’s preface, something he was inspired to do after chairing a National Assembly committee dedicated to investigating the sexual exploitation of minors in the province over 2019 and 2020.  

Ellen Filippelli, president of Kanesatake Health Center’s board of directors, said it’s an unfortunate reality in her community.  

She previously headed a crime prevention program run under the Mohawk Council of Kanesatake (MCK), which collaborated with Mensales from 2014 onward to raise awareness about how sex trafficking operates. She said she was pushed to take action after hearing stories about their children getting targeted.  

“I had heard of our youth who were going out to Montreal,” said Filippelli, also the executive director of the First Peoples Justice Centre of Tiohtià:ke. “They were attending the Grand Prix races, and then we had two young girls who got really wrapped up in that scene, and they were trafficked.” 

For years, she helped organize educational workshops in town that targeted youth from the ages of eight to 17. Similar workshops were also organized for parents and frontline workers, like first responders, and those who work in schools, hospitals, and social services. 

“It was about making our youth more aware of their surroundings and the realities of what can happen if they took that path,” she said. “People were starting to talk more about it, and that’s the important thing.” 

That crime prevention program doesn’t exist anymore though, she said, ever since it shuttered over the pandemic.  

“It was closed down, and it was never reopened. And that should never have happened. We would not be in the state that we are in right now, and criminals take advantage of that,” Filippelli said. 

Services to prevent and provide support to victims of this kind of crime are lacking in town, she said, and the territory is under-policed by the SQ. The growing cannabis industry brings in more and more outsiders each year, creating a perfect storm for vulnerable people to be taken advantage of, she said.  

“It could be men or women who befriend them, and then they bring them off to the city. They’ll bring them off to another place. And then you don’t hear from them again,” Filippelli said.  

The Eastern Door requested statistics on the number of police investigations launched by the SQ this year and last year into sex trafficking and pimping, specifically requesting the number that involved Kanehsata’kehró:non as victims, but weren’t able to obtain any. A spokesperson for the provincial police service said because of how their database is set up, the numbers were difficult to extract. 

The same statistics were sought from the Kahnawake Peacekeepers, which reported it didn’t have any police files relating to sex trafficking or the sale of sex since the beginning of this year or last year.  

There was one incident that involved a non-local approaching a minor and offering her a ride, said Kyle Zachary, their spokesperson. An investigation resulted in the laying of criminal harassment charges, but whether that could have been a human trafficker isn’t clear cut, he said.  

Rebecca D’Amico works in prevention at Kahnawake Shakotiia’takehnhas Community Services (KSCS) and is an active member of the community’s Family Violence Action Group, which meets weekly. She said if sex trafficking is happening, it isn’t something that’s come up at the table.  

It’s not something she hears about through her role at KSCS either, she said. 

“We don’t get the calls where someone says, ‘I think I’m being trafficked, or I think my family member is being trafficked.’ I just don’t even know if people really understand it that way,” D’Amico said. 

Last year, KSCS helped to host two separate workshops in town on the topic, with one aimed at parents and another aimed at frontline workers like first responders. Workers from KSCS also visit classrooms to educate students about the risks associated with social media.  

“It’s more online, it’s more exploitation. And you know, a lot of people who are being trafficked even live at home and their parents don’t know,” she said.  

“Really, that’s what we can do right now,” she said. “I don’t know what the rates are in Kahnawake for trafficking. It’s still something that people are really trying to learn and understand, and maybe some don’t even know if they’re being trafficked.” 

Caught in my Dreamcatcher is currently being sold at Renaud Bray. Both print and e-book versions of the book can also be purchased directly from the website of its publisher, Éditions Hannenorak.  

Plans are also underway to produce an Inuktitut translation of the book as well, the authors shared. 

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A class action settlement for Indigenous children and families involved in the child welfare system between 1991 and 2022 is set to open next month, with a Kahnawake-based liaison appointed to assist community members with submitting their claims. 

“If any child was placed either in a foster home or a group home, or in institutional placement like Batshaw, all of it would qualify under this compensation,” said Kahnawake Shakotiia’takehnhas Community Services (KSCS) executive director Derek Montour.  

The $23.4 billion settlement was approved by Canada in 2023, aimed at compensating children and families harmed by the chronic-under funding of on-reserve child welfare services.  

The settlement agreement came on the heels of a Canadian Human Rights Tribunal (CHRT) ruling that ordered Canada to commit to both compensating victims of the child welfare system and reforming the system in its entirety.  

The latter component remains uncertain, with chiefs at the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) voting to reject the proposed $47.8 billion reform settlement, arguing that it doesn’t go far enough. Chiefs in Ontario have been continuing to negotiate an independent deal with Canada in the meantime.  

The compensation component of the settlement agreement, however, is expected to see approximately 350,000 First Nations children and their families who experienced discrimination within the child welfare system receive money from the government in acknowledgement of their experiences.  

The continued debate concerning the reform settlement doesn’t impact the compensation aspect for those affected. 

Community members can make claims directly, or can speak with Louise Mayo, who KSCS has hired to be a liaison throughout the process. She will be able to provide those making claims with more information and support them through the often emotional process of submitting documentation – something she is well equipped for given her experience as the Indian Day Schools Settlement project coordinator for the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake (MCK).  

Part of that support will include connecting claimants with KSCS resources that can help them process what they’re going through. 

“Louise will have the support of KSCS for people that may be triggered, having potentially to relive some of the challenges that they may have experienced,” said Montour. “Some community members may still harbour anger and are upset by the decisions that were made in their lives, and this way Louise can ensure that they’re getting the support that they need.” 

The first claims period for the class action is set to open on March 10, which is for the Removed Child class and Removed Child Family class, two of nine different classes eligible for compensation.  

Those two classes include children removed from their homes as children between April 1, 1991, and March 31, 2022, while on reserve and put in care funded by the Canadian government, as well as their caregiving parents and grandparents. 

Other classes include the Jordan’s Principle class and Jordan’s Principle Family class, which cover children and their families who suffered trauma due to a delay, denial, or service gap for an essential service from the Canadian government while they were a child, between December 12, 2007, and November 2, 2017.  

The amount of compensation that a claimant will receive varies depending on the situations they experienced, but generally claimants can expect between $20,000 and $40,000. It’s not yet clear how long it will take for applicants to receive that compensation, though it could be as early as six months for claimants in the Removed Child class.  

A spokesperson for the settlement told The Eastern Door that help is also available to complete the relevant forms online, with step-by-step guides and videos available at FNChildClaims.ca. Claims helpers will also be available for those needing one-on-one support, and free mental health and wellness support is available 24 hours a day at HopeForWellness.ca or 1-855-242-3310. 

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Kahnawake now has a residency compliance officer. That is, someone who’ll take on the role of filing eviction orders to the Court of the Kahnawake.  

The community has already had an eviction law in place since last year, but up until now it’s been unenforceable. That’s because the law revolves around a complaints-based process, which requires a compliance officer to assess whether the eviction is justified or not before bringing it to the court.  

“I’m not the one evicting people,” said Kyle Jacobs, the man hired to do the job. “I cannot make the complaint myself. I cannot go around looking at people, making the request on my own.” 

