The 38-year-old man was arrested by Laval police Thursday morning in front of his colleagues at Station 57 on Pierrefonds Boulevard in the Montreal borough of Pierrefonds-Roxboro.

The FBI has arrested a 21-year-old Washington state woman in the fatal shooting of a U.S. Border Patrol agent in Vermont during a traffic stop earlier this week.

The world feels a little messed up these days. Geopolitical tensions, financial uncertainty, a man-baby south of the border threatening to annex Canada. It all feels like a lot.

With a new year upon us, sometimes it helps to look away from global crises and just focus on what’s closer to home. While there’s obviously a lot to rant about, what if we spent a little more time fostering a sense of community and focusing on the positive? Sharing with each other and gathering the emotional tools to fight back.

I asked a few Montreal artists, community organizers and entrepreneurs what kind of energy they were going into 2025 with. Some shared what they were most excited about. Others offered up unique viewpoints on how to best tackle what’s almost certain to be a complicated year. Despite their differences, they’re all — without exception — a big part of what makes this city tick. Maybe something they said will resonate with you, too.

Holly Friesen: ‘What happens to one of us affects all of us’

This Saskatchewan transplant and long-time Montrealer is a landscape artist whose work has long paid tribute to the natural world around us. From her Saint-Henri art studio, Friesen paints gorgeous landscapes that urge us to “listen, breathe and pay attention.”

“I choose to embrace 2025 with hope. While I remain deeply aware of the challenges and heart-wrenching events happening around the world, I believe that what happens to one of us affects us all. This interconnectedness extends not only to humans but to all living beings — animals, plants, trees and rivers. We are all part of the same web of life. As the poet Mary Oliver says, ‘We are each other’s destiny.’

“When the world feels chaotic and disconnected, we must create coherence from within. Every day, I bring my angst and anxiety to the canvas, where they transform into something meaningful — an image of inspired beauty. The process never fails to amaze me. I begin thinking I know what I’m doing, but along the way, the artwork takes on a life of its own, like an alchemical transformation. Raw ideas and emotions become something entirely new and beautiful. 

“With each piece, I learn not through thought, but by letting the painting guide me. It’s a journey of discovery, one that fills me with gratitude and wonder each time I step into the studio. This helps me to make sense of our ever-changing world and reminds me of our profound entanglement with all living beings.”

Thom Seivewright: ‘Locals often become blind to the positive’

Unabashedly pro-Montreal, professional tour guide and founder of Tours Montreal, Thom Seivewright is better known as Montreal Expert on Instagram, where I’ve long followed him. What I most appreciate about him is his enthusiasm for and knowledge of this city. His Instagram reels always conclude with his trademark signature “Voila!” and are not only informative but casually remind me of why Montreal is forever cool.

“I often joke that the streets are my office, but it’s not much of a joke. As a guide, I spend my days with visitors and it often becomes a game of comparing Montreal to wherever they’re from, or to other places around the world. I’m not going to lie — Montreal often comes out looking pretty damn good. 

“Of course, [Montreal’s] more negative aspects don’t seem to hit people who are only here for a short time, but the reality is that there are so many outstanding and positively enviable aspects of this city. Locals often become blind to the positive and tend to focus on the negative. It’s important for locals to complain about the negative things. But it’s equally important to be reminded of the good.

“For 2025, I want to help shine a positive light and show off the great sides of Montreal.  I’ll continue to make short videos for social media, showcasing different aspects of the city’s history, fun facts, cultures and peoples. In an upcoming project I’ll ask locals to share something negative about Montreal and I’ll spin it into a positive and try to make them see it differently. I’m not sure how easy this will be, or if it’ll always be possible to do, but I’ll try!

“Another upcoming project: I’ll walk around with a local celebrity and as we share our versions of Montreal with each other, we discover places and fun facts about the city.

“I hope that 2025 becomes the year that Montrealers of all backgrounds can connect in their shared pride for this city. 

“Voila!”

Elisabeth Vallet: ‘We need to focus on what we can do’

When Professor Elisabeth Vallet isn’t teaching at the Université de Quebec à Montréal (UQAM) or at the Royal Military College of Saint-Jean, she’s busy writing opinion columns for Le Devoir or appearing on media panels. Vallet is an expert on U.S. politics, geopolitics and borders, and with Trump back in the White House, 2025 should be a busy year for her. While keeping a close eye on global crises, Vallet believes that many solutions can be found right here at home.

“2025 is shaping up to be a challenging year on a global scale. We can’t ignore the global challenges we’re about to face, whether it’s the climate crisis, economic uncertainty or the deep divisions we see in so many societies. But heavy as it may seem, I believe that these global problems have local answers.

“If we focus on what’s within our control — building stronger neighbourhoods, supporting local initiatives and maintaining a humane approach to big issues — I think we’ll discover that hope isn’t just something abstract. 

“Whether it’s through supporting local initiatives or simply listening to each other, continuing to stop to help someone who’s slipped on a sidewalk or talking to strangers on the street, being outraged that people have to sleep in encampments or welcoming with dignity those fleeing violence (internationally or internally), saying more words of kindness than of exasperation (not an easy task sometimes!), keeping ourselves informed or keeping our governments in check in voting, I think we can face this year with hope. 

“If we can’t stop what seems to be a race to the precipice, I think we need to focus on what we can do. To continue to be indignant, to hope and to act, at least that’s what I’m going to do.”

Dina Souleiman: ‘We can turn challenges into opportunities’

As the Executive Director of Welcome Collective, a nonprofit that works directly with the most vulnerable refugee claimants in the city — primarily families and single moms with young children — Souleiman has worked and volunteered in the non-profit sector for over 20 years. She believes in the collaborative process to create change and empower individuals. 

“At Welcome Collective, we believe in the power of community to make a real difference in the lives of refugee claimants. With the right support, given at the right time, and a compassionate approach, we can have a lasting impact on how people settle into our city. Every day, we see the positive outcomes when refugee claimants are welcomed with care — families being supported as they settle into their first apartment, individuals being provided with winter clothing and people receiving assistance with their asylum claims. Short-term and essential support like this can go a long way in creating long-term successes.

“It’s a reminder that when we come together as a community, we can turn challenges into opportunities. By showing kindness, understanding and a willingness to help, we create a ripple effect of positivity that benefits everyone. This is the heart of what we do at Welcome Collective, and it’s proof that even in difficult times, there is so much good to celebrate and build on.”

Mohamed Hage: ‘Fresh, local, responsible food is a viable solution’

In 2009 — inspired by Lebanon’s rooftop gardens — Mohamed Hage established the world’s first commercial rooftop greenhouse. Fifteen years later, the founder of Lufa Farms is a true Montreal success story. The company focuses on responsible agriculture by using no new land and recirculating water. With 600+ employees, 400+ sustainable partners and thousands of lufavores receiving their weekly baskets of fresh produce, Hage’s success bases its existence on the belief that people want local, responsible, sustainably grown food. That belief is taking Hage and his projects into 2025.

“I try to stay optimistic and truly believe in the work we do at Lufa Farms. Over the past 15 years, we’ve set high standards and reached remarkable milestones — growing from delivering 200 baskets a week to 30,000 and expanding from one 30,000-square-foot rooftop greenhouse to over half a million square feet of growing space. Today, we feed 2% of Montreal families with fresh, local, responsible food, showing that sustainable urban farming isn’t just an idea but a viable solution. 

“Montrealers’ engagement and concern for where their food comes from has been a constant source of motivation to me. It’s inspiring to see how much this city values local and sustainable practices, and that support drives us to keep improving and innovating. This year, we’re pushing ourselves with new goals to build on what we’ve accomplished. I’m grateful to have started Lufa Farms in such a forward-thinking community, and I can’t wait to see what we achieve next together.”

Catherine Ocelot: ‘Take care of your garden’ 

Catherine Ocelot is a Montreal-based illustrator and cartoonist originally from Quebec City. Not only are her award-winning comic strips gorgeous to look at, but Ocelot’s introspective writing — melancholic and poetic — asks important existential questions about life. I recently read Symptômes and was utterly charmed with her interconnecting stories pointing to the ties that bind and heal us — or can sometimes become toxic. 

“Daily exposure to images of war and natural disaster give me a feeling of profound helplessness. I ask myself how I can move forward and cultivate hope without ignoring the world or being naive? I am fortunate to do a job that forces me to use my imagination and explore my anxieties. 

“Through my stories and drawings, I hope, very humbly, to bring a soft light to the world I experience. The more I see catastrophe, the more I want to protect and nourish things that are alive. If you take care of your garden, you’re not destroying something, you’re creating something, and that can be beautiful.”

Eda Holmes: ‘Bridge-building is the best vision for all of us’

Texas-born former ballerina Eda Holmes has been the Artistic and Executive Director at Montreal’s Centaur Theatre Company since 2017. She once referred to Montreal as “an island of wonders” and loves fostering and celebrating the city’s linguistic diversity and its francophone soul. 

“We are about to open a beautiful new show at the Centaur Theatre, a musical adaptation in English of a Quebec play called Les fraises en Janvier by Evelyne de la Chenelière on January 24. The English premiere at Centaur in 2003 was a hit with our audience. This production is directed by one of Quebec’s most exciting directors, Frédéric Belanger. What makes this doubly thrilling is that Fred is making his debut at Centaur at the exact same moment that I’m making my own debut at Théâtre du Rideau Vert directing a French translation of Kate Hennig’s beautiful and provocative play about Catherine Parr and Henry VIII called The Last Wife (Sa dernière femme).

“The General Director of Théâtre du Rideau Vert, Celine Marcotte, saw the production we did at Centaur in 2018 and fell in love with the play. She commissioned an incredible translation by Maryse Warda and invited me to direct it. This is why I live in Montreal – I have the chance to collaborate with artists in both French and English and explore all the things that we share as Montrealers. 

“I’m so inspired by the artists in this city who are all looking for ways to build bridges between the French and English communities. I’m hoping to make Centaur Theatre a hub for that kind of bridge-building because it’s the best vision for the future for all of us who live in this fantastic city.”

Heather O’Neill: ‘I want to engage with the world’

Award-winning, best-selling Montreal author Heather O’Neill needs little introduction. The writer of six books, including her latest, The Capital of Dreams, O’Neill and her dreamy writing — sometimes dark, sometimes playful, but always magical — is very Montreal.

“I refuse to feel like a cog in a machine. I refuse to spend the year, holed up in my room, looking at the internet. I want to engage with the world, and be out and about in Montreal, the way I used to be as a teenager in the ’90s.

“I want to be more present in the art of the everyday.

“In Edwardian times, the art of conversation was a lauded skill. There were witty people, who travelled from one castle to the another. They were invited and fed because they were able to make everyone laugh at dinner time. I want to have people over and we will talk until our conversations can be considered great one-act satirical plays.

“I will travel the city in search of apartment theatres: Teenage girls who decide to read a page from their journal out loud at the dinner table, a grandfather singing opera as he shaves in the mirror, a woman knitting an incredible hat covered in rabbits for a baby.

“Art does not have to be good or bad, it has to be filled with love.”

Most importantly, I will continue to read books. Books are these odd objects that defy the passage of time. They have been in the same form for hundreds of years, and nothing about them can improve them. And they will save us from the Robots.” ■

Read more weekly editorial columns by Toula Drimonis.

The post Montrealers putting the focus on community and positive energy for 2025 appeared first on Cult MTL.

On Monday, President Donald Trump signed a presidential order that says the U.S. government recognizes only two sexes, male and female. The order also says all federal documents — including passports — should refer to “sex” rather than “gender.” But it’s unclear if the order would impact Canadians travelling to the U.S.

On Friday, Santé Québec shared striking figures on occupancy rates in Montreal hospitals compared to the rest of Quebec. The city fares poorly due to the complex needs of Montreal patients, according to the Crown corporation.

Liberal leadership hopeful Chrystia Freeland is calling on the Liberal Party to hold four debates between now and March 9, when registered members will choose the next prime minister.

The Supreme Court of Canada has refused to hear an appeal from the Mohawk Mothers that sought to overturn a lower court’s decision to lift a safeguard order initially granted to the group for work being undertaken at the site of the former Royal Victoria Hospital at McGill University. 

The Mothers, also known as the Kanien’kehá:ka Kahnistensera, say they have reason to believe there could be unmarked graves at the site, which formerly housed the Alan Memorial Institute, where infamous MK Ultra experiments were undertaken on patients.  

The area is currently being redeveloped as part of the New Vic project, with a new teaching hospital slated to be completed by 2028.  

The Mothers were initially granted a safeguard order in November of 2023 by Justice Gregory Moore at Quebec’s Superior Court, but that was overturned after McGill University and the Société Québécoise des infrastructures (SQI) took the issue to the Quebec Court of Appeal, which ultimately decided that Moore had “misapprehended the scope of his power” in making his decision.  

This aspect of the overall case was the focus of the Mothers’ October 2024 appeal application to the Supreme Court. 

The Supreme Court of Canada is the highest court that could hear the Mothers’ appeal of that decision, so their refusal to hear the appeal means that there are no other avenues the group can take to reverse it.  

“We’re dealing with a system that is not our system,” said Kwetiio, one of the Mothers. 

She said that she knows the Supreme Court accepts very few appeals to hear, but that the group had still been hopeful when they submitted their case. 

“We were looking for a different body that could give some clarity, or bring to the public’s attention that this system doesn’t work. It doesn’t give justice. So, by putting it to the Supreme Court and having them say ‘no,’ it’s just reaffirming what we think.” 

At the time of their submissions to the Supreme Court, the Mothers were being supported by Kimberly Murray, who was the special interlocutor for missing children and unmarked graves and burial sites associated with Indian residential schools. Since then, her mandate has come to an end, and Murray’s office has been dissolved, meaning that she is no longer an intervenor in the case.  

She said that she will be continuing to follow the case despite no longer being an intervenor. 

“I feel that it was a missed opportunity for the Supreme Court of Canada to speak to the importance of Indigenous-led collaborative searches for missing and disappeared children. It was disappointing, but not surprising,” Murray said.  

In order for the Supreme Court to grant a leave to appeal – which means that they give permission for the appeal to be heard in the Supreme Court – the issue at hand must raise issues of public importance.  

“By not granting leave, they’re clearly saying this isn’t of national importance,” Murray said. “And I respectfully disagree.” 

The Supreme Court does not publish reasons for making a decision on whether or not to grant a leave to appeal. 

“All we can do is infer,” Murray said, adding that it was another disappointing decision in the case, which has been before the courts for years now. 

“They’re using the colonial judicial system and laws to hide the truth, and that’s exactly what the Truth and Reconciliation Commission said in its report, that the law has been, and continues to be, a tool to hide the truth,” she said. 

The appeal only concerned one aspect of the overall case, and the case is still ongoing in the Superior Court.  

“This doesn’t by any means mean that our case is over or that we’re dead in the water,” Kwetiio said. “We’re doing this for our children, we’re trying to find solutions.” 

The SQI and McGill University responded to The Eastern Door’s requests for comment via email.  

“The SQI has always expressed its willingness to shed light, in a spirit of cooperation, on allegations of the presence of burials,” said Anne-Marie Gagnon, a representative for the SQI. “The SQI and its partners are committed, in good faith and in a rigorous manner, to conducting and pursuing archaeological research accompanied by experts in the field.” 

McGill said that they are continuing to respect the homologated settlement agreement signed by all parties in April 2023, and that it is important to note that no human remains, or unmarked graves have been found at the site. 

“McGill welcomes the Supreme Court decision, one that allows for previous agreements and the spirit in which they were written to stand,” McGill’s media relations office wrote.  

Kwetiio said that the group is meeting this week to look over their options, and there will likely be case management hearings at the Superior Court in the coming months. 

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After a judge rejected an attempt by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission (KGC) to wrest the Magic Palace lawsuit from provincial courts in November, the KGC has been granted leave to appeal the decision. 