The Kahnawake Peacekeepers will have the authority to remove people with force if needed should the court grant an eviction. 

The Mohawk Council of Kahnawake (MCK) maintains set criteria regarding who is and isn’t allowed to reside in town. That includes those listed on their membership list, the Kanien’kehá:ka of Kahnawake Registry (KKR), as well as those who aren’t but have been granted authorization to reside because of their lineage and ties to the community.  

Short-term residency permits can also be granted to Onkwehón:we who work and study in the community, or who are here on humanitarian grounds. 

Only those listed on the KKR will be able to file the requests for eviction, said Jacobs, who spent over 20 years working in the local online sports betting industry prior to applying for the job. 

This newest eviction process comes following a 2018 Quebec Superior Court ruling that found the band council’s former process to be in violation of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. That law, known as the marry out, get out law, first came into effect in 1981. 

Community members will still have to wait until April until they can formally submit their eviction requests to the MCK’s membership office. In the meantime, education kiosks are expected to be hosted in town to raise awareness about how the complaints process will operate. 

“This is all about getting the residency law in front of the people and letting them know that the complaints policy is starting, and how to start taking those steps to file a complaint,” Council chief Jeremiah Johnson said. 

Those not on the KKR who’d like to learn more about how to apply residency can also come by with whatever questions they have, he said. 

“They’re the people who are going to be most affected by this,” Johnson said.  

The first kiosk will be hosted in the Kahnawà:ke Shakotiia’takehnhas Community Services (KSCS) lobby on February 28, with more expected to happen there over the month of March.  

An information session about the eviction complaints process is also expected to be hosted at the Golden Age Club on April 16, starting at 6:30 p.m. 

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Hidden cameras have been set up along Seaway Road in the hope of deterring illegal dumping. Council chief Jeremiah Johnson said visible ones will also soon be put up on the telephone poles at the entrance of the road too. 

“It seems to be ramping up again, the dumping, so something needed to be done,” said Johnson, who has been cleaning up the area for years now, long before he became a Council chief last summer. “Luckily, I’m on Council now, and I have a few more resources at my disposal, so we can get some things done.” 

The cameras that were put came from the Kahnawake Environment Protection Office (KEPO), which already had some extra trail cameras on hand, Johnson said.  

“Hopefully, it’s going to be a very good preventative measure to keep people off the territory,” he said. “And for the locals who might think it’s a good idea to dump their trash down that road, it’s going to hopefully make them think twice, because we are watching, and we are going to prosecute if we can catch you.” 

The addition of new cameras in the area – which are not the first to be put up there - comes following a police investigation launched into dumping in the area last month.  

No suspect has been identified yet, said Kyle Zachary, the spokesperson for the Kahnawake Peacekeepers. Should they be caught, they could be fined under Kahnawake’s sanitation law. Non-locals can also be ordered to a hearing at the Court of Kahnawake under the law, he said. 

There’s yet to be another incident reported to the authorities since then.  

Kaniet White has been cleaning up the area for years now and often patrols the area at night in his car to keep an eye out for people looking for somewhere to offload their trash. White was also among those last month that helped clean up over 10 piles of waste left behind then, which he did using a loan transport vehicle.  

“It’s been an ongoing issue for as long as I can remember, locals and non-locals dumping on the Seaway after hours,” said White, who often goes out to the shooting range there with his family. “It had gotten so bad that people weren’t even able to drive in to use the shooting range, because of the amount of debris.” 

Some drivers get flat tires when they drive through the area, White said, because of plywood with exposed nails often left there. 

He’s put up hidden trail cameras there himself, too, but unfortunately the image quality wasn’t high enough to identify anyone.  

Cameras are a good start, but more could be done to tackle the issue. Even when people get caught by the Peacekeepers, they’re not always fined, White has heard. Sometimes, they’re just ordered to clean up what they left behind. 

“It’s a slap on the wrist for them,” White said. “They know that they’re not going to get fined, and if it comes to it, it’s just the cleanup that they have to do. So you’re saving hundreds of dollars, if not thousands, by just coming out here.” 

The Mohawk Council of Kahnawake (MCK) used to employ conservation officers that would patrol and protect the territory against dumping, but that hasn’t been the case for many years now. That also needs to change, said White. 

“That’s when it really started to get bad with people dumping illegally, and a lot of other sketchy activities in the back roads,” he said. 

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Management at the Kanawaki Golf Club and Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) have yet to decide what kind of work will be carried out to remove old asbestos pipes currently underground at the golf course. That’s according to Council chief David Diabo, who sat in on the most recent meeting held last Thursday about the hazardous materials there that date back decades. 

“Indigenous Services Canada and Kanawaki have to get their stuff together and come up with a better plan. And we told them,” Diabo said. 

Staff from the Kahnawake Environment Protection Office (KEPO) have also been sitting in on the meetings about the issue. Canada is involved in them as it’s the one that holds the lease on the land. 

It was in the summer when workers were digging to add a new drainage system on the grounds that they discovered segments of the cement pipes containing asbestos, The Eastern Door revealed in a recent investigation.  

The cement pipes that lie underground date back from a former water irrigation system on the grounds. 

They will all have to be removed eventually, as there’s the risk they could leach asbestos into the soil and groundwater there, said Benjamin Green-Stacey, the director at KEPO.  

It’s important restoration work happens soon to remove the pipes since they’ve already started to break apart, he said.  

“While the pipe is still a pipe, it’s not a problem,” Green-Stacey said. “It’s when it starts to break down and small pieces break off, when it becomes airborne and can be inhaled, then it becomes a problem.” 

Workers with KEPO have been carrying out soil and groundwater testing there for many years now, but they’ve yet to reveal any leaching of asbestos into the ground. Soil testing did reveal traces of heavy metals, but not in levels high enough to pose a risk to the environment or human health, Green-Stacey said.  

“It can’t stay in the ground after it’s been busted up, or after it’s done serving its purpose,” he said. “It can’t stay there on site, it can’t stay on that property, and it can’t go to the landfill.” 

The environment office has been monitoring the groundwater and soil at the golf course because the land there will eventually be returned back to Kahnawake. Over the pandemic, the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake (MCK) agreed to a 25-year extension of the lease agreement between Kanawaki and Canada first reached in 1914, but only on the condition that the land be returned in the same condition as it was when it was originally taken. The lease will expire in November of 2046. 

Green-Stacey said it’s still not known where the remainder of the cement pipes are located on the golf course. It’s only been a few months that his office has been aware they were there at all, he said. 

“We just want to make sure that we know exactly what’s there, how much is there, where it is, so then we can figure out how to properly manage it,” Green-Stacey said. “That’s the intention.” 

The Eastern Door invited management at the golf course and ISC to provide comments for this story, but did not hear back by presstime. 

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Quebec Native Women (QNW) and the Native Women’s Shelter of Montreal (NWSM) are teaming up to create a new province-wide map that’ll compile the stories of those affected by the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and two-spirit people.  

 A two-day long event will be hosted at the Golden Age Club in town next week to encourage families in Kahnawake to participate in particular.