“I don’t think they have a leg stand on,” said Pierre L’Ecuyer, a lawyer representing the owners of Magic Palace, Stanley Myiow and Barry Alfred.  

The civil firm representing Magic Palace will soon file a motion to quash the Court of Appeal’s decision to grant leave to appeal, according to L’Ecuyer. 

The KGC is arguing that the Superior Court does not have the jurisdiction to hear the Magic Palace lawsuit because the gaming commission is a creature of Mohawk laws, not Quebec or Canadian ones. 

L’Ecuyer has argued his clients have had no recourse but to pursue the issue in court. 

“Basically, in the by-law made by the Council, it should go to the Administrative Tribunal of Kahnawake. The problem is it doesn’t exist,” said L’Ecuyer. 

While there are plans to implement this tribunal, it is not yet operational. 

Magic Palace is seeking judicial review of the KGC’s revocation of the gaming facility’s authorization to operate on the territory. That decision followed months of pressure after a report in La Presse alleged ties to organized crime. 

The KGC responded by commissioning a third-party investigation by Spectrum Gaming Group. After receiving the report from Spectrum, the gaming commission issued an immediate suspension of Magic Palace’s operations pending a hearing.  

However, the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake (MCK), an impleaded party in the lawsuit, followed up the next day with a termination of its royalty agreement with Magic Palace. This agreement is a requirement to operate lucrative Electronic Gaming Devices (EGDs) on the territory. 

L’Ecuyer has cast these moves as unjust and onerous. 

“There’s big financial damage,” said L’Ecuyer. “It’s sad to say, but it’s the Council that’s going to have to pay for it.” 

L’Ecuyer pointed out that the leave to appeal has no bearing on the KGC’s likelihood of success overturning the Superior Court’s decision. 

“They’re not saying their argument is right. They’re saying we will hear your argument,” L’Ecuyer said.  

The judgement issued by the Court of Appeal explicitly states that no opinion is expressed on the chances of an appeal’s success. However, judge Guy Cournoyer writes that the questions raised by the KGC “are important and should be determined by the Court.” 

The KGC did not respond to a request by deadline. 

The MCK declined to discuss grand chief Cody Diabo’s pre-trial examination in response to a request from The Eastern Door. 

However, the MCK provided responses, attributed only to MCK legal counsel, to questions about the leave to appeal judgement itself. 

Asked how the MCK responds to Magic Palace’s position that there is no other recourse besides external courts given the Administrative Tribunal is not operational, MCK’s lawyers responded, “This issue was not contemplated by the judgment granting leave to appeal. It may eventually be addressed in a final judgment of the Court of Appeal. However, it should be specified that Magic Palace is only referring to a recourse to overturn the decision of the KGC. 

“The question of jurisdiction has been posed by the KGC. Whether or not the KGC would submit to the jurisdiction of Kahnawake’s Administrative Tribunal is a question for the KGC.” 

Asked what the MCK’s position will be if the Court of Appeal affirms the Superior Court decision, MCK legal counsel responded, “The MCK is an impleaded party in the KGC’s appeal of the Superior Court decision regarding jurisdiction in the stay of execution and judicial review proceedings. The MCK has not contested the jurisdiction of the Superior Court in the interlocutory injunction and declaratory judgement proceedings.” 

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Journalism generally takes on two approaches: opinions in the form of editorials and columns, and written articles. 

When sitting down to write an editorial, you must take a pretty strong stance on an issue important to all. State your case. Fight for it. Tell readers what is wrong and how to fix it. End it and move on. 

But in the case of Leonard Peltier, it has been incredible to see how divided Indian Country is on such an important, harrowing case that extends back into the reaches of the 1970s and the American Indian Movement (AIM). 

Leonard Peltier was no saint, in fact if you listen to stories about him from back then from the family of Annie Mae Pictou, also known as Annie Mae Pictou Aquash, you really start to rethink those Free Leonard Peltier bumper stickers. 

Did he kill Pictou? No, the family admits, but he put a gun in her mouth on a few occasions, accused her of being an FBI informant, and, they say, was privy to her murder. 

In other words, he didn’t stop it when he had the power to do so. 

It was a long time ago, in 1975, so many memories have faded, but through the documentary entitled Vow of Silence: The Assassination of Annie Mae, which was launched in November 2024, a clear picture has been painted of what happened back then. 

The toughest part is Peltier stands for a much bigger movement of wrongly imprisoned men because they say he was innocent of killing two FBI agents (two other men were convicted of killing Pictou). 

So, we have this hodgepodge of the wrongly accused, of a powerful Native rights movement, of abuse and murder, misogyny, racism and the colonial powers that exist around us, and people are trying to make sense of it all and figure out where they stand. 

You think there’s a lot of misinformation now? Well back then it must have been hard to wade through all of it and come out on the other side of the truth.  

Sadly, we don’t think the whole truth will ever come out, but we also believe there are other Indigenous men in prison – who shouldn’t be there – that a movement could have followed instead.  

We will forever link the missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls movement with Annie Mae. And never stop looking for more truth, even if it means blowing up perceived heroes in our midst. 

The act by outgoing president Joe Biden of clemency, but not a pardon for Peltier, means he will be under house arrest for the remainder of his life, at 80 years old. 

It got us to thinking of the second coming of Trump, as the Donald took office this past Monday. 

We are still baffled why so many of our people like him, follow his every word, make excuses for him, and, generally, adore a so-called leader who, frankly, doesn’t care about our people, the land, or our rights. 

We don’t want them to choose Biden or Kamala Harris, either, because it’s not our system and we know when a snake with less venom bites you, it’s still a snake bite. 

But we’re still in shock that such a louse could take office, who has so few redeeming qualities, who has already launched so many attacks on every corner of a country that’s either overjoyed at having him in office, or disgusted that voters could be that stupid to trust him. 

Harris wasn’t a great choice to battle head-to-head with Trump, but Trump isn’t a great choice to lead your local Rotary Club, so electing him so gleefully in the most powerful office is, as some say, cringe. 

What comes with someone like him is the right-wing ideology that attacks women’s bodies, LGBTQ+ lives, Indigenous rights, immigrants, and everything else that doesn’t line up with pseudo-Christian practices based on a book full of wide interpretations, inaccuracies, and lies. 

Pardoning or commuting sentences across the board of all January 6, 2021, rioters could be one move that Trump will eventually pay for, but you can’t help but wonder what’s to stop him from similar reckless orders now that the giant man baby has taken his seat back. 

Steve Bonspiel 

The Eastern Door 

The 2025 edition of the Kahnawake Youth Center (KYC)’s Winter Carnival gets underway Monday, kicking off two weeks full of indoor and outdoor activities for the whole family. 

“We do the Winter Carnival every year to bring families and the community together and enjoy the great outdoors, whether it’s snowing, or the sun is out,” said Cheyanne McComber, who is the community and family events coordinator for KYC along with Karlijn Kronenberg. 

Some new events have been added to this year’s schedule. For those who like playing outdoor sports – and who may have missed the boat on broomball signups. Those who are a part of an organization in town can sign up a team for organizational soccer baseball, run in collaboration with Tewatohnhi’saktha, which will be held Wednesday, February 5, from 3:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Hospital ballfield. 

For the indoor activity enthusiasts, a new activity this year is the puzzle tournament held at the Youth Center on Tuesday, February 4, starting at 6 p.m. 

Participants will be divided into three categories: individuals, pairs, and teams of three or more. Everyone will have two hours to complete a 500-piece puzzle. 

“To me, that’s super exciting, because it’s not something that is offered quite often,” said McComber. 

Many of the events for the carnival have limited space and require signups in advance – including the aforementioned soccer baseball and puzzle events. Signups are done through the Amilia website and app. On Amilia, one can see how many spots are left, registration criteria, and event details. 

“You can even call us if you don’t know how to use our Amilia, we’ll help you sign up,” said McComber. 

She encouraged interested community members to check if events needed signups in advance – and show up early to those that don’t, because space may be limited for those as well. For example, the grocery and toy bingo last year overflowed from the gymnasium due to demand. 

Some old favourites are back this year as well. That includes the classic carnival closer, the Polar Plunge. Brave participants can pick up a pledge sheet from the Youth Center and raise money for their plunge, which will go towards the Travel and Exchange program. This year, the Plunge will be happening earlier in the day, at 12:15 p.m. on Friday, February 7. 

 Some of the events will be back with a twist. A new addition from last year, the first edition of the night market, was a huge success according to McComber, so much so that they are expanding it this year and combining it with the winter formal elementary school dance – which now becomes the family dance this year. 

“The night market was awesome last year, because we had every age demographic there,” said McComber. “We had fire pits, we had people selling their crafts, we had community members selling food. It was really a nice atmosphere. You had to be there to feel how nice it was.” 

The joint event will be held on Friday, January 31, starting at 5 p.m. outside the Kahnawake Sports Complex. There will also be family skating inside the Sports Complex from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. that day. 

The outdoor event will also feature K1037 serving as DJ for the night. 

“I think it sounds fun. We can accommodate more people like this as well. Why not have fun and come dance with your parents?” said McComber. “And guess what, you’ll keep warm by dancing. So, if you’re checking out a booth and you hear your favorite song, just start dancing and warm yourself up.” 

Speaking of cold, McComber said that if the weather is too inclement, some of the events may be moved indoors – but only if the field or outdoor rink can’t be used, not if it is too cold. 

“We don’t want to cancel anything. We want to provide fun every day in whatever capacity we can,” said McComber. 

The full schedule of activities for this year’s Winter Carnival is available on KYC’s Facebook page. 

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The Mohawk Council of Kahnawake (MCK) is encouraging community members to attend a “lands summit” that’ll be hosted at the Knights of Columbus next month. The two-day event will centre on getting people engaged and educated about land-related issues in the territory,  said Carly Kateri Diabo, among those helping to organize it.  
Participants will get the chance to provide their feedback on land use in Kahnawake, the community engagement officer for the MCK said, mentioning the returned land around Highway 30 as one example. 

The Lands Unit came up with the idea to host the summit while consultations over the land by Highway 30, Diabo said. Nearly 500 acres of land there has already been returned from Quebec, but community members still need to be engaged on how exactly to best make use of that land. 

“We knew that we needed to consult the community. And then it kind of just snowballed somewhere,” Diabo said. “It just makes sense to bring everybody together, with the common theme of land.” 

The summit will be hosted at the Knights of Columbus on February 11 and 12. Attendees aren’t expected to attend on both days; the first is aimed at youth and elders in town, with the second geared toward the general public. 

“We’re really trying to encourage anybody who wants to come on out, students and teachers, to come on down,” said Diabo, who sent out invitations for elementary and high school classes to attend. “We’re going to be having a lot of games and hands-on demos.” 

While there, participants will also be able to weigh in on environmental protection and visioning projects currently underway by the Kahnawake Environment Protection Office (KEPO). Feedback will also be sought by Sports and Recreation about upgrades to Matty’s Park and its recreation plan, which touches on the design of a new Kahnawake Youth Center (KYC) building.  

Community members can also come to learn more about the outstanding Seigneury of Sault St. Louis land grievance against Canada and share their thoughts on how land in the Seigneury footprint could be used in the instance it was returned.  

Various keynote speakers are scheduled to speak, including Roiahtate Horn from Sports and Recreation, Carlee Loft from KEPO, and Neil McComber, the consultant the MCK hired to speak to the community about the land around Highway 30. A more detailed agenda with all the speakers expected to attend should be released soon, Diabo said. 

Those who attend will be able to enter their name for various prizes, which will include tickets to educational workshops, Shop Kahnawake gift certificates, and even hours of free ice time at the Sports Complex.  

“You’ll be leaving with information and some swag,” Diabo said. 

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The news that former United States president Joe Biden was granting former American Indian Movement (AIM) member Leonard Peltier clemency to serve out the rest of his life sentence at home was unexpected for many across Turtle Island – including Denise Pictou Maloney, who believes that Peltier was complicit in the 1975 murder of her mother, Annie Mae Pictou in South Dakota.  

“I was literally in the middle of my workday, and I’ve had to try to show up in my professional life when I’ve been given a gut-punch like that with no warning,” Pictou Maloney told The Eastern Door.

Peltier was given a life sentence in prison for the deaths of two Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents in June of 1975, during a shootout on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. 

Many organizations have stood behind Peltier throughout the years, including the Assembly of First Nations (AFN), which advocated for his extradition to Canada for 37 years, before passing a resolution to formally withdraw their support in July of last year. 

That decision was made because of Peltier’s role in the interrogation of Pictou, also known as Pictou Aquash, and his public support of John Graham, who was convicted of her murder alongside Arlo Looking Cloud. 

Many view Peltier as an activist unfairly imprisoned based on allegations that he had a flawed trial, with organizations like the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention stating that “he continues to be detained because he is Native American” in 2022. 

“You can’t support Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) when you’re upholding violent men who brought harm and violence,” Pictou Maloney said. 

Pictou, originally Mi’kmaq from Nova Scotia, was also a member of AIM. She was active in the movement, participating in several prominent occupations, including at Wounded Knee. 

Her body was found by the side of the highway on Pine Ridge Indian Reservation after the snow melted, having disappeared in December of the previous year. Though an initial autopsy determined that she had died from hypothermia, the family requested that her body be exhumed eight days after she was buried, and a second autopsy was undertaken. That autopsy, arranged by AIM, found that she had been shot, leading to an investigation by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). 

No indictments were made until 2003, when Looking Cloud and Graham, both AIM members, were formally charged with her murder. Looking Cloud was convicted in 2004 and Graham in 2010, with prosecutors stating that Pictou was murdered because high-ranking AIM members believed she was an FBI informant. 

Multiple witnesses testified that Peltier interrogated Pictou due to his suspicion that she was an informant, holding a gun to her head – Peltier admitted to interrogating her, but denied using a gun. 

Pictou Maloney said that her mother had also told her aunts – Pictou’s sisters – that she was interrogated at gunpoint by Peltier the fall before her murder.  

During the trial of Looking Cloud, individuals testified that Peltier had bragged about shooting the FBI agents, and Pictou’s knowledge of this is thought to be part of why she was suspected of being an informant.  

Pictou Maloney also told The Eastern Door. that two other prominent AIM figures had told her at an event in 1999 that AIM members were engaged in her mother’s murder. 

“It’s well-documented throughout the trials that people talked about how something like this only could have happened if the leadership ordered it,” Pictou Maloney said.  

“His participation in the conspiracy to take her out was very apparent and very well-documented.” 

Pictou Maloney talked at length about her mother’s murder at the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigeous Women and Girls, and brought Don Barnaby, who is also Mi’kmaq, and now lives in Kahnawake, as her emotional support worker at the time. 

“I sat behind her and just kept brushing her shoulders with my eagle wing to lighten the load, just smudging her too,” he said. 

Barnaby said that knowledge of Peltier’s alleged involvement in Pictou’s murder is well-known in Mi’kmaq Country. 

“Everybody knows. But there are so many people outside of Mi’kmaq territory that are uneducated about what really happened,” he said. “They think he’s this Indigenous hero who fell on the sword for AIM. But man, he was complicit. We as Mi’kmaq people know that, and we won’t forget that.” 

Peltier – who could not be reached for comment via representatives by the time of The Eastern Door’s deadline – had his life sentence commuted mere moments before Biden left office before current president Donald Trump’s inauguration. 

The NDN Collective, a grassroots organization who led a campaign for Peltier’s release, said in a press release on Monday that the commutation is “the result of 50 years of intergenerational resistance, organizing, and advocacy.” 

“Leonard Peltier’s liberation is our liberation – and while home confinement is not complete freedom, we will honour him by bringing him back to his homelands to live out the rest of his days surrounded by loved ones, healing, and reconnecting with his land and culture,” Nick Tilsen, NDN Collective founder and chief executive officer said in the statement.  