“The goal is to offer a space for the families to come and speak about their stories, if they want to, and to discuss this mapping project together so that they can use it as a tool to commemorate their loved ones,” said Chléo Pelletier, who was hired by QNW as a consultant on the project. 

The two-day event is being hosted with the help of the Family Violence Action Group in town. The event will run Thursday, from noon to 5 p.m., and the following day from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. One-on-one discussions with those leading the project can also be arranged outside of those times.  

The testimonies, photos, videos, or any other mementos provided by families that agree to take part will all feature in the commemorative online map once it’s complete.  

It’ll be similar in nature to the Canada-wide “Safe Passage” map created in 2022 by the Native Women’s Association of Canada, Pelletier said, noting the number of disappearances per community. That map had gaps in its mapping of the crisis in the province, she said, which is why creating a Quebec specific mapping project is so important.  

“I’m here to collect data, and also to explain the consent and confidentiality agreements involved to the participants,” said Pelletier, who is also pursuing a PhD at Laval University in Indigenous cultural heritage, with an interest in Innu culture, in particular. “Nothing will be shared without the consent of the families involved.” 

The Université du Québec en Outaouais is also a partner in the mapping project. Testimonies first began being compiled by the two organizations leading the project in 2020, Pelletier said. 

There will be lunch available for participants over the course of the two-day event, as well as counselling on site for anyone that needs it.  

Rocks will also be available for participants to paint, with a walk planned down to the river afterwards each day. Tobacco will be burned, and participants can either leave their rocks there or bring them home.

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More people experiencing homelessness are seeking help during this frigid, snow-filled stretch. But shelters are struggling with staffing shortages.

The Mohawk Council of Kanesatake (MCK) voted Wednesday to approve a process for the creation of laws, with that framework itself becoming the community’s first official legislation. 

According to MCK chief Brant Etienne, Council voted 4-0 to pass the band council resolution that ushered in the Kanesatake Law-Making Process, which was followed by the signing of the new law. Etienne and MCK chiefs Amy Beauvais, John Canatonquin, and Serge Otsi Simon voted in favour of the law-making process, while MCK chief Denise David abstained. 

“As long as we don’t have laws taking over our jurisdiction for things like environmental protection of our lands, justice, and everything like that, we’re stuck relying on the provinces or the federal jurisdiction,” said Etienne. 

“We know that’s not what the community wants. That’s not what any of us want. We want to be in control of our own lives, and this is one way that we do it.” 

Etienne said Council did not receive any comments from community members during a mandated 21-day period between the process being brought to the Council table in January and its passage this week, and it has basically been enacted in its existing form. 

The law-making process had previously been presented to community members at sessions online and in person that were led by First Peoples Law. According to the process, the community approval phase for draft laws can take the form of community meetings, workshops, or secret ballot, depending on Council’s discretion. 

MCK grand chief Victor Bonspille, who has scarcely attended Council meetings this term, was not notified of the meeting at which the law-making process was passed, Etienne acknowledged. 

Etienne pointed to the Custom Electoral Code, which dictates that a chief or grand chief who misses three Council meetings without a valid reason has vacated their seat. Bonspille, who has taken the position that Council meetings he does not call are illegitimate, did not respond to a request for comment for this article. He has publicly opposed the Council majority’s efforts to enact a law-making process. 

Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) has previously confirmed to The Eastern Door that a Council quorum has the authority to make decisions, however. 

Now that the law-making process has been passed, the Council majority plans to forge ahead with four key laws: a Land Protection Law, a State of Emergency Law, a Trespass Law, and a Code of Ethics. First Peoples Law has worked on drafting these proposed laws, which the MCK intends to pass before the end of the current electoral mandate.  

“We’re going to do our best to address the biggest concerns the community has been bringing up even before our mandate,” said Etienne, who indicated the drafts of these laws will soon be made available to the community for feedback, according to Etienne. 

He said it will be incumbent on the next Council to continue to make use of the law-making process to address the community’s needs. 

The law-making authority claimed by the legislation that was passed this week cites multiple sources, including inherent rights, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), the Indian Act, and, notably, the controversial 2001 Kanesatake Interim Land Base Governance Act, widely known as S-24. 

“It goes without saying there are people that have probably already made up their mind one way or another. We’re probably going to hear from them,” Etienne said. “But I think the majority of the community knows what we’re doing is there to fix the clear problems that we’re facing.” 

The final version of the Kanesatake Law-Making Process will be publicized to the community on the MCK website and in the First Nations Gazette. The day it is published, it will officially come into force, according to the draft version of the process. 

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Marcus Bankuti, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

A Quebec Superior Court judge who extended a safeguard order last week will soon consider whether to untangle the defendants in the government’s civil action to halt dumping on the shores of the Lake of Two Mountains. 

Currently all the defendants are lumped together in the action, even as some of the individuals and companies are accused of differing violations. Further, while jurisdiction has been invoked as a key consideration in the case, the two companies named are not based on the territory. 

The request to split the file is scheduled to be heard Monday, but it was discussed at a management hearing last week. Defence lawyer François Gottlieb, representing Joshua Smith-Gabriel, filed the request, which is supported by lawyers representing Jennifer Lessard Cross and Excavations Denis Dagenais. The motion is opposed by the Attorney General of Quebec. 

It is unclear how the case could be divided, but Gottlieb argued a split could avoid unnecessary costs, even if no monetary damages are being sought. He suggested defendants may need to involve different kinds of experts depending on their circumstances, noting some defendants allegedly deposited contaminated soils while others are accused of illicitly filling in land with nontoxic materials, he said. 

The province is alleging that Smith-Gabriel took part in deforestation on the shores of his lots, but he is not accused of depositing contaminated soil there. 

Gottlieb also suggested Quebec environmental law may not apply on the territory, a question that has been raised by multiple defendants. 

At the management hearing last week, judge Danielle Turcotte issued an extension of the safeguard order preventing further unsanctioned work from being carried out on the lots on the shores of the Lake of Two Mountains that are cited in the legal action.  

It now expires May 22, the day after another management conference will be held to determine next steps and once again extend the safeguard order if the court deems it necessary. 

In the meantime, the order notes, the Mohawk Council of Kanesatake (MCK) is to report if there are any changes to the lots or the persons responsible for them. 

The original safeguard order was granted in October, at which time 19 defendants were named. 

In December, Barry Bonspille was added as a defendant by the Attorney General of Quebec, bringing the total to 20. It is alleged that he is responsible for backfilling the lot where the Golden Star cannabis dispensary is located; the lot was subsequently found by investigators to be contaminated. 

Bonspille is not an assignee on the lot, the filing notes. However, the land is one-third registered to his late mother, Myrtle Bonspille nee Jacobs. 

In an interview with an investigator in October, Bonspille said the land where Golden Star is located belongs to him and that he had about 60 truckloads come, plus six filled with sand and two filled with recycled asphault. He paid for the first few loads and got the rest for free, he claimed. 

Around seven or eight companies came in all, he said. They were called in by his contractor, he claimed. He also told the investigator that he gave the manifests to Kanesatake’s environment department and was told the loads were clean. He said he was shocked to learn about the contamination. 

In October, Bonspille’s brother, MCK grand chief Victor Bonspille, spoke in court to contest the injunction without disclosing his connection to the lot. 