“The commutation granted to Leonard Peltier is a symbol of our collective strength – and our resistance will never stop.” 

The NDN Collective did not respond to The Eastern Door’s request for comment by deadline. 

Pictou Maloney said that she’s seen some fellow Onkwehón:we share their mixed feelings about the commutation – but that she perceives support for Peltier as upholding violence in Indigenous liberation movements. 

“When you decide that you want to prioritize women and their safety, upholding violent men is a direct conflict. It sets a precedent that it’s okay to be violent, as long as you’re not caught and as long as there’s some kind of systemic cause,” she said. 

“When men can rationalize supporting violent men while they’re trying to support ending violence against MMIWG, it makes no sense.” 

Pictou Maloney, along with several former AIM members, participated in a four-part documentary series on Pictou’s life and murder, which was released on Disney+ earlier this month. 

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The Mohawk Council of Kahnawake (MCK) is drafting a letter it hopes will land on the desk of the Oval Office. 

Addressed to newly installed US president Donald Trump, the letter will be given to the US consul general in Montreal, Robert Sanders, who will hopefully get it in influential hands. The idea is to outline that Kahnawake Mohawks are distinct from Canada and that Kahnawake’s rights need to be respected. 

“I think a lot of it is in response to these talks about a ‘51st state,’” MCK grand chief Cody Diabo said, referring to Trump’s bellicose remarks over the past several weeks suggesting that Canada could be swallowed up by the United States. 

The text will particularly focus on issues that could be affected by Trump’s immigration policies. 

“The letter would be drafted in a way that reinforces that idea that whatever issues you have with Canada about that imaginary line, that’s between you two. Don’t drag in First Nations, especially Mohawks,” said Diabo, who proposed the letter to Council as a way to assert Kahnawake’s interests. 

“If we don’t get a response then we just continue business as usual. If we get a response, maybe it might lead to something,” he added. 

According to the grand chief, Kahnawake had issues during Trump’s previous administration, from 2017-2021, when the president’s policies frustrated Kanien’kehá:ka border-crossing rights. 

“There have been some people, they go to the States for ironworking, and they’re being told they need a green card,” he said. 

Council is also seeking to present Kahnawake as an ideal business partner in the letter to the self-professed dealmaker. 

“It touches a little on maybe having some discussions on some economic opportunities for both Kahnawake and the United States,” Diabo said, noting that Quebec’s strengthening of French-language laws has caused issues for businesses. 

The letter is also expected to touch on trade. Trump has threatened to implement 25 percent tariffs, essentially an import tax, effective February 1 on goods coming into the United States from Canada, with Canada threatening to respond with punishing tariffs of its own. 

“That’s not about us, so First Nations businesses shouldn’t be affected by that,” said Diabo. “Whatever you do with Canada is your business – don’t drag us into that.” 

The grand chief said the MCK is also looking at directing statements to Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau in the near future. 

“They’re talking about this Team Canada approach, which First Nations are not being included on,” Diabo said, noting that while Trudeau has met with the likes of Assembly of First Nations (AFN) national chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak, Kahnawake’s input has not been sought. 

This while Trudeau, the grand chief said, is turning to First Nations for help in standing up to the United States. 

“Only now because you’re facing down the barrel of somebody that’s bigger than you, now you want us to band with you again?” said Diabo. 

“More than 200 years ago they asked for our help, and we’ve seen what that’s resulted in: loss of our land, attempted genocide,” said Diabo, adding that if Canada wants support, the government needs to “pay up first this time,” otherwise he’s inclined to let settlers “squabble amongst themselves like they’ve always done.” 

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The Mohawk Council of Kahnawake (MCK) was encouraging the community to participate in Bell Let’s Talk Day again this year, January 22, sharing a post on social media with a link to Bell’s donation page and instructions on how to contribute to mental health initiatives put forward by the company. 

“Mental health is important. It’s an issue both in the community and beyond it,” said Arnold Boyer, the council chief leading the health portfolio. 

Boyer was the one who started the MCK’s active participation in Bell Let’s Talk Day. 

“We’ve been doing it for the past four years,” said Boyer. “I decided we were going to participate in that, so I contacted Bell and told them we were interested in participating, and they sent us the flag, the hats, and a lot of other things.” 

These have appeared in the yearly post made by the MCK to encourage participation from the community. 

“We want to spread awareness for mental health and mental wellbeing, and that in this community, there’s always somebody there to help, whether it’s during a crisis or you just need to talk,” said Boyer on the reason why the posts have continued since then. 

This year, Bell Let’s Talk Day’s campaign has focused on youth mental health. 

According to a report published by Bell Let’s Talk in October 2024 in collaboration with  Mental Health Research Canada, over a million young people in the country need help, with half not getting the help they need. One in four Canadian youths having considered suicide, the report said. 

Those interested in making monetary donations in support of mental health initiatives either texted YOUTH to 45678 or visited www.bell.ca/letstalk, where Bell matched $5 donations – up to a total of $1 million – and will send the money to six youth mental health organizations in Canada, including the National Association of Friendship Centres, providing services and supports to Onkwehón:we in urban settings. 

“There are a lot of challenges for youth today. They should be able to express themselves and talk about those challenges,” said Boyer. “Those in high school and college, and even outside of school, there are a lot of challenges with things like bullying, self-esteem, things like that.” 

Bell Let’s Talk started in 2010, and according to Bell has since invested $184 million while partnering with over 1,500 organizations in Canada. 

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Toronto police made a historic drug bust this week, seizing 835 kilograms of cocaine — 475 kilos of which had been intercepted by Canada Border Services at the U.S. border. In a press conference on Tuesday, the police presented $83-million worth of cocaine, over half of which had travelled to Canada by truck, from Mexico and through the U.S. The remainder of the drugs were confiscated from “stash houses.”

This seizure, the largest in the history of the Toronto police force, follows a months-long investigation that they say points to the notorious Jalisco New Generation Cartel, considered one of the most violent and prolific drug trafficking operations in the world. Two Mexican nationals and four Canadians were arrested, and three additional warrants have been issued ( for two Mexicans and one Canadian).

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau commended the law enforcement agencies who worked together on “Project Castillo,” which also included members of the York Regional Police Service, the Canada Border Services Agency and border officials in Windsor.

“Outstanding work by Toronto Police, Canada’s border agents and RCMP officers. More than $80-million worth of cocaine kept off our streets. This will save lives.”

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

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The first community meeting of the year is coming up on Wednesday. It’ll be hosted at the Golden Age Club and is expected to start at 6 p.m.  

Top of the agenda will be a discussion about the memorandum of understanding signed last month between Quebec and the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake (MCK). Copies of the document, the Statement of Understanding and Mutual Respect, are also expected to be available for viewing.  

MCK grand chief Cody Diabo said community members are also welcome to weigh in on where the band council should go next now that the agreement has been signed. Various sectoral tables will be formed with Quebec through it, focusing on key priorities like transport, economy, environment, energy, language, and more. 

An update is expected to be shared about the MCK’s ongoing lawsuit against the City of Chateauguay over the fuel spill that happened last year in the city’s industrial sector as well. Two new defendants, the landowner and a former heating oil company, were recently added to the suit.  

There will also be time set aside to talk to police chief Dwayne Zacharie about concerns many have over non-locals in the territory. New housing-related benefits that were announced last month, and how community members can provide feedback on governance documents related to the roles, responsibilities and conduct of the council table, are on the agenda as well. 

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Every Peacekeeper in the territory will soon be equipped with body cameras, following a decision made by the police force’s board just before the holidays.  

It’s not just cameras that were approved for purchase, but an entire package of new gear aimed at modernizing the way the Kahnawake Peacekeepers police the territory, chief Dwayne Zacharie said. 

Cruiser-mounted automatic license plate readers, new tasers, and software that’ll produce automatic transcriptions of audio and video are also included within the roughly $1 million package.  

“The purchase that we’re doing is about putting more service into the community,” Zacharie said, mentioning the new software that’ll allow officers to file reports quicker, saving them hours of time. “It’ll free up time so they can be on the road.” 

The police chief said he first started thinking about integrating body cameras into the force after witnessing the growth of the defund the police movement over the pandemic. He then spent years looking at how other police departments make use of them before bringing forward a proposal to the police service board last month. 

“For us, every single day is a new day to build trust with the community,” Zacharie said. “What we’re doing, in this day and age, is leveraging the kind of technology that’s available in order to do that, and to do it better.” 

The body cameras go beyond promoting professionalism within the force, he said. Having the entirety of each interaction filmed will also encourage community members to moderate their own behaviour too, he said. 

Council chief Ryan Montour, who sits as a non-voting member on the police services board, described the newly approved gear as “an officer safety package.” 

“If people know in the future Peacekeepers are video recording every interaction, they’re really going to be on their best behaviour,” said Montour, also the lead on public safety. 

The integration of the cameras in policing will also obviously help in their officers ability to collect evidence. 

“It’s kind of hard to argue with video and that’s going to help the Peacekeepers’ work within the community,” Montour said.  

That kind of footage isn’t just relevant to criminal investigations and proceedings either, he said. It could also come into use in the instance a community member files a complaint against a Peacekeeper. Those complaints are studied within the force, either by the police chief or by the ethics committee connected to the police services board.  

The hope is to have every one of their Peacekeepers equipped with the cameras by the spring, Zacharie said. A policy is also in the works over how exactly they’ll be used, touching on when they have to be turned on and when recording can stop. 

“They shouldn’t be turning off the cameras when there’s an interaction with individuals,” the police chief assured. 

The purchase of the new technology was made possible through over $1.8 million in funding the police force received from Public Safety Canada last April. That stabilization funding was provided in addition to the funding the Peacekeepers already receive on an annual basis from the federal government through its funding agreement. 

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A legal case brought forward by a man from Fort William First Nation, on behalf of his children with special educational needs, has resulted in deeper discussion of the possibility of Jordan’s Principle being used for legal fees related to First Nations children’s access to essential services. 

A Federal Court decision on the case came on January 9, after an Ottawa courtroom heard applicant Warren Schofer’s request for a judicial review of funding decisions made by ISC under Jordan’s Principle. ISC had not approved funding for legal and travel expenses related to his fight to reinstate educational assistant support for his two children, who have documented special needs.  

The court granted Schofer’s appeal and outlined steps for him to be permitted to resubmit his request to ISC for reconsideration, something that Schofer’s lawyer, Gordon Campbell, said helped clarify the role of legal funding within Jordan’s Principle. 

“The government repeatedly says that no particular funding is excluded from Jordan’s Principle, as long as it’s necessary in terms of advancing children’s interests for equality,” said Campbell. “But there is still, it seems, almost an unwritten nervousness around providing any funding for legal services.” 

Schofer’s two children had previously been approved for support from educational assistants, which had in past years been funded federally. 

But the provincial school board withdrew that funding, citing insufficient need, despite documented evidence that the children were underperforming in multiple educational categories.  

Schofer had sought non-legal resolutions, but tensions escalated, and the school board banned him from school grounds and threatened him with legal action. 

That led to Schofer requesting funding under Jordan’s Principle for $200,000 of legal services and $6,000 of travel expenses to reinstate the educational assistant support.  

The request, and an appeal on the decision, was denied. 

Though the judge noted that his analysis shouldn’t be interpreted as establishing the general availability of legal service fees under Jordan’s Principle, he did state that the Principle’s “broad and liberal interpretation supports funding ancillary services, including legal services,” noting that is only the case where evidence demonstrates that these services are linked to ensuring Indigenous children’s equal access to essential public services. 

“Ultimately, the government took the position before the federal court that legal services are fundable, it’s just a question of justifying them,” Campbell said. 

The case also concerned ISC’s denial of the request based on missing supporting documentation, such as missing letters of support and cost breakdowns for the legal services requested. However, ISC didn’t make any inquiry or communication about these missing documents, something that the court said breached ISC’s “heightened duty of procedural fairness.” 

“I think the implications for anyone else here is that firstly, hopefully in the future the government will in all cases make inquiries to ask from all families who have filed Jordan’s Principle applications that are missing information according to the government,” Campbell said. “And secondly, legal services are something that’s on the table.” 

In terms of this case, the ruling does not mean that Schofer’s case is approved – instead, the judge ruled that he has 30 days to compile professional opinions regarding the necessity of legal intervention to secure the necessary educational support, documentation supporting the amount of fees requested, and any other supporting materials for his application.  

The judge also ruled that ISC must render a new decision within 48 hours of receiving the documentation – the standard timeline for non-urgent Jordan’s Principle requests, despite lengthy delays in recent months. 

“We don’t know what the government’s ultimate position will be, but we now at least know what additional information the government was looking for,” Campbell said.  

ISC’s final decision on Schofer’s application will not be made public.  

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For Andrea Kaia’tanóron Jacobs, the Circle of Security parenting program that she underwent in 2018 was life changing.  

“I truly believe that every single expecting parent should be required to take this course,” she said. “Even if you’ve already been a parent for 30 years, new parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, literally anybody can benefit from taking this course.” 

She’s just one of many in the community who has glowing reviews for the program, which has been offered by Step by Step for well over 10 years. Now, a new cohort is starting the 10-week course, this time offered in partnership with Kahnawake Shakotiia’takehnhas Community Services (KSCS). 

“People often say things like ‘I wish I had known about this 20 years ago with my other children,’ but it’s never too late to learn and it’s really important not to whip ourselves over what we didn’t know,” said Step by Step clinical consultant Nancy Rother. “We found it has a huge impact on people, it’s often quite transformational.” 
Circle of Security is an international program, though aspects of the program are tailored to take into account a culturally specific worldview, Rother said. 

Throughout the course, participants become more reflective about their own behaviour, unpacking their role as a parent and their children’s needs. Parents are encouraged to think about how they themselves were parented, and how that affects their own parenting style as adults. 

“It’s about bringing that awareness in a very trauma-informed way,” Rother said. “And the way we deliver it in Kahnawake is through understanding the multi-generational trauma context that people are existing within.” 

Rother will be co-facilitating the program with Trudy Jacobs and Alana Atwin, both parenting workers at KSCS. 

Atwin herself has previously taken the program as a parent. 

“I really have a lot of faith in what the program offers in terms of self-reflection and how we can be better parents to our kids,” she said. 

The program looks at topics like healthy attachment styles, guilt and shame, and the idea of “finding your shark music” – the feeling of fear or discomfort that is triggered in certain situations stemming from our own past experiences. 

Another important focus is confronting mistakes that parents might have made with their children. 

“We look at how to repair that relationship once there’s what we call ‘a rupture,’ because making mistakes is a part of parenting,” Atwin said. “It’s a normal thing to make mistakes, own up to it, apologize, and move on. No matter how old our children are.” 

The current cohort started this week with a full class, who will be working together every Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. for 10 weeks. Facilitators say they received a large volume of interest, including from other family caregivers such as grandparents, and they plan to continue offering the program so that more and more community members can receive the training – right now, class sizes are kept small, at around 10 participants. 

“People will tell me their friends were telling them about the program, and to me that’s a good sign that we’re all starting to speak the same language,” Atwin said. “I think it’s a lot easier for people to relate to each other when they’re speaking that same language.” 

It’s been seven years since Andrea took the course, but the lessons she learned in it continue to impact her and her family to this day.  

“Children need an emotional connection with their parents or caregivers as a secure base to go out and explore the world, they need a safe haven to come back to when things get too difficult,” she said. 

“This course gives you the tools that you need to provide that safe space for yourself and for your children.” 

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A lawyer for the landowner named in the lawsuit launched by the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake (MCK) over the fuel spill in Chateauguay last year said their client isn’t at fault, since there’s no proof diesel from the spill traversed into Kahnawake’s territory. 

The lawyer, Alexandre Fallon, cited an investigation carried out by Quebec’s environmental ministry that concluded the spill last year on February 1 in the city’s industrial sector wasn’t linked to the diesel found around the Suzanne River in Kahnawake about a week later.  