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Marcus Bankuti, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

It wasn’t the Gathering Place’s official grand opening, but the art show that took place there over the weekend was a fitting start for a building envisioned as a hub for Kanien’kehá:ka cultural values. 

The February 15 event showcased the work of seven Dawson College students, two of whom are from Kanesatake, who participated in a series of workshops in the community led by Dan David. The project was called “What Keeps Us Going,” and the workshops took place at the KYOT youth centre. 

“It was really rewarding,” said Taio Gélinas, one of the local youth who participated in the project. “It was also very creatively fulfilling. I’m super grateful for the opportunity.” 

Gélinas, who is starring in the current season of Eaux Turbulentes on ICI Tou.tv, has acted in film and television since the age of 13.  

The piece Gélinas created as part of the project, Headshot intersperses photographs of the artist with headshots of legendary actor Marlon Brando. 

“I wanted to portray with this piece how being a victim/willing participant of the industry has really bastardized by own self-perception and how I’ve begun trying to emulate a testable, marketable ideal that’s just kind of negatively affected my psyche and my quality of life,” Gélinas said. 

The other Kanehsata’kehró:non who took part in the project was Shayla Etienne, who said it was refreshing to take a collaborative approach to each other’s art projects at the sessions. 

While the pieces were created individually, the artists helped each other brainstorm and bounced ideas off each other. 

“I really connected with them,” Etienne said. Etienne’s piece, which depicts her standing with a bear over her, was all about identity and history, especially as she connects with her roots.

“The bear is about my clan and my culture,” she said. “The theme is ‘what keeps us going.’ My culture and reviving it is what keeps me going.” 

The piece also has a political message. 

“The trees are the Pines. It has bullet holes for the Oka Crisis. But also, the bullet holes are bleeding because of recent developments in the Pines, like weed shops. I don’t really agree with it and the fact they keep cutting more trees of what we fought to protect,” said Etienne. 

“It’s more of an activism movement in my art. I want people to think about what they’re doing and how they don’t really care about cutting down trees to make more space for their own gain.” 

It was gratifying to exhibit the work in Kanesatake, she said. 

“I really wanted to show my art in a way that would be meaningful,” said Etienne. 

The spirit of the project was multicultural, said Jody Freeman, the project coordinator for the workshops and senior editor of Montreal Serai, where David was artist-in-residence last year. 

“I think the mandate of Montreal Serai has always been to create larger communities, to create new solidarities, to create exchanges of perspectives that aren’t necessarily valued in the mainstream media,” said Freeman. 

She noted how important talking circles were to David’s approach, helping to build trust in the group.  

These talking circles were led by Kanesatake elder John Cree, who sought to encourage the young artists. 

“They’re unbelievable,” Cree said. “They’ve got different characters, different views, but they’re so connected.” 

Not only was Cree involved in the project, but also in planning the Gathering Place. 

“We needed to open this up, get some spirit in here,” said Cree, who added it was a good warming for the building. 

“What our intent is for this community is to have a place where the kids can come and feel safe. When they have meetings here, people start swearing, shouting, threatening, everything. We don’t want that here. We want a calm area for our young people,” he said. 

“I feel so good. Not for me though – for the kids.” 

Mohawk Council of Kanesatake (MCK) chief Denise David, who secured a large grant from the federal government to put up the building, was also on hand. 

“It’s overwhelming with joy to see the potential because this is one event which is multicultural, and it shows the artists, and two of them are from our community, and the words that are said in each one is giving me more inspiration,” said Denise. 

She hopes the Gathering Place grows into a locus of language and culture, she said. 

“They don’t share our history in our schools or the language so much in our schools. There’s a little bit, but not enough,” she said.

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Marcus Bankuti, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Mother Nature threw Winter Carnival a curveball this year with something unexpected – snow. And lots of it. 

Warm winters have been the bane of organizing the two-week calendar of events for years now, with outdoor favourites like ice fishing no longer on offer because of too many weather-related cancellations.  

Over the past couple years, the Kanesatake Health Center (KHC) has prioritized indoor activities that can still run if things get a little melty. 

But this time around, two major snowstorms bringing upwards of 70 CM of snow to southern Quebec meant that even some indoor activities had to be rescheduled. 

“We haven’t had a winter like this in a long time,” said Jadyn Lauder, child and youth program coordinator at KHC. For the events that still went ahead, the team has also been busy clearing driveways and walkways. 

However, a break between the two blizzards meant that a day of winter fun at the KHC farm on Saturday went ahead as planned, with a horse-draw sleigh ride, snowsnake, tubing, and even pond skating on offer, replete with hot chocolate and other treats. 

“The sleigh ride couldn’t have gone better,” Lauder said. 

It was the KHC’s first Winter Carnival with the new farm, which it acquired last spring, and the sprawling land allowed for several winter-themed festivities to co-exist. 

“We have so much space and so much potential to do awesome things,” Lauder said. 

The traditional paint night, which was supposed to be held last Thursday, has been postponed until February 28, and the live country concert and lunch for elders that was slated for Sunday has been rescheduled for March 1, a week after Winter Carnival was supposed to wrap up. 

Still, the calendar so far boasts plenty of events that went off without a hitch. Besides the copious sporting events, such as the popular dodgeball tournament on Wednesday – which went glow-in-the-dark for the first time – there have been fun-filled features like a Valentine’s Day dance for the elementary school students last Friday. 

“It was more or less forcing them to dance sometimes, but they had a blast,” said Lauder. 

The toddler fun bounce night for kids under six years old was another hit, giving the community’s youngest a chance to get in the mix without getting jostled around by bigger kids. 

“It was an absolute blast,” Lauder said, with 40 or more young children making it out with their families to enjoy the three fun bounces the KHC had rented plus a couple of the health centre’s own smaller ones. 

“The kids were absolutely exhausted,” said Lauder. “Their faces were red, they were sweaty. They didn’t want to leave.” 

The photo contests – with themes of Valentine’s Day baking, snow and ice castles, and traditional crafts – are still open for submissions. 

Meanwhile, tonight (Friday) is indoor movie night at Ratihén:te High School, where Ice Age will be screened. Tomorrow (Saturday) the broomball tournament is scheduled at the sports complex in Two Mountains. 

At the time of writing, the KHC is still hoping to get enough team registrations to move ahead with that event. Otherwise, it will be converted to a free skate. 

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Marcus Bankuti, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

When Carl Skye Jr. was born it was a surprise to everybody.  

His mother, the late Carleen Johnson, had no idea she was having twins, and she also didn’t know that one of those twins, Carl, would be born with Down Syndrome, a condition that would result in mental and physical developmental delays. 

“I was always very protective of him,” said Carla Skye, Carl’s twin.  

From the moment Carl was born, he was surrounded by family that would commit to caring for him for his whole life – despite the doctor advising Johnson to leave him at the hospital.  

“They said, ‘Place him right away. He’ll never walk, he’ll never talk, he’ll die young,’ but my mother absolutely refused,” said another of Carl’s sisters, Lisa Skye. “They wanted her to just take the girl baby home and place the boy baby in an institution. He lived long because he had all the love and support that anybody could ever ask for.” 