He represents 9251-4991 Quebec Inc., the numbered company that owns the land at 2325 Ford Boulevard where the spill happened. That company is owned by Ramon Caracas and manages real estate properties, according to Quebec’s business registry. 

“The two events are entirely unrelated,” Fallon wrote in an email to The Eastern Door. “The (ministry’s) conclusion is based on the absence of a hydrological link between the two sites where contamination was present, notably because the direction of flow of the Suzanne River does not match with the river flowing from Chateauguay.” 

That investigation also concluded the diesel fuel found in the territory didn’t originate from Chateauguay because it was only found at the groundwater level in Kahnawake, Fallon wrote, while in Chateauguay the contamination was noted at the surface water level. 

In addition to that, sampling carried out by Environment Canada also revealed the pollutants found at each of the two sites studied didn’t match, he wrote. 

Quebec’s environment ministry confirmed it still maintains that conclusion in a comment to The Eastern Door this week. Environment Canada meanwhile declined to confirm, citing an ongoing investigation. 

The MCK filed its lawsuit back in July, initially targeting the City of Chateauguay only. The two other defendants were only added last month. La Pétrolière N&R Sol Inc., a former heating oil business that owned the oil tanker that spilled then, according to the MCK, has yet to formally respond with legal representation. 

The band council is seeking over $600,000 in damages from all three, maintaining that the spill site in Chateauguay is to blame for the pollution found in its territory as of February 9 of last year. The damages cover the costly cleanup the MCK undertook last winter to clean up the Suzanne River and other areas around it.  

“Kahnawake had to expense our own funds to deal with this, and it’s not our responsibility to do that. The other parties now need to repay what we had to expense,” MCK grand chief Cody Diabo said. 

Fallon also said the band council shouldn’t have named his client in the lawsuit because it was its tenant, La Pétrolière, that caused the fuel spill.  

“Nevertheless, our client expeditiously contained the spill and fully remediated all contamination to the environment caused by the spill, under the supervision of the (Quebec environmental ministry),” Fallon wrote. “Our client has fully complied with its obligations in responding to the spill on its property and has not caused any harm to the Council or the community of Kahnawake.” 

The band council maintained otherwise in its application to Quebec Superior Court, arguing the cleanup carried out by the property owner of the land in April should have also extended to Kahnawake, not just around the spill site in Chateauguay only.  

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Jeremiah Johnson has never been afraid to pick through garbage for the good of his town, not when he was a private community member, and not now as a Mohawk Council of Kahnawake (MCK) chief. 

So when people come into the community and dump their refuse wherever they think they can get away with it, Johnson still does what he has done for years as a member of Kahnawake Community Watch – he searches till he finds something with a name on it. 

“Our community’s not a dump site.” 

He was surfing Facebook when he saw a picture of debris dumped on Seaway Road, a frequent target, he said. So he went over there and found a receipt with a name on it, which he handed to the Kahnawake Peacekeepers. However, the next day, there was another dumping incident, which appeared to be related to the same home renovation project outside the community. 

“I take it personally when I see this kind of thing,” said Johnson. 

“I struggle to understand the arrogance of people that are doing these actions. To me it’s not comprehensible.” 

Johnson wants to leverage the community’s institutional tools against the problem, planning to meet with the Kahnawake Environment Protection Office (KEPO), which he pointed out offers a dumping tracker that people should use to report dumping. Reports can also be made to the office by phone. 

“I’m very proud that our community members are proactive when it comes to this,” said Johnson. 

A new working group that includes the Peacekeepers, Public Security, and other MCK units has recently been formed, Johnson noted, and he intends to take this issue to this group as well, hoping to invite KEPO to the next meeting. 

“Over the years, the issue’s constant,” Johnson said. He wants to see cameras installed in the area to help catch offenders. 

“At the very least we need cameras to catch these people because they’re doing it on a regular basis,” he added. 

According to Peacekeepers spokesperson Kyle Zachary, no arrests had been made as of earlier this week, with an investigation ongoing. 

Meanwhile, a separate dumping incident in St. Remi of multiple garbage bags and wooden structures also caused outrage. Kahnawa’kehró:non Adam Jacco believes the incidents are linked, even taking action by contacting the person he believes responsible. 

“I just assumed that the contents that were inside the garbage from that original post are the same contents that were dumped here in the reserve,” he said. 

“The pictures of the messages between me and him, he had no remorse what he did. He knew what he was doing, and he didn’t care,” Jacco said. 

There were 11 reports of illegal dumping in Kahnawake in 2024. 

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As part of ongoing efforts to bring back more information and resources from awareness campaigns and conferences, Connecting Horizons staff this week headed out to New Orleans for the Association for Behaviour Analysis International (ABAI) Autism Conference. 

“It was a great time, there was lots of information to take in regarding autism, diagnoses, resources, new studies, what type of training courses there are, and funding sources,” said Connecting Horizons advocacy coordinator, Iris Phillips, who attended the conference along with Karoniénhawe Diabo.  

“The information itself was very helpful, and there were so many things that we saw a difference in, as opposed to Canadian approaches to how they diagnose and do things in the world of advocating for autism.” 

Phillips said it was particularly helpful to gather information and resources that will be of use to other organizations in Kahnawake, not just to Connecting Horizons.  

“We learned a lot of key points about management and coaching of our behavioural techs, and what to look for,” she said. “That’s the kind of information that we took and that we’re looking to share with other entities, like Kahnawake Shakotiia’takehnhas Community Services (KSCS), and Assisted Living Services.” 

The two also brought back a multitude of pamphlets and information about online courses, where advocates and workers from various community organizations can take classes at their own pace to improve their ability to help those in the community with autism.  

The two-day conference was different from other conferences Connecting Horizons has attended in the past, Phillips said, because it focused heavily on the technical aspects of coordinating autism care.  

“It was quite an eye-opener, it was very technical, and it was very fast-paced,” she said.  

Other conferences in the past – such as the recent Indigenous Disability and Wellness Gathering in British Columbia. last November – were Indigenous-focused, or had many attendees from the same area, whereas Diabo and Phillips were networking with brand new people for this event.  

“In BC, we were all Indigenous, there were people with disabilities that were there, and they were included into conversations with what they had to say, but this was very different,” she said. “It was very clinical, I think there was only one person that I saw that had a disability, so it was mostly caregivers.” 

Despite the change of pace from other conferences, Phillips said that she and Diabo still learned a great deal of information to share with others in the community. 

“It was a very different vibe, but it was still very informative, and we’re looking forward to picking through our pamphlets and going over our notes to see what we can bring back as a teaching tool,” Phillips said. 

Phillips and Diabo also had the chance to explore New Orleans during their trip, and visited a memorial erected for the 14 people who were killed in a truck attack in the early hours of the morning on New Year’s Day. 

Connecting Horizons staff are hoping to share some of the information learned at an autism seminar, which they plan to host at some point in the next year.  

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Following community workshops and governance meetings on a new law-making process proposed by the Mohawk Council of Kanesatake (MCK), it is expected to be tabled at the next Council meeting, likely next week if not sooner, according to MCK chief Brant Etienne. 

After 21 days, it could then be voted on at Council, after which it would become official. 

Currently, the MCK only has the power to pass band council resolutions, which do not have the weight of law. The law-making process is based on legal mechanisms such as the Indian Act and Kanesatake Interim Land Base Governance Act, also known as S-24. 

MCK chiefs have expressed the belief that lawmaking will equip the community to confront its most serious problems, and a majority of Council has backed the lawmaking process. MCK grand chief Victor Bonspille has been critical, however, publishing a communique last year deriding their efforts to pass a lawmaking process, accusing the chiefs of having been ousted from office. In that document, he said community lawmaking is needed but that a process should not depend on external legislation, although it’s unclear what that would look like. 

“We took what feedback we got from the community on the actual process,” said Etienne. 

First Peoples Law has been working on this file and took part in community governance meetings online and in person. 

“Honestly, I wish there was more participation, but the content of what people were saying, their views on it were positive.” 

After the lawmaking process is put in place, efforts would immediately begin to pass an environmental protection law, an anti-trespass law, and an emergency powers law. An ethics code may also be ready to go by that time as well. 

“Those ones we’re really hoping,” said Etienne, noting how dumping and land grabbing have been prominent issues throughout this Council term and beyond. 

These laws would go through community consultation prior to being enacted. 

“I really hope people when the second batch of laws come out, considering they are much more substantive and speak to the issues people have been saying need to be fixed, I really hope everybody comes out and has our voices heard.” 

He said Council will take a hybrid approach to this, including online and in-person options, such as kitchen-table meetings if there is interest. 

“We are really trying to make it as accessible for people as possible because we know people aren’t comfortable coming to community meetings. For these things it’s very important people have their voices heard, not just only the people who show up to a meeting or can show up to a meeting,” he said. 

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A beating drum that followed the Haudenosaunee Nationals everywhere thundered in the stands of the Utica University Nexus Center as England saw a close game at the half slip away into a drubbing. 

The Nationals’ “sniper from the outside” was getting to work, picking her corners, to the delight of the team’s huddled fans. 

“Every time the ball went in the back of the net, everything would erupt,” remembered assistant coach Mary James of the Sunday night match, a 15-6 rout. 

Back at home, Kanehsata’kehró:non banded together to celebrate the success of one of the community’s brightest young athletes, Ava Weriasanoron Gabriel, who was just on the edge of 19 years old at the time. 

Excitement gripped Kanesatake as she spent more than a week balling and making history under the banner of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, part of the first ever Haudenosaunee women’s team at the World Lacrosse Box Championships. 

Among the community members watching the highlights and streams of the matches was Robert White, who first coached Gabriel on the Kanesatake Warriors when she was about seven years old. 

“She knew the basics – catching, passing, she was good at that,” said White of the little kid he remembers from back then, a shy girl who used to hide behind her mother’s legs. “She was an athlete already, playing ringette, so she had the drive to go for the net already, and she became our number one player.” 

As he watched Gabriel wow at the worlds in late September 2024, he couldn’t help but think of those old days, when he would promise his pint-sized athletes a dollar a goal, upping the ante to anyone who managed to achieve a scarcely grazed triumph: “Five’ll get you $10,” he used to tell them. 

So that Sunday night in Utica, as Gabriel found the back of the net for the last time of the evening, the drum beating, the crowd blazing, White couldn’t help but joke to himself.  

“There she goes,” he said. “I owe her $10.” 

The squad went on to win a bronze medal in the tournament. Now the North American Indigenous Athletics Hall of Fame (NAIAHF) has announced that the historic team will be inducted at a ceremony in June. 

“I’m so proud of her,” White said. “Driving through the community, watching her grow up, whenever you’d drive by her place she was always outside, stick in hand. She had the determination and the drive to get her where she is, so I’m not surprised.” 

The community has had plenty of investment in Gabriel’s development, according to her mother, Andrea Nelson. 

“Their encouragement, all our fundraisers, sponsorships. Just being there for Ava, the lacrosse association, all those aspects, they were helping Ava grow,” said Nelson. “It wasn’t just us as parents.” 

Nelson has been there for many of Gabriel’s biggest moments, of which the hall of fame is just the latest. 

“Getting to go watch her and her team play every day, I just couldn’t believe this is my daughter playing in the worlds,” Nelson said. 

“It’s hard to take your emotions and put them into words,” Nelson continued. “Thankful. Just thankful, happy, proud, all those put together.” 

She remembers Gabriel as a naturally athletic child, a frequent recipient of MVP awards with the Warriors growing up. It was Gabriel’s maturity and discipline, Nelson thinks, that helped carve her path from there. 

Norman Cédilotte, who has played a big role in expanding girls’ lacrosse in Quebec, first met Gabriel when she became involved in the program in St. Eustache, around five years ago. She was shy, he remembers, letting her skills do the talking. But as good as she was, she just kept improving. 

“She became better with the ball, she became better at physical contact, she became stronger at throwing,” he said. “She has a wicked shot. She probably has one of the best shots in all women’s lacrosse across Canada.” 

Gabriel went on to compete at the Canada Games on Team Quebec in 2022, the Canadian national championships, and the winter nationals in 2023 and 2024. She won a provincial championship in 2024 and a National Junior College Athletics Association (NJCAA) championship with the Onondaga Lazers the same year – in her first game with the Lazers, she scored nine goals, earning recognition by the NJCAA. 

Now Gabriel’s achievements can help other girls forge a life in lacrosse, Cédilotte said. 

“You need a few success stories to help out. Ava’s one of them,” he said. 

Gabriel is already focused on that, feeling personally invested in the development of the game for girls, noting that opportunities were more limited when she was growing up than they are today. She was even in Kahnawake recently helping out with the U13/U15 girls’ program there. 

“Moving forward, I want to help grow the game in my community and sister communities, especially women’s lacrosse, and begin coaching,” Gabriel said. 

She’s far from done herself though, already looking ahead to future championships, and even aspiring to play in the 2028 Olympics. 

“Olympics is definitely a goal and dream and something I will be working towards,” Gabriel said, with full awareness of the training and work required. “There is nothing bigger than a world championship or the Olympics. Being able to participate in it would be amazing.” 

In addition to a memorable experience breaking ground at the World Lacrosse Box Championships, she made lasting connections with other top Haudenosaunee players. 

“We keep in touch almost daily. We have a chat with the whole team so we can all communicate together,” said Gabriel. 

The captain of that team, Fawn Porter, said the squad had a nickname for the Kanehsata’kehró:non after her performance against England – Five-Goal Gabriel. 

“She’s kind of shy about being cheered for, so you best believe I cheered so hard in front of all her family and fans and made her laugh about it,” Porter said. 

The two met for the first time during the tryouts for the Haudenosaunee worlds team. Porter noticed the same thing Cédilotte had seen years earlier, that Gabriel likes to let her performance do the talking. 

“When I first noticed her on the floor, I thought ‘Damn, this girl is going to give me a run for my money,’” Porter said, joking that luckily Gabriel is a lefty. 

“Ava’s a great offensive player and you can tell she loves to play. She’ll shoot from any angle and make up whatever move that fits the situation to get the ball in the back of the net.” 

The two got closer as the tournament went on, and even more so when they both went to Vancouver to compete in the World Sixes tournament in October, where they won silver. That’s the form of lacrosse that will be played at the 2028 Olympics. 

“Ava’s very soft spoken,” Porter said. “It took me probably the whole tryout and training process to finally get two words together from her. But once I finally cracked her and got her talking, she is hilarious.” 

Porter said Gabriel gives her a sense of excitement about the young players coming up who represent the future of women’s lacrosse. 

It’s all part of a trend in lacrosse that is being recognized by the hall of fame with the team’s induction. 

“It makes me feel so proud and excited for more amazing accomplishments for Haudenosaunee women, and I love how all these amazing women are being recognized for their hard work,” said Porter. “I’m honoured to be recognized doing something I love. 

It reminds me that the communities are watching.” 

The sentiment was echoed by their assistant coach. 

“We’re a group, and we’re a team, but we’re also kind of like a family now,” said James. “I think we went through the hard times, the good times, the joy, the tears. We went through that all together in that tournament, and I think that was a special thing as well.” 

“I miss it every day,” said Gabriel, adding that being inducted is an incredible feeling. “I’m honoured to be a part of an amazing group of women.” 

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It’s just after 11 a.m. at Diabo’s restaurant, and the rush has already begun.  

The chip stand on Route 207 just off Highway 30 has never struggled to attract clients, especially non-locals, but it’s been exceptionally hectic as of late. That is ever since Diabo’s started going viral on “Les VRAIs amis de la poutine,” a Facebook group that brings together only the realest of poutine lovers.  

“It’s like a bomb went off, and we can’t really contain it,” said Kiersten Lafleur-Diabo, who co-owns the restaurant and convenience store next door with her husband Jay Diabo. “They want to try what they see on Facebook.” 

Step inside Diabo’s –  or Chez Diabo’s, as the francophones affectionately call it – and the first thing you’ll likely hear is a “bonjour-hi.” Quebecers make up the majority of clientele there, Lafleur-Diabo said, a lot of them truckers and construction workers.  

Others come from far and wide for the poutine. One woman who posted about her experience dining there drove three-and-a-half hours from Montmagny, east of Quebec City, just to try it. It was, according to her, delicious. 

“French fries, hot dogs, francophones, they can eat it every day, all day long,” said Lafleur-Diabo, who opened Diabo’s back in 2019. “That’s something we had to get in on.”  

A small poutine will cost you about $13, but two can easily dine on that. Diabo’s is generous, especially on the cheese curds, which are shredded.  

Ali Jamaleddin has been eating there for years now, and is, at least in part, to thank for its popularity today. The self-declared “gars des casse croûtes,” known for his TikTok page @alisurlaroute, stopped there in 2022 to review the poutine, giving it a 9.1/10 rating.  

The quality of the Lafleur fries and barbecue style sauce, and above all, the gigantic serving size, was what made it stand out from the rest. 

Asked if he’d still rate it the same today, Jamaleddin said yes. The last time he ate there? That was two weeks ago.  

“The only thing that’s changed is that now they put more cheese,” he told The Eastern Door.

When it comes to constructing the “perfect poutine,” the oil used to fry the potatoes, the type selected (preferably red ones), and the freshness of the cheese curds all need to be top of mind, Jamaleddin said. 

As for whether Diabo’s poutine is in fact a 9.1/10, you’ll simply have to visit to find out yourself. 

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It might feel like the project just broke ground, but Kahnawa’kehró:non driving up Highway 132 might have noticed the Kahnawà:ke Cultural Arts Center (KCAC) is well on its way to becoming a reality. 

Envisioned as a jewel of the community – a meeting place, a hub of tourism, arts, and Kanien’kehá:ka culture – Kahnawa’kehró:non have had a keen interest in the multipurpose building that some of Kahnawake’s best-loved institutions will soon call home. 

The site will host the Kanien’kehá:ka Onkwawén:na Raotitióhkwa Language and Cultural Center (KOR), the Turtle Island Theatre, Kahnawake Tourism, and even Tóta Ma’s Cafe. 

“We were looking at this as being the future area where people can come have a coffee, watch a show in the theatre, go to the museum, learn language, all of those things to make it the hub of the community,” said project manager Louie John Diabo. 

With a December 2025 completion date in sight and occupancy expected by April 2026, The Eastern Door toured the construction site this week to get a sneak peek at the building. 

“They just finished the steel on Friday,” Diabo said, the sounds of clanking metal everywhere as scores of workers carrying hammers and drills buzzed around the structure, the site bustling with activity. 

Many of the workers and contractors involved with the construction are local, like Akwiranoron Stacey, owner of Rakwatakwas Carpentry, who is subcontracted on the project. 

“We were up on the roof, we were working on the siding, we were doing the walls, we were doing drywall, doing insulation. A little bit of everything,” said Stacey. 

“I feel proud to work here,” he said. “It’s a building that I’ll probably be in in the future, enjoying whatever facilities they have.” 

Noting the speed of progress, Diabo pointed out that Gyprock is already going up this week. “Three days made a big difference,” Diabo said. 

“It’s very inspiring to see it coming to fruition,” said Mohawk Council of Kahnawake (MCK) portfolio chief Melanie Morrison, who joined for the tour. “Seeing the walls, the Gyprock up, you can now envision what it’s actually going to be, and to be here when it was wide open to now, it’s a fantastic feeling that this is going to be completed.” 

Some areas are already starting to resemble mockups that were shared with the community. 

Through steel studs delineating the auditorium, one could see a tractor shuffling gravel where audiences will one day plant themselves in seating that will retract into the walls when the show’s over. 

Ample space for Turtle Island Theatre to rehearse is key, according to MCK technician Trina C. Diabo, as it will help preserve the life of the stage by preventing wear and tear. 

There’s even a balcony that’s already built, with a perfect view of the stage, and the amphitheatre outside is also taking shape. 

Another easy-to-parse section was the office of KOR, where a large, well-lit classroom will host generations of learners in the Kanien’kéha Ratiwennahní:rats Adult Immersion Program. 

Out the windows, students will see a natural landscape, where there will sometimes be outdoor classes and medicine walks. 

“They’re learning their language and they’re immersed in the forest around them,” said Mohawk Council of Kahnawake (MCK) portfolio chief Melanie Morrison, who came along for the tour. 

You can even see where Tóta Ma’s will be, with hookups sticking out of the gravel for the cafe’s equipment. 

Perhaps the most striking section is one of the building’s most important assets, a spiraling oval in which a state-of-the-art museum will be built. This space will not only boast Kanien’kehá:ka cultural treasures for tourists and locals alike to enjoy, but it will also equip Kahnawake to bring home and preserve precious artifacts, which will be stored in a specially designed 600-square-foot collections room. 

“They will not repatriate unless you have climate control. We knew for sure, starting the project with the museum, it had to be climate controlled,” said Trina. 

Meanwhile, as Kahnawake looks toward the building’s completion, the quest to fund the project is also well on its way, but not yet finished. 

The KCAC’s budget has been locked in at $55.7 million as of April 2023, well above estimates of around $32 million just a few years ago, which rose due to the impacts of COVID-19 and other inflationary factors on construction costs. 

“This is the price now,” said Louie John. “Really at the beginning, COVID-flation really threw us a curveball. After the pandemic, prices went through the roof.” 

He said the current estimates are bearing out well, while mild winters have also helped keep costs down. At least three quarters of the work has already been contracted out, helping to keep prices predictable, he added. 

“We had to redesign, redesign, redesign at the beginning, finally getting to the place now where prices are coming in, and most of the time they’re coming in right on budget.” 

So far, the project team has secured more than $47 million in donations, meaning it has raised about 85 percent of the total funds required. 

The Capital Campaign, responsible for a portion of the funding, has raised $10.4 million out of its goal of $16 million, with millions more in asks currently circulating, according to Trina C. Diabo. The rest was raised through partnership agreements, federal and provincial contributions, and other sources. 

The Capital Campaign has not yet entered its public phase, which is expected in the spring, according to Trina. 

“Right now, we are working very hard to try to reach a mark of only needing $2 million,” she said. This last leg could be raised through events like golf tournaments, fundraisers, radiothons, and other means. 

Meanwhile, the team is working hard to seek donations, she said, a sentiment echoed by Morrison. 

“We need to get people aware that we’re still doing the fundraising. All the great things that are going into this building, they have the opportunity to be a part of that,” she said. 

To Morrison, the project represents a bright future. 

“It’s going to be something that the community is going to enjoy for decades,” she said. “We finally have something permanent for our culture and language, our theatre, our tourism. We’re going to be able to share our culture with the outside communities and sister communities. It’s very inspiring to see this.” 

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Ray Deer won’t be retiring just yet. The president of the Royal Canadian Legion Mohawk Branch 219 is now on his eighth consecutive term, following an election at the hall earlier this month.  

“I’m hoping one of our younger veterans will be ready to step in, then I would be ready to step down,” said Deer, who ran unopposed. “I’m 70 years old now, I can’t be doing this forever.” 

There are others on the executive he’s eyed as potential successors, but they’ve yet to step up to the plate. They include Tara Jacobs White, his vice president, as well as Mark Jacobs, his second vice president, but both have their own time commitments, he said.  

Tara still works as an intelligence analyst for the Kahnawake Peacekeepers, and is also chairperson for the cannabis control board, while Mark runs a construction business. Deer had even nominated her for the title during the prior election, but she declined. 

“They’ve asked me to stay on board because they’re not ready to jump in as of yet. They have an interest, but you know, it’s just not in their cards at this time,” Deer said. 

The composition of the executive at the Legion hasn’t changed much since the election.  

The only new executive elected was Daniel Montour, who’ll replace Michael Thomas. He’s an associate member with a long history of volunteering at the Legion, Deer said.  

“We wanted to have somebody that was totally involved with the Legion, and he’s the pulse of Legion,” the president said. 

It’s the first time an associate has ever joined the executive, Deer said. Associate members are directly related to veterans, who historically have been the only ones allowed to run for executive. This time around however that wasn’t an option, leading to the decision to try something new. 

Reflecting on their successes of the past year, the first thing that came to mind for Deer was this past Remembrance Day. He’s never seen so many come to town to join in on the parade in the more than two decades he’s volunteered with the Legion.  

“That was the most members that had participated and the most community members that had ever showed up for the parade. So that, to me, was a huge success,” said Deer, who said it brought him back to what Remembrance Day celebrations were like back in the 1960s and 70s. 

Thanks to the help of Council chief Ryan Montour, they were also able to raise over $9,000 that day. Montour, also an executive, was the one behind the half-and-half raffle that made that possible.  

“Just like any other Royal Canadian Legion, all of us are struggling. You hear that across the country,” Deer said. “He’s been instrumental, he’s done a bunch of fundraisers for us keeping us above water.” 

He’s also relieved to see more community members at the hall each weekend. Dawn Marquis has been running weekly cornhole tournaments there each Sunday, which have been quite the hit. 

“Our Sundays were dead, nobody was here. But since she initiated this Sunday tournament ,we’ve been getting people that have not been coming to the Legion, they’ve been coming to play,” he said.

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One of the last actions of the Biden administration was the release of a joint statement with Canada outlining both countries’ support for the Haudenosaunee Confederacy to be able to participate in the lacrosse events at the 2028 Olympic Summer Games in Los Angeles. 

The January 17 statement outlined the belief that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) should allow the Haudenosaunee Nationals to participate, due to the team’s regular strong performances at the international level as well the cultural and historical ties the Haudenosaunee have with the sport of lacrosse. 

“While we respect the IOC’s independence, we encourage the IOC to take advantage of this historic opportunity. Permitting the Haudenosaunee to compete in lacrosse – the sport they invented – would advance the highest values of the Olympic Games and send a powerful message about respecting and valuing Indigenous cultural heritage,” said the statement. 

While there has not been a public response to the statement from the IOC as of yet, a spokesperson did not give the impression that the Olympic governing body would allow the Haudenosaunee Confederacy to compete as a standalone entity. 

“Only National Olympic Committees (NOCs) recognized by the IOC can enter teams for the Olympic Games in accordance with the Olympic Charter,” said the spokesperson in an email correspondence with The Eastern Door.  “This means it is up to the two NOCs concerned (USA and Canada) – in coordination with World Lacrosse and the National Federations concerned – to decide if they include athletes from Haudenosaunee in their respective teams depending on the passport they hold.”  

The Haudenosaunee Confederacy would not be the only Olympic team to compete at the Games without recognition as a country by the United Nations. A few examples include Palestine, Hong Kong, Kosovo, as well as the United States territories of Guam, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands, which all competed in the 2024 Paris Olympics. 

That being said, those NOCs were allowed to join prior to a rule change in 1996 that limited membership to “internationally recognized states” while grandfathering in existing NOCs. 

This is not the first time that support from the United States has been given for the inclusion of the Haudenosaunee at the Olympics. Following the announcement in October 2023 that lacrosse sixes would be included as one of five new and returning sports for the 2028 Olympics, Biden expressed at the 2023 Tribal Nations Summit his support for Haudenosaunee participation. 

Kirby Joe Diabo, president of the Kahnawake Minor Lacrosse Association, said that it would be natural for a Haudenosaunee Confederacy team to participate in Olympic lacrosse. 

“I know there’s a process to go through, but I really think this is something that’s needed, and this is something that should be done. It’s only right that we get in. We belong to our own nation. It’s always been like that, and that’s the way it’s going to be,” said Diabo. 

The Haudenosaunee Nationals, for their part, published a statement on January 17, thanking both countries for their support. 

“The Haudenosaunee Nationals Lacrosse Organization would like to express our sincere gratitude to president Joseph R. Biden and prime minister Justin Trudeau for their steadfast support of our inclusion in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics,” the Nationals’ release read. 

Lacrosse associations from the two countries did not provide comment by The Eastern Door’s publishing deadline. 

It is currently unknown if the Trump administration will also support the inclusion of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy at the Los Angeles Olympics. The joint statement, originally published on the White House’s website, has since been deleted, along with the vast majority of the website’s contents, following the inauguration of president Donald Trump on Monday. 

It will also remain to be seen if the new Liberal Party of Canada leader that will replace Justin Trudeau in the coming months will also support this initiative. 

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It came as a complete surprise for 16-year-old laxer Darris Jones to hear that he had been drafted in the first round, 10th overall, by the Ontario Junior Lacrosse League (OJLL)’s Whitby Warriors. 

“In the weeks prior to it, I was just saying that it’d be awesome to get drafted, period. I didn’t really expect anything too early. I thought I would, if anything, be 20th, if that. But to be picked 10th in the first round, that’s insane to me,” said Jones. “For a minute, I was like, ‘that’s cool,’ but then it really hit me, and it’s been pretty surreal since. It’s like it’s a dream come true.” 

His father, lacrosse coach Al Jones, was just as pleasantly surprised as his son when the news came. 

“He had hoped to be considered, and we didn’t really know when the draft was. We just heard it was going to be in January, at some point,” said Al. “So he’s living his life, and he’s a humble kid, and all of a sudden, Kirby Joe Diabo calls me.” 

Diabo, who was an assistant coach to Al last year and is now the president of the Kahnawake Minor Lacrosse Association, asked Al if he had been watching the draft, and when Al told him that no, he was not, Diabo gave him the news. 

“We’re very honored. For him to come up at that level of lacrosse, which is the highest level of Junior you can go, is pretty impressive to me,” said Al. 

Diabo, for his part, was not shocked at all by Darris’ draft position – if anything, he thought Whitby was lucky to get him at 10. 

“I honestly thought that he would have gone in the top five,” said Diabo. “He is probably one of the most dominant players at his age. Whitby definitely did a bit of homework on him. Honestly, I thought that the Six Nations Arrows were going to pick him up because they had five picks in the first round. But they didn’t, they passed on him.” 

Diabo is not the only one who thinks Whitby was lucky to draft Darris. 

“Darris was one of the kids we were looking to draft at four originally,” said Joel Watson, co-general manager of the Whitby Warriors. Whitby had the second, fourth, and 14th picks, before trading the latter two picks to Six Nations for a package that included the pick used to select Darris. 

“I expected him to go anywhere in the first round after the top three,” said Watson. “Most of the league knew who the three first picks were, so anywhere from four to nine is where he could have gone. Peterborough had two picks in front of us and that was a worry for us. But, they went in a different direction, and we were fortunate enough to get Darris.” 

Watson, Al, and Diabo all agreed that his compete level, his skill, and his goal scoring ability were big factors in his draft position. 

“I think he obviously had some of the best stick skills in the draft,” said Watson. “From what I have seen, it seems like he’s a pretty talented offensive player and he has a knack for the net, and that’s what we’re looking for, especially in the years to come. You need goals to win lacrosse games.” 

Darris is not a stranger to high-level Junior lacrosse. He acted as a call-up for stretches of last season for the Kahnawake Hunters. 

“They know he can handle that level of play. As a 16-year-old, to be playing and competing with 21-year-olds, that’s a pretty big statement,” said Al. 

Both father and son see getting drafted by Whitby as a big opportunity to further both Darris’ lacrosse career and his education. 

Right before the draft, Darris was accepted into a prep school, and he will be attending the Hill Academy in Caledon, Ontario.  

“We’re gearing up towards his whole career, we’re getting him ready for Division One college prospects, and stuff like that. He’s been training, and we’ve been traveling the road to tournaments, to get him and his name out there,” said Al.  

“In my eyes, I see a new doorway, a huge opportunity for myself, but also for anybody playing a sport to get into higher education, college scholarship or university scholarship, or even at the professional level. And that’s what this means to me,” said Darris.  