As he grew older and bigger, there were challenges. Carl was often frustrated when those around him couldn’t understand what he wanted, sometimes lashing out physically.  

Thankfully, he spent time at a placement in Dorval as well as at Peter Hall School, where he received specialized care that helped him communicate with his family and community. 

“He learned to do a lot of things there, to be independent, he was a fast learner when he had time one-on-one,” said Kathy, another of Carl’s sisters.  

Carla, Lisa, and Kathy, along with their other sister Jodie, played a huge role in Carl’s care, especially after the passing of their mother 11 years ago.  

At the time, Carl moved into the Kateri Memorial Hospital Centre (KMHC). What was initially a short-term placement became a permanent living situation. 

“When she was on her deathbed, our mother was so worried about what was going to happen to him, and we all reassured her, ‘Ma, don’t worry, he’s going to be fine, we’re going to take care of him,’” Lisa said, adding that her mother was especially afraid of her son being sent to an inpatient facility outside of the community.  

“I promised we would never, ever place him anywhere, and that she didn’t need to worry, so we let her go knowing that.” 

Carl became loved by everyone at KMHC, including by Roseann Rice, who first started working with him in her capacity as a paramedic around five years ago, and later in the physiotherapy department. 

“He was my little sidekick. Everywhere I went, he was there,” she said.  

Carl connected more with Rice when he noticed that she could catch on to what he was signing – a skill she knows since her mother is hearing impaired. Even though Carl was non-verbal, Rice said that there’s no doubt he could communicate. 

“He knew whether or not you were in a bad mood, and he would always try and make you happier. There were days when we were both in a bad mood, and he would just want to hold you,” she said. 

Everyone, from the nurses that physically cared for Carl to the laundry workers who would bring him an extra slice of cake (his favourite food), considered him a part of the family. 

“They’d all get a hug and a kiss from him, they’d sing a song to him, and he’d stand there and clap his hands and dance, and then they’d continue their jobs. People from all different departments,” Lisa said. “Once you built that rapport with him, you were his, and he let you into his world.” 

Though Carl had wonderful support at KMHC throughout the past 11 years, his sisters say that his story is evidence of a gap that is in dire need of being filled. 

“He had a very, very good life here, but there are lots of special needs kids who are not here,” Lisa said. “I would say there’s probably between 20 and 50 young people on the outside right now in group homes.” 

While there are programs that provide support for special needs individuals and their families, Carl’s sisters say that what town really needs is a long-term care facility, where Kahnawa’kehró:non with special needs can get the care they need in the community. 

“We were lucky because we had the hospital. The hospital wasn’t really the place for him, but it was the only place in Kahnawake for him,” Lisa said.  

“He should have been placed in a home in Kahnawake where we could visit every day, where he’d be living with his peers, instead of at Kateri with people who are 40 or 50 years older than him.” 

Carl’s sisters want to thank all the KMHC staff and beyond who supported their brother throughout the years. In particular, they want to acknowledge caregivers Jessica Thomas and Curtis Roach. 

“For seven days they didn’t leave our side. They did 24/7 at the hospital and 24/7 at the funeral home with us,” Carla said. A third caregiver, Juan Niera, also rushed to Carl’s bedside in the final hours, as family and friends shared memories of Carl’s life throughout the years. 

“It was very comforting with their presence.”   

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In all his years working for the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake (MCK)’s Public Works Unit, Terry Diabo Jr. does not remember experiencing snow like the community has faced in the last week. 

“Back when I was a driver, we’ve had one or two storms that were more of a slow, continuous storm. I don’t recall getting anything like this before, not since I was a teenager in the early 1990s,” said Diabo, who is the manager of the roads and highway department of the Public Works Unit. 

Public Works crews and contractors have been hard at work for the past few days clearing the snow. 

Diabo said that the clearing is taking more time than usual due to a combination of factors. First, the sheer amount of snow in town means it takes more time to clear. For example, some sections of town that would be cleared in half of a driver’s shift were taking three quarters of the shift to complete. 

Second, they are down a couple of drivers, due to illness and prescheduled time off. According to Diabo, this has especially affected drivers taking over during breaks or at the end of others’ shifts. 

Diabo and Town Garage manager Ken Phillips have even been back on the ground to take some shifts. 

“We’re the bosses, but we still have to help out when it’s needed. We don’t just sit in the office and tell people what to do,” said Diabo. 

Third, they do not have access to all the equipment they would ideally need for the clearing to be an extremely smooth operation. 

Some of the equipment has needed to be repaired, meaning it is unavailable for use at the moment, in part due to heavy usage during the initial days of the clearing operations. Diabo said that, luckily for them, most of those issues came after the bulk of their operations in the beginning of the week.  

Drivers from Public Works working their regular daytime shifts are being joined by on-call operators who work 12 hours shifts as well as contractors, usually truck owners, who bring the snow to the dumping sites. 

Some contractors have not been available every day, and even with them they only have a limited number of trucks to work with, said Diabo. 

Normally, in the event of a snowstorm, everyone is assigned a section of town, with priority given to major arteries and installations – highways, schools, the Kahnawake Fire Brigade, and the hospital, for example.  

“Ideally, if it snowed overnight, the guys on call would come in at 2 a.m. They’d be able to do their sections and have that all ready to go before school starts,” said Diabo. 

Obviously, this has not been an ideal situation. As such, Public Works is still on the ground, doing their best to clear the snow to make the whole town clean and easily accessible. 

“We’re doing the best with what we have, and I ask that people please be patient with us, we’re doing this for everybody’s benefit,” said Diabo. 

The snow has brought back memories of winters past for many Kahnawa’kehró:non. 

“It has been a long time since we saw this much snow and it reminded me of my childhood because the amount we have now was basically the same back then,” said Karahkwine McGregor. 

She said she was happy to share memories of the winters of her youth with her two boys, aged 14 and 8, who have never experienced winters quite like this one.  

“We are ready for the next one!” she said. 

Elizabeth Ann Curotte also remembered fond winter memories of her youth upon seeing the snow Sunday. 

“The snowfall reminded me of years gone by, when we were absolutely looking forward to big snowfall because it meant hours and hours of us being outside making forts, igloos, and having snowball fights with our cousins,” said Curotte. 

The elder’s happy memories soon were joined by a sense of dread – it just kept snowing. 

“There was shock at the amount of snow that fell non-stop. It was horrible, yet absolutely beautiful,” she said. 

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Montreal police are asking for the public's help in locating a 75-year-old man who went missing on Thursday at around 11 a.m. According to police, he was wearing a black cap, a black coat, and black pants at the time of his disappearance. 

As Kahnawa’kehró:non Vanessa Martin strutted down the runway as part of this month’s New York Fashion Week (NYFW) show, she cradled her baby bump. 

“I already knew I was going to do it, because the belly’s bumping, they’re going to take pictures of it anyway, so I’m just going to frickin’ own it and show it off, and let it be my announcement to the public,” Martin said. “Yes, I’m a mom, I’m expecting my third baby, but I’m still this powerful and fabulous woman, and I feel like it was empowering a little bit.” 