“It’s not just a sport where we play to have fun. There is time for fun, of course, but there is definitely a time for really thinking of education and academics. You can’t just you want to play at a higher level, but then not try for what comes after. That’s not how it works. The best players in the world are working every day on their skills, and that’s what you have to do.” 

While it is not guaranteed that Darris will make the Warriors team in his first year, as the transition to the OJLL is a big step, it’s all part of the process, and Whitby will have him in their system for five years following his draft. 

“There’s definitely a transition there, going from minor to Junior A. It’s a whole different speed, it’s a whole different ball game,” said Diabo. “He’s only 16, so he’s still got five years. It’s going to be a fun time to start a whole new career.” 

Darris knows it will be a lot of work, and he’s ready to put in the effort. 

“Anybody dreaming and wishing to make it to the next level, they just need to keep going, keep pushing themselves. Even if you do get tired, push that little extra bit more, because it’ll add up in the long run,” said Darris. 

“Any little bit of exercise, any bit of shooting on the wall, every little thing adds up all the time. You can’t just stop after this point. Being drafted, that’s amazing. It’s wonderful. I’m really happy. But that’s not it. That’s just the beginning.” 

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Kahnawa’kehró:non Konwatsitsawi M. Meloche said she was honoured that Skate Canada, the governing body for figure skating in Canada, invited her to open each day of the 2025 Canadian Championships in Laval, from January 14-19. 

Meloche is the director and facilitator of Vista Seminars. She said that Skate Canada invited her as part of their efforts to be more inclusive in the sport of figure skating, and that she did something similar last March when the Kahnawake Figure Skating Club was invited to the Bell Centre to watch the International Skating Union World Championships. 

“They’re working extremely hard to create Indigenous inclusion, and other inclusion, and work on diversity, equity, and accessibility. So, they wanted to honor the First Peoples of the land,” said Meloche. 

“A key component of Skate Canada’s efforts to make skating for everyone is to work in good ways with Indigenous communities,” said Skate Canada’s senior communications manager Julia Michalopoulos. 

As such, prior to each day’s events, a video of Meloche played on the big screen of Place Bell. 

“It was saying, ‘Welcome to our land. This is where our ancestors had their homes and their areas where they lived.’ It was quite a beautiful description. And then I did the Ohén:ton Karihwatéhkwen,” said Meloche. 

The entire video was in Kanien’kéha, with subtitles in English and in French. This was done at Meloche’s request. 

“When they asked me initially to do it, they asked me if I could I do it in both English and French. And I said, no, I don’t want to do it in either language. I want to do it in my original language,” said Meloche. 

Skate Canada accepted, and Meloche provided the English version of the text for the subtitles.  

She said that she felt honoured and touched that Skate Canada accepted the request to have the video be in Kanien’kéha. 

“To be acknowledged and respected like that is a rare thing in Canada. That really places them at the top of the list of organizations that I have worked with,” said Meloche. 

“I’ve been traveling Indian Country for decades now, and it’s very rare to have someone or an organization like that just be willing, open, and listen to me in this way. They just accepted when I told them, no, you do it this way. I want it this way. They were very willing, which is a rare quality in organizations in Canada.” 

Though she was proud of the video, at first she was reticent to accept, as she said she does not feel comfortable in front of a camera. 

“I was trying to get someone else to do it because they wanted me to do it in front of a camera, and I knew that was not something I could do,” said Meloche.  

Skate Canada asked her if an elder could do it instead of her, so she turned to her language coach, Kaia’titáhkhe Annette Jacobs. 

“I had asked her to do it, and she said, ‘no, you deserve to do it. You’ve been doing a lot of studying all your life with the language and you deserve the accolades at this time,’” said Meloche.  

So Meloche asked Jacobs for her help, and she gladly accepted.  

Doing the video and watching it play on the screen in-person was a big of a stressful experience for Meloche, at first. “Well, it’s always a little scary, to see that image on the Jumbotron. And of course, I’m watching and listening for my pronunciation,” said Meloche. 

But, once she saw it, she was very pleased with the end result.  

“It was really done quite well,” said Meloche. 

Skate Canada, for their part, said they very much appreciated the partnership they have formed with her. 

“We deeply value the profound relationship we have cultivated and the continuous guidance and knowledge that Konwatsitsawi shares with Skate Canada,” said Michalopoulos. 

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Two Kahnawake Minor Hockey Association (KMHA) teams were in St. Laurent last week for the Hockey Saint-Laurent provincial hockey tournament, with one team, the U13C Mohawks, making it all the way to the finals in an ultimately losing effort. 

“They were playing well. They were working hard and having a good time. We had a few obstacles along the way, but nothing major that we didn’t work through,” said Lou Ann Stacey, manager of the U13C team. 

The U13C Mohawks started their tournament off on the right foot with a 3-2 win against the Vaudreuil Titans on January 15.  

They followed up their opening win with a hard-fought tie with the Lachine Trappers, which was good enough to advance to the semifinals against the Shawville Lions on Sunday, January 19. 

The game against Shawville was an offensive explosion for Kahnawake, with the Mohawks putting up 7 against the Lions in a 7-1 victory that qualified them for a finals rematch against Lachine. 

“The team came out and they were hustling, they were working really hard, and they were able to score goals. They didn’t back down. It was a really good game,” said Stacey. 

But, the finals, which were played the same day as the semifinals, was a reversal of fortune for the U13C team, as the Trappers claimed gold in a 6-2 win. 

Lachine scored two quick goals, and Kahnawake was unable to respond with offense of its own. 

While they still secured a silver medal, Stacey said the players were not satisfied with the result. 

“From what I heard from the coaches, they were very upset that they lost,” said Stacey.  

The team had played a lot of games prior to the finals, with two league games being played along with the tournament. Stacey said that could have been a factor in the team’s play in the finals. 

“It’s very possible, because for the team, that’s a lot of playing time,” said Stacey. “The other thing it could have been was playing the semifinal and the final a few hours apart. That’s a lot for a C team. When you’re A and B and double letter, you kind of train towards the intensity, that kind of game.” 

Regardless of the result, Stacey said the team has been playing very well this season, with other good tournament results to look back upon and a very strong regular season performance so far. 

“They’ve been working hard, they’re learning a lot in practices, and you can see their development is getting better and better,” said Stacey.

“That’s one of the things when you go to tournaments that people don’t think about. It’s not just about winning, but it’s about testing yourself against the other teams that you don’t usually play against. The teams they play against in tournaments, oftentimes they don’t play in their division. It was kind of like a test, and I thought they did pretty well on that test.” 

The team is currently tied for first place in their division, and with no more tournaments for the rest of the year, they will be focusing on the battle for the lead. 

Their next step? That same Lachine team that beat them in the finals, in a matchup Friday in Lachine at 7 p.m. 

“I think we’ll see a lot there, and see how the team responds,” said Stacey. 

The leading goalscorer for the U13C team during the tournament was Watio Jacobs, with four. Other scorers were Craig Standup, Lakelyn McComber, Ivy Cross, John Charles, Roterihwaienni Goodleaf, and Rohtehrasatse Jacobs. 

The other team in the tournament, the U15B Mohawks, was unfortunately not as successful.  

The team lost all three of its games, all by one goal. 

In their opening game on January 15, the team lost 4-3 to the West Island Knights. On January 17, they lost another 4-3 game, this time to the Laval Stars. The next day, they were eliminated from the tournament with a 3-2 loss to the St. Laurent Warriors. 

“They played very, very well. The teams they played were, I would say, a bit stronger than them. But they played really, really well,” said Stacey, who is also director of the U15 Mohawks. 

She explained that many of the other teams have players who could play double letter B, while Kahnawake does not. Given that, their performance in the tournament, keeping the games competitive until the end, was admirable. 

Amonte Horne and Rowan Diabo were the leading scorers for the U15B Mohawks, with two goals each. 

[email protected]

The federal government is preparing for the possibility of another surge in asylum seekers at the Canada-U.S. border in Quebec with Donald Trump taking office, and is looking to rent space to help with processing people who attempt to cross.

Finding the best online casinos in Canada feels like choosing the perfect coffee spot in a city full of options. Some places look promising but leave you disappointed, while others quietly deliver everything you need. The challenge is knowing where to look. 

After testing 50+ platforms, one site brewed up the perfect blend. Our top pick is Jackpot City, which has a solid library, user-friendly payment options, and a rewards program that actually delivers. 

Still, everyone’s preferences are different, so we’ve put together a list of the 10 best Canadian casinos. Let’s find your perfect pick together, shall we? 

Best Online Casinos Canada

• Jackpot City: Best overall
• PlayOJO: Bonuses with 0x rollover
• Spin Casino: Top pick for online slots
• Casino Infinity: Over 9,000 casino games
• Kingmaker: Fantastic live dealer tables
• Crownplay: $4,500 bonus and 350 free spins
• Lucky7even: 10% cashback for loyal players
• Skycrown: Fastest payouts
• Qbet: Great casino and sportsbook mix
• Spinch: Rewarding progressive jackpots

Heads up about our links! Adblock might get confused, so please disable it if you have any issues.

Solid online gambling selection, generous bonuses, and convenient transactions. Any casino player would love to enjoy all that, so let’s see if these Canadian casinos can actually deliver.

1. Jackpot City – Best Canadian Online Casino Overall

Pros:

• C$1,600 welcome bonus
• Online since 1998
• Downloadable casino apps
• Big progressive jackpots
• C$10 minimum deposit requirement

Cons:

• Login required to see all games
• Live chat support requires having an account

Jackpot City has been a mainstay in the online casino world since 1998, so you know they’re not messing around. Licensed by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission, they offer a legitimate and secure platform for all Canadian players. 

But longevity doesn’t mean boring. Jackpot City keeps things fresh with a massive selection of games, exciting bonuses, and a platform optimized for both desktop and mobile.

Gaming Options: 5/5

This trusted online casino offers hundreds of slots, table games, and live dealer options. It has partnered with industry giants like Microgaming and Evolution Gaming, ensuring top-notch quality.

Speaking of Microgaming, Jackpot City is the go-to place for Mega Moolah, the legendary progressive jackpot slot that has turned ordinary players into millionaires. (Remember the British soldier who won £13.2 million on a 25p spin? That was on Mega Moolah.)  

Don’t overlook other hits like 9 Masks of Fire and 3 Lucky Rainbows. They also offer table games like blackjack, roulette, and live dealer options. To access the full list of them, you need to make an account first.

Banking:  4.9/5

Getting your money in and out of your Jackpot City account is easy with options like Visa, Mastercard, Interac, and Apple Pay. 

Feeling old school? They also support eCheck for direct bank transfers. The minimum deposit is a reasonable C$10, so you can test the waters without overspending. When you’re ready to cash out, the minimum withdrawal is C$50.

Casino Bonuses: 4.9/5

Jackpot City welcomes new players with a C$1,600 bonus which is available on the first four deposits. They also offer daily deposit bonuses, a bonus wheel featuring free spins and bonus credits, and a tiered loyalty program that rewards consistent play.

Oh, and there’s an exclusive VIP club for high rollers, but that’s invite-only, so you’ll need to earn your spot. 

UI and Customer Support: 5/5

Whether you’re on desktop or mobile, Jackpot City has you covered. Their online gambling site is fully mobile-friendly, and they even offer a dedicated casino app for iOS and Android devices.  

Need assistance? Their customer support team is available 24/7 through live chat and email, so you’re never left waiting.

>> Grab your C$1,600 welcome bonus [Jackpot City]

2. PlayOJO – Best Canadian Online Casino for Wager-Free Bonuses

Pros:

• 80 free spins on Big Bass Bonanza
• 0x wagering requirements
• No minimum withdrawal limits
• 3,000+ casino games
• Cashback on every game played

Cons:

• Welcome bonus comes with spins only
• Could have more crash games

Now, let’s talk about PlayOJO, the online casino that prides itself on fairness and transparency.  They’ve eliminated wagering requirements, meaning you get to keep whatever you win – a refreshing change in the online casino world.

But don’t think that they’re slacking in other areas. PlayOJO delivers a first-class online gaming experience with an extensive library and a user-friendly platform.

Gaming Options: 4.9/5

With a collection of over 3,000 games from top providers like NetEnt, Playtech, and Pragmatic Play, PlayOJO has something for everyone. You can try your luck on the popular Big Bass Bonanza slot, featuring exciting free spins and increasing multipliers for the chance to land big wins.

If table games are more your style, American Blackjack Turbo offers a fast-paced and engaging experience. Or, take a look at live game shows such as Who Wants to Be a Millionaire Roulette.

While their crash games library could use a few more options, titles like Speed Crash and Crash Out Fireworks still deliver quick, action-packed gameplay. 

Banking: 4.9/5

At PlayOJO, Canadians can deposit and withdraw funds using popular methods like Interac, Visa, Mastercard, Paysafecard, and Payz. 

You can start playing your favourite games with a minimum deposit of just C$10. Even better, there are no minimum withdrawal limits, making it easy to cash out your winnings – no matter how big or small.

Casino Bonuses: 4.9/5

New players at PlayOJO can grab 80 free spins on the popular fishing slot game, Big Bass Bonanza. Best of all, any winnings are yours to keep, no strings attached.

This straightforward approach applies to all their bonuses, not just the welcome offer. Their unique OJOplus program also gives you cashback on every bet, whether you win or lose.

UI and Customer Support: 4.9/5

PlayOJO’s website features a clean, intuitive design that’s easy to navigate with your desktop or mobile device. They also offer dedicated apps on the App Store and Google Play, both of which are highly rated by users.

For any questions or account issues, their friendly customer support team is available 24/7 via live chat. Simply log in to access this feature.

>> Get your 80 wager-free spins [PlayOJO]

3. Spin Casino – Best Slot Games of All Canadian Online Casinos

Pros:

• C$1,000 welcome bonus
• Over 500 casino games
• Great loyalty perks
• 24-hour payouts 
• Certified by eCOGRA

Cons:

• Lengthy bank transfer withdrawal
• Baccarat and craps don’t contribute to wagering

This Canadian online casino is a haven for those who love spinning the reels. It offers a curated selection of top-tier slots and a smooth user experience. Table game lovers and live casino fans aren’t left out either, with plenty of options to keep everyone entertained.

Gaming Options: 4.8/5

While Spin Casino may not have the largest game library, it focuses on quality over quantity. With over 500 real money casino games from leading providers like Microgaming, NetEnt, and Pragmatic Play, it provides a solid selection.

As our top pick for online slots, Spin Casino features games like Cleopatra’s Golden Spells, Amazing Link Zeus, and Chilli Inferno Link & Win. These titles come with stunning visuals, engaging gameplay, and the potential for big payouts. 

But even if slots aren’t your thing, Spin Casino has a decent selection of table games, live dealer games, and specialty games to keep you entertained.

Banking:  4.8/5

Canadian players will appreciate the variety of convenient payment methods available at Spin Casino. You can choose from Interac, Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay, and GPay.

To start playing games, you need to fund your account with at least C$10. Payout speed varies depending on your chosen method, but the average processing time is between 24 and 48 hours. Just know that you won’t be able to cash out less than C$50. 

Casino Bonuses: 4.8/5

Spin Casino will match your first deposit up to C$400, and give you C$300 each on your second and third deposits, for a total of up to C$1,000 in bonus cash. Keep in mind that the wagering requirements are set at 35x.

This Canadian online casino also rewards loyal players with a multi-tiered loyalty program.  Every time you wager real money on games, you earn loyalty points that can be exchanged for bonus credits.

UI and Customer Support: 4.8/5

Spin Casino’s website is a visual delight, featuring a clean, modern design that’s easy on the eyes and simple to navigate. Like all the best online casinos Canada has to offer, Spin Casino’s support team is available 24/7 via live chat and email.

>> Lock in your C$1,000 sign-up bonus [Spin Casino]

4. Casino Infinity – Best Game Variety of All Online Casinos in Canada

Pros:

• Up to C$750 welcome bonus + 200 FS
• 9,000+ casino games
• Features a separate sportsbook
• Higher withdrawal limits for VIPs
• Weekly challenges for more rewards

Cons:

• Smaller welcome bonus than competitors
• Live chat only available to registered users

Who wants to settle for the same old games and a boring experience? If you’re after a casino that truly gets the importance of variety, check out Casino Infinity. This site offers top-notch casino games and competitive sports betting odds.

Gaming Options: 5/5

Casino Infinity takes variety to the next level with over 9,000 real money games from over 90 software providers. That’s right, ninety! You can explore everything from classic slots and table games to the latest and greatest titles from industry giants like Microgaming and NetEnt.

Also, if you’re a sports betting fan, their sportsbook is equally impressive, with a wide range of betting markets on various sports and esports events.

Banking: 4.7/5

Casino Infinity offers a decent selection of payment methods for Canadian players, including Interac, Mastercard, and various e-wallets. The minimum deposit is C$30, which is a reasonable starting point. You can also opt for popular cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. 

While crypto withdrawals are generally processed within 24 hours, other methods may take 1-3 business days. The minimum withdrawal amount is C$45.

Casino Bonuses: 4.7/5

New players at Casino Infinity can begin with a 100% match bonus of up to C$750, plus 200 free spins. Alternatively, you can opt for a 10% cashback up to C$300. 

Players can also join weekly challenges, or participate in regular tournaments like a C$12,000 Roulette Run and a C$1,500,000 Mega Roulette Madness. 

UI and Customer Support: 4.7/5

Casino Infinity features a sleek, modern website with a user-friendly interface that makes browsing effortless. If you have any questions or need assistance, their customer support is available through live chat.

However, to access it, you need to create an account first. 

>> Redeem a C$750 bonus + 200 FS [Casino Infinity]

5. Kingmaker – Best Online Casino in Canada for Live Dealer Games

Pros:

• C$750 welcome bonus
• Offers sports betting
• 48 live dealer tables
• Fast crypto payouts
• Regular casino tournaments

Cons:

• C$90 minimum BTC withdrawal
• Basic website design

Looking for the real casino experience without leaving your couch? Kingmaker delivers some of the best live dealer games in the business. 

Gaming Options: 4.7/5

Kingmaker offers an impressive range of the best online casino games, catering to all types of players. Whether you’re a slots enthusiast, a card shark, or a roulette aficionado, there’s plenty to explore. 

But what truly sets Kingmaker apart is its exceptional live casino games. They’ve partnered with leading providers like Evolution Gaming and Pragmatic Live to bring you an authentic and immersive experience.

We highly recommend checking out their Mega Roulette, Mega Wheel, and unique games like Snakes & Ladders Live and Adventures Beyond Wonderland Live.

Banking: 4.7/5

Kingmaker understands the importance of convenient and secure banking options. Canadian players can choose from Interac, Mastercard, Paysafecard, and popular cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Litecoin.

The minimum deposit depends on your selected method, with the lowest set at C$15. For withdrawals, options include Interac, bank transfers, Jeton, MiFinity, and cryptocurrencies, giving you flexibility when cashing out your winnings.

Casino Bonuses: 4.6/5

Kingmaker greets new players with a generous 100% match bonus of up to C$750, plus 50 free spins for the chance to win C$1,000,000. The wagering requirements are 35x for the deposit and bonus amount and 40x for the free spins.

Bonuses don’t stop there – Kingmaker offers ongoing promotions like weekly reload bonuses with 50 free spins, 15% cashback, and exclusive deals for sports bettors.

We enjoyed trying out the 25% live casino cashback, which is yet another reason this stands out as the top live dealer casino in Canada.

UI and Customer Support: 4.6/5

Kingmaker’s website is user-friendly but nothing too different from other Canadian online casinos. While it’s easy to use, the design is pretty basic. If you run into any trouble, their customer support team is available 24/7 via live chat.

Alternatively, there’s a separate help center that provides quick answers to the most frequently asked questions. 

>> Score up to C$750 welcome bonus [Kingmaker]

How We Ranked the Best Canadian Online Casinos

Real Money Casino Games 

The top online casinos Canada offers need a game library that caters to all tastes. We’re talking about a diverse selection of online slots, from classic fruit machines to the latest video slots with cutting-edge graphics and bonus features.

Of course, table game enthusiasts shouldn’t be left out in the cold either. We looked for real money casinos offering a solid variety of blackjack, roulette, baccarat, and poker variants.  And for those who crave the authentic casino vibe, a good selection of live games is essential. 

Online Casino Bonuses

Listen, we all love a good bonus, but it’s not just about the initial welcome offer. We also scrutinized the wagering requirements to ensure they were fair and achievable.

The best online casinos Canada offers should also keep the rewards coming with ongoing promotions, free spins, cashbacks, and loyalty programs that treat you like the VIP you are. Fortunately, all our top picks are packed with such deals. 

Banking Options

Ain’t nobody has time for complicated banking processes. We prioritized online gambling sites that make depositing and withdrawing your funds easy.

Think Interac, Visa, Mastercard, e-wallets, and cryptocurrencies for those who prefer things digital. We also made sure to check for reasonable minimum deposit and withdrawal limits so you can manage your bankroll without any headaches.

Payout Speed and Process

When you hit that big win, you want your money ASAP, right? We tested each casino’s payout speed, focusing on those that process withdrawals quickly and efficiently – no waiting around for weeks, just fast and hassle-free cashouts.

Navigation and Customer Support

A great Canadian online casino should be user-friendly, whether you’re a tech expert or a newbie. We went with real money casinos with intuitive websites and mobile apps that make finding your favourite games and managing your account a walk in the park.

For times you need a helping hand, top-notch customer support is essential. We checked for casinos with responsive and knowledgeable support teams available via live chat, email, and sometimes even phone.

The Safety of Online Casinos in Canada

While there are many legitimate online casinos, it’s essential to be cautious. The online gambling industry is growing rapidly, attracting both reputable operators and unscrupulous entities.

There have been many stories of players being scammed by rogue casinos. These fraudulent sites can rig games, delay or refuse payouts, and misuse players’ personal and financial information.

But rest assured, there are many trustworthy online casinos in Canada. These reputable platforms are committed to providing a safe and enjoyable gambling experience. They adhere to strict regulations, use advanced security measures, and are transparent about their operations.

How To Tell if a Canadian Casino Site Is Legit

So, how do you spot the legit online casinos from the rogue ones? Here are a few key things to look for:

Check Licensing and Regulation: A legitimate casino will hold a valid license from a recognized gambling authority, such as the Malta Gaming Authority or the Kahnawake Gaming Commission. This license ensures that the casino meets strict standards of fairness, security, and responsible gambling.

Look for Reputable Providers: A diverse online casino game library from well-known software providers like Microgaming, NetEnt, and Playtech is a good sign. Reputable providers ensure fair games and high-quality online gaming experiences.

Read the Terms and Conditions: Always read the casino’s terms and conditions carefully, paying attention to bonus wagering requirements, withdrawal limits, and other relevant policies. Transparent terms and conditions are a hallmark of a trustworthy online casino.

Research Player Reviews: Check out casino reviews and player feedback to get a sense of the casino’s reputation. While a few negative reviews are normal, a pattern of complaints should raise a red flag.

Explore Responsible Gambling Tools: Legitimate online casinos promote responsible gambling and offer tools and resources to help players stay in control. Look for features like deposit limits, self-exclusion options, and links to responsible gambling organizations.

The Importance of Licensing When Choosing a Canadian Online Casino

Licensing matters a lot when choosing a Canadian online casino. Why? Because a valid license means that the casino operates legally and adheres to industry standards. 

Online casinos obtain licenses by meeting stringent criteria, including fair gaming practices, security measures, and responsible gambling policies.

For players, a licensed casino means a safer and more trustworthy experience. Even if something suspicious happens with a licensed site, you have the legal right to seek consequences and defend your rights. 

Maintaining a license is crucial for operators as it builds credibility and trust with players. Losing a license can have severe consequences, including hefty fines and the loss of the ability to operate legally.

Which Online Casinos in Canada Have the Best Payouts?

When we talk about the “best payouts” at online casinos, we’re referring to how much money a casino returns to its players over time. An important concept to understand is the house edge, which is the mathematical advantage that the casino has over the player in any given game.

The house edge varies by game but it’s always present.  For example, in roulette, the house edge is typically around 5.26%, meaning that for every C$100 wagered, the casino expects to keep C$5.26 in the long run.

While you can’t eliminate the house edge entirely, you can choose games with a lower house edge to improve your odds. Games like blackjack and video poker generally have a lower house edge than slots or roulette.

Our top picks for Canadian casinos with the best payouts include Jackpot City, PlayOJO, and Spin Casino. These casinos offer a wide variety of games with high RTPs, giving you a better chance of walking away a winner. 

What Real Money Games Can You Play At Canadian Online Casinos?

Online casinos generally offer a wide variety of real money games. If you’re unsure what to play, here are some of the most popular options you can find at reputable Canadian online casinos:

Online Slots: The heart and soul of online casinos. Whether it’s classic fruit machines for a nostalgic touch or the latest video slots with epic storylines and mind-blowing bonus features, there’s a game for everyone.

Blackjack: Think you can beat the dealer? Blackjack is the ultimate test of skill and strategy. With some practice (and maybe a little luck), you could be stacking up the chips.

Roulette: Feeling lucky? Roulette is all about that heart-pounding anticipation as the ball spins around the wheel. Will it land on your lucky number?

Poker: Whether you’re a seasoned pro or a casual player, there’s a poker variant for you. From Texas Hold’em to Omaha, and more, it’s time to show off your poker face.

Live Dealer Games: Want the real casino experience without leaving your home? Live dealer tables bring the action to you with real dealers, real tables, and real-time interaction.

Crash Games: Hold on tight! Crash games are all about high-risk, high-reward action. Watch the multiplier rise, but cash out before it comes crashing down!

The Importance of RTP When Choosing a Casino Game To Play

Return to Player (RTP) is key when selecting a real money casino game. RTP represents the percentage of wagered money paid back to players over time. A good RTP is typically above 95%, with some games offering RTPs of 98% or higher.

Software providers like Microgaming, NetEnt, and Evolution Gaming are known for offering games with high RTPs. For example, Microgaming’s Thunderstruck II slot has an RTP of 96.1%, while NetEnt’s Starburst slot features an RTP of 96.36%.

Evolution Gaming’s live dealers also tend to have high RTPs, making them a favourite among players seeking better odds.

Best Online Casinos Canada – FAQs

Are Canada Online Casinos Legit?

Yes, Canadian online casinos are legit. Reputable online casinos operating in Canada are licensed and regulated by authorities like the Malta Gaming Authority and the Kahnawake Gaming Commission, ensuring fair play and secure transactions.

Can You Play for Real Money at Online Casinos in Canada?

Yes, you can play for real money at online casinos in Canada. These online gambling platforms allow players to deposit, wager, and win real money through various games, including online slots, live casino games, and progressive jackpots.

Are Online Casino Games in Canada Rigged?

No, online casino games at reputable sites are not rigged. Licensed platforms use Random Number Generators (RNGs) to ensure that game outcomes are completely random and fair.  These RNGs are regularly audited by independent third-party organizations.

What Payment Methods Can I Use at Canadian Online Casinos?

You can use several payment methods at Canadian online casino sites, including credit/debit cards, e-wallets, prepaid cards, bank transfers, and cryptocurrencies. 

What Online Casino Site Has the Best Deposit Bonus for Canadians?

Jackpot City takes the crown for the best deposit bonus in Canada with a welcome package that can net you up to C$1,600 in bonuses. But if you want to skip the wagering requirements and keep every penny of your online gambling winnings, PlayOJO is the way to go.

Can You Play At Canadian Online Casinos on Your Mobile Device?

Yes, all the best Canadian online casinos are fully optimized for mobile devices. You can access your favourite casino games on your smartphone or tablet through a dedicated casino app or a mobile-friendly website. 

What Is the Best Online Casino in Canada?

Our research shows that Jackpot City is the best online casino in Canada. It offers high-quality games, a C$1,600 welcome package, daily bonuses, and secure, fast payment options.

How To Get Started at Canadian Online Casino Sites

If you don’t have an account at any Canadian online casinos yet or are looking to create one at our recommended sites, check out this quick guide on how to get started in just a few minutes.

Step 1: Create Your Casino Account

• Head to the Jackpot City website (or another site from our list).
• Hit the “Sign Up” button.
• Confirm that you’re located in Canada and click “Next.”
• Fill in your details to create your account and click “Register.”

Step 2: Fund Your Account

• You’ll be automatically logged in to your new account. Once you’re in, click “Deposit.”
• Choose your preferred secure payment method and enter your banking information.
• Follow the on-screen instructions to complete your deposit.
• Don’t forget to claim a welcome package. 

Step 3: Start Playing Real Money Games

• Once your deposit is processed, head back to the casino lobby.
• Browse the selection of games and click on the one that catches your eye.
• Wait for the game to load, adjust your bet, and start playing. 
• Good luck!

How to Play at Canadian Online Casinos: Expert Tips 

Now that you’ve created an account, you’re ready to start playing. Even if you’re experienced, there might be a few things you’re not familiar with. Check out these tips provided by our team to improve your experience.

The ‘Beginner’s Luck’ Myth

While it’s not scientifically proven, sometimes believing in beginner’s luck can sometimes work in your favor. That confident mindset can lead to bolder bets and unexpected wins. 

So, embrace the myth, ride the wave of confidence, and see where it takes you.  Just remember to stay responsible and within your budget.

Use Bonuses Strategically

Getting the best online casino bonuses can significantly boost your bankroll, but they often come with wagering requirements. Instead of jumping on the first bonus you see, take the time to compare offers and choose bonuses that align with your preferred games and playing style.

Sometimes, a smaller bonus with lower wagering requirements might be more beneficial in the long run.

Leverage Off-Peak Hours

Many players overlook the advantage of playing during off-peak hours. Casinos often have fewer players during these times, leading to less competition and better odds in certain games, like poker.

Additionally, customer support tends to be more responsive when the demand is lower, ensuring you get quick assistance.

Choose Lower House Edge Games

Not all casino games are created equal when it comes to the house edge. Games like blackjack and video poker generally have a lower house edge than slot games or roulette. By playing these, you’re giving yourself a slightly better chance of winning in the long run.

Quit While You’re Ahead

This might seem counterintuitive, but sometimes, the best strategy is to walk away when winning. It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement and keep playing, hoping to win even more.

However, remember that the casino always has an edge in the long run. Setting a win limit and sticking to it can help you lock in profits and avoid giving them back to the casino.

Quick Look at the Best Canadian Online Casinos

Having a hard time choosing your favourite site? Once again, take a look at our quick recap of the top 5 options.

Jackpot City: The best online casino Canada real money players can join, Jackpot City, is a true all-rounder with a high-quality game library and a user-friendly platform. It welcomes new players with a generous sign-up bonus of up to C$1,600, spread across the first four deposits.

PlayOJO: PlayOJO is all about transparency with wager-free bonuses that let you keep whatever you win. New players can grab 80 free spins on Big Bass Bonanza with no wagering requirements on winnings.

Spin Casino: Spin Casino is a paradise for slot enthusiasts, with a curated selection of slot games. You can explore them with a welcome package of up to C$1,000 on the first three qualifying payments.

Casino Infinity: If variety is the spice of life, then Casino Infinity is a five-star buffet. With over 9,000 games from 90+ providers, you’ll find everything from classic slots to live dealers. Don’t forget to claim its 100% match bonus up to C$750 + 200 free spins.

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So, Which Canadian Online Casino Will You Try Next? 

For now, you can forget smoky back rooms and crowded tables. The top Canadian online casinos bring the excitement of Vegas straight to your screen.