Martin walked for Alicia’s Designs, a Nuu-Chah-Nulth/Kwakwaka’wakw brand. It was Martin’s first time walking in NYFW – a longtime personal goal of hers.  

“There were all different types of designers there,” Martin said. “It just felt like how you see it in the movies. You go in there and there’s tons of makeup artists and hairstylists, and everything’s extremely organized.” 

The outfit selected for Martin was burgundy, with hand-painted gold embellishments on over the knee heeled boots, and a wraparound leather shirt. The look was part of the Runway 7 Fashion show. 

“It had this really cool look to it,” Martin said.  

Before she steps out on any runway, Martin has her own ritual: two deep breaths, and a pep talk. 

“I tell myself, ‘Okay, it’s game time now. Put on whatever face and whatever face you’re going to do, and just work it and strut it,” she said. “It’s just me grabbing every ounce of confidence I have and just throwing it out into the world.” 

Though Martin said she was the only model from Kahnawake in her show, there were many other Onkwehón:we models and designers. 

“The highlight of the whole experience was just meeting all the different Indigenous people, and all the non-Indigenous people and designers, it was just really cool to see all the different people that came together to put this event on,” she said.  

Martin hopes that other community members will feel empowered to walk the runway, with more and more locals taking steps in the modelling world. 

“My advice would be to just frickin’ go for it and apply to as many things as you possibly can, because even the bigger shows all have model callouts and auditions,” she said.  

“If you know people who have an in, or a designer, reach out to them and don’t be scared to try and grab those opportunities, because they’re not just going to fall in your lap, you have to work for them too.”  

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The final match of the day of last Friday’s Greater Montreal Athletic Association (GMAA) wrestling championships was the one that elicited the biggest reaction from those still in Howard S. Billings’ gymnasium late Friday afternoon. 

It was the gold medal match between two heavyweight-class wrestlers, Kahnawake Survival School (KSS)’s Deyogawehe’ Horne and Ayden Chase-St-Sauveur from Heritage Regional High School. 

Chase-St-Sauveur, who is much bigger than Horne, held the advantage throughout; he would shoot the legs against Horne, bringing him down; he would push him outside, and suddenly, with less than a minute left in the second round, the KSS wrestler found himself down 9-0 – one more point would seal the deal for Heritage. 

As the two got up after Heritage’s ninth point, Horne went for the legs after the referee’s signal. He brought down his opponent, scoring two points of his own. 

But he didn’t let go, grabbing Chase-St-Sauveur’s waist and pushing. Suddenly, as time ticked down, and Horne kept pushing his opponent and turning him onto his back, the realization of what was happening started to dawn on the coaches first, and then the crowd assembled around the mat: Horne wasn’t just trying to get the pinfall win, he was going to succeed. 

With 14 seconds left, the referee signalled the pinfall, and the crowd erupted in cheers. 

“That’s the best comeback I’ve ever seen from KSS wrestling,” said wrestling head coach Brandon Stalk following Horne’s gold medal win.  

Stalk said the win was extra special for Horne, because his high school career is coming to an end. 

“He’s in grade 11. This was his last chance. He came in second last year, and today, he’s a champion,” said Stalk. “I’m super proud of him, and I’m super happy that he’s a GMAA champion.” 

KSS finished third overall in the standings this year, with five wrestlers winning medals. Stalk said he did not have any expectations going into the day for the KSS team, which has many rookies, to not add stress to himself and his squad of 16 wrestlers – the most KSS has had in a very long time, according to Stalk. 

“One thing that I learned early on in my coaching career was to try to stay relaxed. It makes you be able to coach better when you’re relaxed, and it keeps the guys a little bit calmer too. If you’re getting mad and you’re yelling your head off all day, by the end of the day, you have no more voice, you have a headache, and you feel like you probably didn’t have that much fun,” said Stalk, who added that while good results are a positive, he first and foremost wanted the team to enjoy the experience of competing at a high level. 

“I’m glad our team got some wins. They got some losses, too, and they are learning. I’ve seen them be good teammates, supportive of each other, and have a good time. I’m proud of all of them, and I’m happy that our team is in the spot that it’s in now,” said Stalk. 

Slade Two Rivers won bronze for KSS in the 145 lbs. class, and as a first-time GMAA competitor, he was happy with how his day had gone. 

“I unfortunately lost my first match. The guy had more experience, but if I were to have a rematch, I think I would win it,” said Two Rivers. 

Going into his bronze medal match, he was on a winning streak, and felt as though he would have the upper hand – which he did, after a long, back-and-forth match. 

“Towards the end, he almost got me in a pin, and I had to do everything to get out of that. Once I did, and I found out he was tired, I knew the match was mine,” said Two Rivers. 

Ken’nikahrhá:sa Cross also won bronze for KSS, competing in the 132 lbs. class. Cross is in his second year wrestling for KSS, but missed last year’s GMAA due to suffering a concussion.  

“I feel like I did a really good job. It’s my first year here, so a lot of these people, I haven’t wrestled them before, so it’s all new to me,” said Cross.  

He said that losing the match to take him out of gold medal contention was tough for him, but the way he quickly dispatched his opponents after that and won bronze lifted his spirits. 

“I really just want to go for the pin. That’s all I look for. I’m not trying to score points or do any fancy moves. I just want to pin,” said Cross.  

“I felt really bad that I wasn’t able to get silver or gold, but I’m happy with bronze.” 

The other two medalists for KSS were Atiewatón:ni Homer, who won silver in the 103 lbs. class, and Tehaténies Stacey, who won silver in the 95 lbs. class. 

This year’s GMAA was the biggest in more than 30 years, according to Peter Montour, head coach of the Billings wrestling team – and that’s despite the fact that the championships were moved to Friday instead of the original date of Thursday, February 13, due to the snowstorm.  

They had originally been rescheduled for Tuesday, February 18, but midway through the week it was changed for Friday as Tuesday was a school outing for Billings. 

“A lot of people were upset about it. But in reality, while we did lose a couple of kids, everybody’s here,” said Montour.  

The championships necessitated four mats, with 14 teams and more than 200 wrestlers in attendance, along with coaches and the family and friends of the wrestlers. 

“It’s a great atmosphere. We’re just really hoping everybody has a good time and a great tournament,” said Montour. 

Billings repeated as the winners of overall girls’ championship, winning 10 medals. The boys finished fifth overall, and with only eight wrestlers, Montour said it was quite a feat to finish that well. 

Wrestling will be back at Howard S. Billings this Saturday, starting at 8 a.m., for the provincial championships. 

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While this part of Turtle Island experienced major snowfall, laxers from Kahnawake and Kanesatake got to experience the California sun over the weekend. The six athletes played for the Pacific Northwest Native Lacrosse team in Irvine, California, as part of US Box Lacrosse’s Western Regionals from February 15-17. 

Logan Gabriel from Kanesatake was joined by Dash Diabo, Oakley Dickson, Jackson Norton, Wyatt Cross, and Cade Stacey from Kahnawake. They were invited by the program to come play in California. 

“I was excited because the tournament was in California,” said Stacey, who added that being able to explore some parts of Los Angeles was one of the highlights of his time at the Western Regionals. 

Pacific Northwest Native Lacrosse is a newer program, having only competed in three tournaments prior to this one, none of which were for box lacrosse. 

Their team in Irvine was comprised exclusively of Indigenous high school-aged players, with the goal of giving those players experience on a stage like the Western Regionals. 

The program also emphasized their desire to bring together players from many different nations to represent the diversity of Indigenous lacrosse players. Along with players from the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, the team featured players who were Diné, Algonquin, from Squamish Nation, and the Samson Cree Nation, among others. 

“With only one practice together, our team came into this weekend as a group of players who had never played alongside each other. We left as a team that battled hard, learned valuable lessons, and took a huge step forward in growing Native representation in US box lacrosse,” said the team in a post on social media following the tournament. 

The team played five games, finishing with a record of 2-3.  

“These tournaments are about more than just the wins and losses – they’re about building something special, learning how to play for each other, and honouring our game,” said the team in the same post. 

That being said, Stacey felt as though they did have a good team. 

“We just ran into some good goaltending,” he said. 

Stacey said that Pacific Northwest Native Lacrosse invited him to come back in the future when they will participate in other tournaments, although it is not yet known when the program will assemble another team for box lacrosse.  

Kirby Joe Diabo, president of the Kahnawake Minor Lacrosse Association, raised money for the players’ travel expenses on Facebook with the help of a Super Bowl squares board. 

Diabo said the fundraising was a success, raising $1,000 for each player.

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Seven players from Kahnawake will be a part of Team Eastern Door and the North (EDN) in this May’s U18 National Aboriginal Hockey Championship in Kamloops, British Columbia.  

“The selection process was tough this year. We had a lot of great players that showed up to camp. Everyone worked hard and put their best effort, but like all camps players get cut, and that’s a rough part of coaching. We’re hoping that we have a great showing this year,” said Kahnawa’kehró:non Mike Stacey, assistant coach for the boys’ EDN team. 

Here are the seven players from town who will be a part of the boys and girls EDN teams! 

Camden Jackson

Jackson was unable to join the tryouts at the Kahnawake Sports Complex due to prior commitments with his team, the U18 AAA Chateauguay Grenadiers.  

Still wanting to attempt to make the team, he sent in game tape of himself. The tape, along with the coaching staff’s knowledge of Jackson as a player, helped secure his spot on the roster. 

“I was surprised and happy,” said Jackson, who will be playing for Team EDN for the first time.  

He is hoping to play well at the tournament, and his routine with the Grenadiers is helping him hone his skills. 

“’I have a rigorous workout with my club team,” said Jackson. “I am on the ice six times a week and in the gym twice a week.” 

Hayse Horne

Goaltender Hayse Horne will be joining Team EDN for the first time, making the team in her first time trying out. 

“I was shocked and in disbelief to know I made the team,” said Horne. 

The tryout process for goaltenders was different than for skaters. Scrimmages were played, and each period a goalie would take the net to show off what they were capable of. 

She said she is very excited for the tournament, but is also feeling nervous, and not just because of the actual games – the trip to Kamloops will be her first time ever travelling on a plane. 

To prepare, Horne said she will be working on her puck tracking skills off the ice. 

Horne plays AAA hockey for the U15 Lac St. Louis Warriors and also played for Kahnawake Survival School’s U15 team this year.

Ioteseronties Marcus Diabo

Diabo is returning to the team for the second time, having made it last year. 

“Officially making team EDN for the second year in a row is nothing short of exciting,” said Diabo. “I was very excited for another new experience and meeting new people.” 

He feels as though he has something to prove this year, as he felt that results-wise, his tournament last year was disappointing. 

“I didn’t get the results I wanted, and I want to change that this year,” said Diabo. “My goal for this year’s tournament is to prove to myself that I’ve grown since last year.” 

To do so, he said he’s been training hard on the physical and mental side of his game.  

Diabo currently plays U18 AA hockey for the Suroit Express. 

Pryor Stacey

Stacey will be returning to the crease for his second stint with Team EDN looking to improve on last year’s tournament. 

“It didn’t end up going our way, but we all as a team put in a good effort,” said Stacey. “I feel really happy and confident with our team this year.” 

Stacey said the tryouts were a very demanding process, even though he missed the first day due to other commitments. He was happy that he was chosen, but not necessarily surprised. 

“I was really confident in making it, so when the list came out, I wasn’t really surprised because I was confident that I was the best goalie there,” said Stacey. 

He said that he will focus on playing his game in Kamloops, and he has been working with an adviser to help with the mental side of hockey. 

“He helps big time with that,” said Stacey. 

He currently plays U17 AAA hockey for the Lac. St. Louis Grenadiers. 

Rohsennakehte Lahache

Lahache will also be returning to the team for the second year in a row, something that he is very glad to have accomplished. 

“I was very proud of myself that I could be a returning player for Team EDN,” said Lahache. “I was really pumped that I could join team EDN once again for another amazing trip to go play hockey with the boys.” 

He said that physically, he will be working hard to get ready for the tournament. 

“I will try my best to work on my body, work on cardio, get in the gym, and maybe put on a couple pounds,” said Lahache. 

That being said, he is not putting too much pressure on himself – he wants to make the most of the tournament, on and off the ice. 

His goals are to stay positive, be confident, be a good teammate, and bond with the team and come together to have fun, no matter what. 

Lahache is currently a teammate of Diabo’s for the AA Suroit Express. 

Ryan Stacey

Stacey, the captain of the girls’ EDN team last year, returns to the roster this year looking to make the most of the tournament.  

“When I found out I made the team, I was pretty excited, I had a lot of fun last year,” said Stacey. “When I get to the tournament, I just want to have fun with my team, score some goals, and win some games.” 

She is currently a teammate of Horne’s on the AAA Lac St. Louis Warriors, where the time with the team on and off the ice will help her prepare, she said. 

“I’m still on the ice four times a week and I go to the gym with my hockey team,” said Stacey. 

Waheshon Curotte

Curotte made the team in her first time trying out. 

She said the tryouts made her nervous, because a lot of very talented players were there trying to make team EDN. 

When she got the confirmation she made the team, she said it made her very proud of herself. 

“I was happy, and I could not believe I made it,” said Curotte. 

Her ideal scenario for Kamloops? Learn and make the most of her time there. 

“My goal is to play my best and gain experience,” she said. 

Curotte currently plays in the Kahnawake Mohawks Minor Hockey Association.

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The U15 Kahnawake Survival School (KSS) Akweks’ playoff run ended in its first game on Tuesday afternoon, as they lost to Beaconsfield High School (BHS) 8-1 in the semifinals of the Greater Montreal Athletic Association (GMAA) hockey playoffs. 

But the final score does not tell the whole story, according to Brandon Bordeau, KSS’s student engagement and activities facilitator. 

“The final against BHS started well. We scored the first goal of the game,” said Bordeau.  

Beaconsfield, the best team during the regular season, scored twice afterwards to go up 2-1, and midway through the game, KSS was still battling hard with the top seed – so much so that they appeared to have tied the game. 

But it was not meant to be as the officials reversed the good goal call. KSS found themselves down again and would not recover as Beaconsfield ran away with the game in the second half. 

“They are the first-place team for a reason, they got their breaks and capitalized,” said Bordeau.  

He added that KSS played hard and demonstrated good sportsmanship, even in the face of a disappointing end to their season. 

KSS won twice in nine games during the regular season, finishing fourth in their four-team league. That being said, they did finish on a strong note before the playoffs, winning their last game of the regular season at home 7-3 against St. Thomas High School on February 4. 

Bordeau said that they will use this year as something to build off of for next year’s season. 

“We were a young team. We only have four players moving up to U18, so next year should be our apex year,” said Bordeau. 

One of the players hoping to come back next year for the Akweks is goaltender Hayse Horne, who joined the team partway through the season. 

Horne, who also plays AAA hockey for the Lac St. Louis Warriors girls’ team, said going back to playing against boys was a big difference. 

“The boys have way harder shots than the girls,” said Horne, who had played double letter boys’ hockey in the two seasons prior to this one. 

She said that while this season was not necessarily the greatest she has ever played, she thinks the team working hard to improve will help them for the future. 

By trying out next year, she is hoping to be a part of that future, and hopefully help make it a successful one for KSS hockey. 

The other semifinal, between the second-seed Laval Sr. Academy and the third-seed St. Thomas High School, will be played on Monday, February 24 at 1:30 p.m. at Pierre Creamer Arena in Laval. The finals between the winner of that game and BHS are scheduled for February 27.

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Despite having never tried her hand at lacrosse, Poppy Diabo is throwing her all into the sport, with the announcement this week that she has made the Onondaga Community College (OCC) Lazers women’s lacrosse team. 

“Joining the team without ever playing lacrosse before felt a little intimidating at first, but I was excited to learn something new and step out of my comfort zone,” said Diabo, who knew the basics of the lacrosse because her brothers and father are involved in the sport. “The most I ever did was pass a ball around with my brothers in our backyard.” 

The young athlete has previously made a name for herself as part of the Lazers’ soccer team, a sport that has been her passion since childhood. 

She decided to try out for the lacrosse team because she knows a few players, who encouraged her to join. She said that she’s looking forward to seeing if lacrosse is something she’d like to do long-term. 

“Maybe me playing lacrosse will surprise us all and I go farther with it than soccer. Anything can happen if you put your mind to it,” she said.  

Diabo played her first scrimmage with the team last week, and said that despite battling some nerves at first, it wasn’t long before she got the hang of it and became more comfortable, even getting an assist. 

“My biggest challenge is because I’m learning something new and if I don’t get it right the first time I start to get in my head,” she said. “But that’s just the natural drive I have for wanting to be the best. You can thank my father for that.” 

Diabo’s father, Kirby Joe Diabo, said that everyone is cheering Poppy on.  

“My family is super excited,” said Diabo’s father, Kirby Joe Diabo. “We’re so proud of her joining the lacrosse program at OCC. Can’t wait for the season to start. Go Lazers!” 

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Everyone needs financial planning in order to deal with different factors in life. Whether it is a well-laid-out strategy regarding future family planning or the best health insurance policy for you and your family, one has to be always on the proactive side. Selecting the best health insurance policy is critical in planning since it forms part of controlling risk management tools. For example, Pre and post-hospitalisation expenses, diagnosis test costs, and deductible amounts can be claimed through 80D of the Income Tax Act; Anwar had chosen his family health insurance plan. This means that health insurance plays a crucial role in reviewing the financial position of individuals and/or family members.

Why Health Insurance Matters in Financial Planning?

A health insurance policy protects you from medical expenses that may hit you anytime without your knowledge. Otherwise, it would drain your savings and disrupt your financial planning. An emergency room visit or surgery can be expensive. Insurance helps pay for these costs, keeping you focused on recovery instead of financial stress. Some of the reasons why health insurance is a crucial aspect of financial planning are:

● Manage Long-Term Health Costs

Health insurance also helps manage long-term health costs, such as treatments for chronic conditions. It lets you keep your finances stable while ensuring you get the care you need to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

● Protecting Financial Stability

Health insurance plays a significant role in achieving overall financial stability, thereby preventing large medical bills from affecting your income or savings. It allows you to proactively take care of your health, avoiding more significant health issues which may cost more money down the road.

● Health Insurance and Retirement Planning

Additionally, health insurance is important towards retirement because you will face rising health costs. You can avoid drawing down on your retirement savings to cover medical bills because it protects you with long-term security.

Effect of Health Insurance on Other Financial Decisions

Suppose you are prepared to face these risks with insurance coverage for a qualification that will help you pay for your medical expenses. In that case, it means that you will lack the excuses to spend your savings or investments on hospital bills as you make investment decisions to build your wealth. Here is how health insurance impacts your financial planning:

● Health Insurance and Its Impact on Tax Liabilities

As per Section 80D, you can avail an exemption on Health insurance premiums up to ₹25000 for yourself, your spouse and children and up to ₹50000 for yourself, your spouse and dependent parents or any other senior citizen. It decreases your taxable income, hence leaving less cash to be used by the government and more cash available for other prudent uses.

● Connection Between Health Insurance and Savings Strategies

Health insurance will help you save as you’ll have a safety net in case of medical emergencies. That will free up funds, which you can invest in PPF, NPS, or mutual funds to build wealth while still covered. Furthermore, when an unexpected medical expense arises, you will know you can get treated without worrying about financial constraints. 

● Healthcare for Dependents

Health insurance policies now come with lifetime renewability. The policy you buy at a young age will protect you even when you are old. So, your insurance will protect your finances when dealing with a medical diagnosis later. Additionally, selecting a plan that covers your children and elderly parents provides comprehensive protection for your loved ones. 

Health Insurance Planning Tips

Before selecting the best health insurance, here are some tips that will make your money work very effectively and ensure your healthcare needs are met:

● Compare Plans: Stack up different plans to discover the one that can fit you the most properly. It will also comprise your strategies and goals to be one of the cheapest and tap as much of the market as possible. 

● Employer-Sponsored vs. Individual Plans: The director is advised to compare all the plans offered as the following lesson plan shows: Employers may be cheap, but individual plans are even more affordable. The plans are more expensive because they offer more options that can suit your needs.

● Review Annually: It is always important to review and make necessary changes to your health insurance at least once per year to check its suitability in the current world and its efficiency to your needs. 

● Understanding Network Limitations: A user should seek to find out which of the network hospitals are available because he or she is likely to be charged out of pocket.

● Maximising Preventive Benefits: Cut down their long-term costs to absorb the insurance that is provided for preventive healthcare services. 

● Tracking Medical Expenses: Maintain records of medical expenses so that you have evidential proof of all we claim for tax exemption or insurance reimbursements.

● Knowing Your Policy Limits: Protection extent and exemptions should be well understood so that no valuable surprise is left unnoticed.

Conclusion

What professionals recognise as the narrowed base of critical options for individual financial planning is a topic relevant in old age to safeguard a person’s health and his/her kind of existence financially. Be aware of when and how to safeguard the health of your loved one by seeking out information and understanding the benefits of acquiring a health insurance policy before choosing the best overall health insurance policy.

The post The Role of Health Insurance in Financial Planning: Tips for Choosing the Best Policy appeared first on Cult MTL.