Our top recommended online casino is Jackpot City. It has earned its place at the top with a massive game library, generous promotions (including a C$1,600 welcome bonus!), quick banking options, and dedicated mobile apps. 

But don’t forget about the other fantastic real money online casinos that made our list. Who knows, some of you might enjoy them more. 

Once you choose your favourite and start playing, remember that the experience should always be about having fun. Keep things light, and always gamble responsibly.

DISCLAIMER: The information on this site is for entertainment purposes only. Online gambling carries risks, so you should only play within your means.

If you’re struggling with a gambling addiction, reach out for help from a professional at the National Gambling Helpline through this phone line: 1-626-960-3500. 

All gambling websites and guides on this website are 18+. Check your local laws to ensure online gambling is legal in your area. Not valid in Ontario.

Check these websites for free gambling addiction resources.

• https://www.gamblersanonymous.org/ga/
• https://www.cprg.ca/
• https://www.responsiblegambling.org/

The post Best Online Casinos Canada (2025) – Top 10 Canadian Casino Websites for Real Money appeared first on Cult MTL.

Quebec's liquor board says it is adjusting the opening hours of 251 branch locations and closing a few others to better align with customer habits. At the same time, a new location is opening in the Eastern Townships.

Following Amazon’s decision to close its Quebec facilities, some have vowed to stop shopping with the company in protest, return recent purchases and cancel their accounts.

Montreal police are investigating the first homicide of the year in the city's LaSalle borough.

Amazon's decision to shut down all seven of its Quebec facilities is being felt in Coteau-du-Lac, west of Montreal, where 356 people are employed at one of the online giant's warehouses.

By William Crooks

Local Journalism Initiative

Vincent Boutin, former city councillor and current director of La Grande Table, officially declared his candidacy for mayor of Sherbrooke in the November 2025 municipal elections. Aiming to bring pragmatic leadership and collaboration to the city, Boutin emphasized his deep ties to Sherbrooke, his management experience, and his knowledge of local challenges.

“I think I’m the right person for the job,” Boutin said in an interview with The Record. “Sherbrooke needs leadership that is pragmatic and realistic, based on concrete ideas and achievable solutions.”

Boutin served as a city councillor for eight years before taking on the role at La Grande Table, where he managed strategic planning and inspired employees to work toward shared goals. He sees this background as a key strength for leading the city. “My experience with management and working with public servants will be an asset,” he explained.

A vision for Sherbrooke

Boutin’s campaign is centred on three priorities: ecological transition, improved city management, and fostering strong community connections. He plans to leverage Sherbrooke’s strategic plan for 2024–2030, a roadmap developed collaboratively by city officials and elected representatives. “This plan gives us a solid, non-partisan foundation,” he stated. “We need to implement it effectively, working together to achieve maximum impact.”

On the ecological front, Boutin advocates for responsible urban planning and climate action. He also stressed the importance of maintaining and upgrading existing infrastructure rather than expanding unnecessarily. “We have to manage the city’s resources responsibly, but always with humanity,” he added.

Boutin highlighted the need to build trust and collaboration between elected officials, city staff, and residents. “It’s not just about collaboration; it’s about connection. This means creating confidence between individuals,” he said. “Many residents feel a distance from the city. We need to bridge that gap.”

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L’article Vincent Boutin announces run for mayor of Sherbrooke est apparu en premier sur Sherbrooke Record.

By William Crooks

Local Journalism Initiative

The Eastern Townships School Board (ETSB) convened on Jan. 21 under Chair Mike Murray, addressing an array of topics, including teacher recruitment, school transformation, mental health initiatives, and infrastructure upgrades. The wide-ranging discussions highlighted the board’s ongoing avowed commitment to education excellence while grappling with systemic challenges like staff shortages and budget constraints.

Teacher recruitment and retention top priorities

Faced with a province-wide teacher shortage, the ETSB outlined its efforts to hire and retain qualified educators. Murray emphasized, “It’s always a challenge to find and keep teachers, but retaining them is far easier than starting over with recruitment.” Collaborations with Bishop’s University and outreach campaigns across Canada and internationally were cited as strategies to address the issue.

Despite these efforts, systemic challenges persist. Murray noted, “We’ve seen a significant number of early-career teachers leave within their first three to five years, often due to maternity leaves and other factors.” The board is exploring additional incentives to attract and retain educators, including professional development opportunities and improved workplace support systems. Recruitment efforts have also been extended to other provinces and internationally, with a particular focus on bringing in educators with specialized skills.

Mansonville Elementary School transformation

A key highlight of the meeting was the unanimous approval of a resolution to apply for Mansonville Elementary School’s transformation into an “alternative school”. This initiative aims to provide personalized learning and flexible educational opportunities tailored to individual student needs. “This is about leveraging the strengths of a small school to better serve its community,” Murray said.

The transformation plan emphasizes individualized instruction, professional development for teachers, and an inclusive learning environment. The school’s governing board and community have expressed strong support, and the board believes this move will foster a dynamic educational experience. If approved, Mansonville Elementary will join a growing trend of alternative education models designed to enhance student engagement and achievement.

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L’article ETSB January meeting est apparu en premier sur Sherbrooke Record.

Is it possible that one of the worst films in recent memory, Emilia Pérez, is now the frontrunner for the Best Picture Oscar? In an award season that didn’t seem to have any clear frontrunners at the start, Pérez has loudly become one of the most talked about films of the year, netting a win at the Golden Globes and 13 Oscar nominations today. A decadent showcase of bad taste and worst impulses, Audiard’s film has seemingly struck a chord with industry types for baffling though painfully obvious reasons (they have bad taste and rudimentary understanding of “good” representation). 

In the major categories, there aren’t many obvious snubs among this year’s Oscar nominations. While all the expected players are there, Challengers not receiving a nomination for score — one of the bounciest and most electric works of cinematic music composing of the decade — is likely the most egregious omission this year. Beloved local favourite Universal Language not landing a nomination for Best International Film trails closely behind. Another local favourite, Dune: Part Two, scores five nominations for Best Picture, Best Cinematography, Visual Effects, Sound and Production Design. Though Dune continues to dominate in technical categories, Denis Villeneuve still can’t seem to get that directing nomination, even though his work is more impressive than four out of the five nominees in this year’s category.

If there are any surprises, they’re relatively muted. Nothing particularly show-stopping or insane. Everything feels predictable and safe. I’m Still Here, from Brazil, receiving a Best Picture nomination is a pleasant surprise, though this wasn’t necessarily beyond the realm of possibility. The same can be said for Colman Domingo’s nomination for Sing, Sing. Arguably, Sebastian Stan being nominated for The Apprentice is a bit unexpected as well — though good as Donald Trump, he’s completely eclipsed by Jeremy Strong (who is, of course, also nominated). If anything, Stan’s performance showcases just how shallow Trump’s well of interiority is — a fine observation, even if it’s one that doesn’t necessarily make for compelling acting. And, like Dune, The Substance also got five nominations, including for Best Picture AND Best Director for Coralie Fargeat.

The world is on fire but the show must go on

The announcement of this year’s Oscar nominations was already delayed twice due to the L.A. wildfires. As the world continues to burn (literally and figuratively), it’s difficult to get overly excited for this year’s event. While Conan O’Brien as host is an inspired choice and the actual ceremony seems dedicated to celebrating the city itself, the entire spectacle feels like holding onto a dying empire. The loss of David Lynch just a few days ago — an artist who created such a singular and visionary oeuvre, and one deeply reverent to the city — feels especially poignant. One of the last true artists of the old filmmaking process, his movies were precisely the kind of visionary art that the Academy so often neglected. His towering influence is a monument to Hollywood, while also being shunned by it. 

While it seems obvious, the Oscars have never been about art, but industry, and in this challenging political episode, industry doesn’t know how to rise up to meet the moment. They lean into symbolic gestures and melancholic elegies, unable and unwilling to take a meaningful stand for people or art. While it seems unlikely that the Oscars will ever sink as low as they did a few years ago when they fully embraced anti-intellectualism and garish Tik Tok aesthetic logic, the faux-elegance they now lean into feels like the revival of a long-dead corpse. 

But the show must go on! Film fans, tired or not of the braindead spectacle, will tune in — myself included. Live shows, though they’ve lost a bit of their spark, still have that hint of danger. While I don’t have any clear favourites I’d like to see win (except maybe Conclave, which is not even on my Best of 2024 list, but it would please me), the only thing I ask from this year’s ceremony is some element of surprise. 

And now, the Oscar nominations

Best Picture
Anora
The Brutalist
A Complete Unknown
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Emilia Pérez
I’m Still Here
Nickel Boys
The Substance
Wicked

Best Director
Sean Baker, Anora
Brady Corbert, The Brutalist
James Mangold, A Complete Unknown
Jacques Audiard, Emilia Pérez
Coralie Fargeat, The Substance

Best Actor
Adrien Brody, The Brutalist
Timothée Chalamet, A Complete Unknown
Colman Domingo, Sing Sing
Ray Fiennes, Conclave
Sebastian Stan, The Apprentice

Best Actress
Cynthia Erivo, Wicked
Karla Sofia Gascon, Emilia Pérez
Mikey Madison, Anora
Demi Moore, The Substance
Fernanda Torres, I’m Still Here

Best Supporting Actor
Yura Borisov, Anora
Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain
Edward Norton, A Complete Unknown
Guy Pearce, The Brutalist
Jeremy Strong, The Apprentice

Best Supporting Actress
Monica Barbaro, A Complete Unknown
Ariana Grande, Wicked
Felicity Jones, The Brutalist
Isabella Rossellini, Conclave
Zoe Saldana, Emilia Pérez

Best Costume Design
A Complete Unknown
Conclave
Gladiator II
Nosferatu
Wicked

Best Makeup and Hairstyling
A Different Man
Emilia Pérez
Nosferatu
The Substance
Wicked

Best Animated Short Film
Beautiful Men
In the Shadow of the Cypress
Magic Candies
Wander to Wonder
Yuck!

Best Live-Action Short Film
A Lien
Anuja
I’m Not a Robot
The Last Ranger
The Man Who Would Not Remain Silent

Best Adapted Screenplay
A Complete Unknown
Conclave
Emilia Pérez
Nickel Boys
Sing Sing

Best Original Screenplay
Anora
The Brutalist
A Real Pain
September 5
The Substance

Best Original Song
“El Mal,” Emilia Pérez
“The Journey,” The Six Triple Eight
“Like A Bird,” Sing Sing
“Mi Camino,” Emilia Pérez
“Never Too Late,” Elton John Never Too Late

Best Original Score
The Brutalist
Conclave
Emilia Pérez
Wicked
The Wild Robot

Best Documentary
Black Box Diaries
No Other Land
Porcelean War
Sugar Cane

Best Documentary Short Subject
Death By Numbers
I Am Ready, Warden
Incident
Instruments of a Beating Heart
The Only Girl in the Orchestra

Best International Film
I’m Still Here
The Girl with The Needle
Emilia Pérez
The Seed of a Sacred Fig
Flow

Best Animated Feature
Flow
Inside Out 2
Memoir of a Snail
Wallace & Gromit
The Wild Robot

Best Production Design
The Brutalist
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Nosferatu
Wicked

Best Film Editing
Anora
The Brutalist
Conclave
Emilia Pérez
Wicked

Best Sound
A Complete Unknown
Dune: Part Two
Emilia Pérez
Wicked
The Wild Robot

Best Visual Effects
Alien: Romulus
Better Man
Dune: Part Two
Kingdom Planet Apes
Wicked

Best Cinematography
The Brutalist
Dune: Part Two
Emilia Pérez
Maria
Nosferatu

The 97th Academy Awards will air on ABC on Sunday, March 2. For full list of Oscar nominations, please visit the Academy’s website.

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

The post The Substance and Dune: Part Two get five Oscar nominations each — including Best Picture appeared first on Cult MTL.

In this episode of This is Montreal, we'll look at how congestion pricing works and hear whether it's on the radar of policymakers in Montreal.

Following her mission to Washington, D.C., the head of Quebec's Federation of Chambers of Commerce, Véronique Proulx, is calling for more action to help protect local businesses from the potential impact of tariffs threatened by U.S. President Donald Trump.

The Montreal Victoire will host the Boston Fleet in a Professional Women's Hockey League game at the Bell Centre on March 1.

The Supreme Court of Canada announced this morning that it will hear the EMSB’s challenge to Quebec secularism law Bill 21. The law bars public sector employees in positions of authority (including teachers) from wearing religious symbols.

In Feb. 2024, the Quebec Court of Appeal ruled that Bill 21 is constitutional. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said at that time that, should a Supreme Court challenge go forward, the federal government would intervene “to protect the rights and freedoms of Canadians.”

Though the law was upheld by the Quebec Superior Court following a challenge in April 2021, provisions relating to English school boards and a ban on face coverings for MNAs were struck down. The Quebec government appealed the ruling on English school boards, with Premier François Legault saying, “We fully respect the rights of the English-speaking minority, but secularism and Quebec’s common values have no language barrier.” English schools have had to abide by Bill 21 pending the conclusion of the government’s appeal, but their exemption from the law has been overturned by today’s ruling.

The earlier ruling also acknowledged that the law violates the rights of Muslim women and is “cruel” towards people who wear religious symbols and are forced to choose between their beliefs and their ability to work in the public sector.

In order to pass Bill 21 in 2019, the Quebec government invoked the notwithstanding clause, meaning the law couldn’t be challenged on the grounds that it violated basic rights according to certain sections of the charter.

The Supreme Court typically takes four months to decide whether to allow a case to proceed, but took twice as long to deliver today’s decision.

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

The post BREAKING: Bill 21 to be challenged in the Supreme Court of Canada appeared first on Cult MTL.

The idea of building a new house is exciting and at the same time challenging. The journey from mere thoughts to bringing the house to life can be a hassle particularly when it comes to finding a reliable home builder. This article seeks to offer beneficial answers and practical tips to individuals by which they will be able to go through the process of electing a sure home builder without fear.

Understanding the Importance of a Trusted Home Builder

The choice of the homebuilder is perhaps the most existential point of the entire process of the construction of the house. The most reputable constructors will be able to put a picture together with the customer’s expressed ideas, providing quality, timeliness, and peace of mind. Conversely, a build that is nondeterministic might be the cause of poor quality, tardiness, and financial strain. This is therefore the reason that one should first and foremost exercise caution and vigilance in the selection process.

Research and Recommendations

The first step towards finding a home builder that can be trusted is through detailed research. Prospective homeowners should strive to look for suggestions from people whom they know to have built homes very recently. These personal experiences can bring out such powerful testimonies of various builders’ work that even by word of mouth one is able to make an informed decision.

Among other organizations, online resources can be the most important. Association websites of local home construction contractors, consumer review sites, and social media numerous details. It is important to analyze both positive and negative reviews to get a correct picture of the strong and the weak parts of each builder.

Credentials and Experience

Once the list of potential builders has been drawn up, verification of their qualifications follows. A good home builder is expected to be registered, insured, and bonded. These documents will allow clients to ensure that they are getting professional services and also protect them for any worst-case scenarios.

Another very important factor is the years of experience. Even though innovative approaches may be offered by start-ups, older developers who are well established and reputable can provide an extra level of safety. Looking at the amount of time builders have been in the business and the kinds of projects completed would be a wise move.

Portfolio and Site Visits

The portfolio of a builder can tell a lot about their approach, quality of work, and the range of projects completed. A large number of good builders will have portfolios of finished homes that are ready for a review. It is advisable to try to find homes in the same style and price range as the one you are considering.

A visit to an active construction site or a newly erected home that has been stopped by the on-site person can give a first-hand picture of the builder’s quality of work. This not only enables the new clients to evaluate the quality of the building, the level of detail put into it, and whether the craft is of high quality, but also gives them the chance to know from past clients their views and feedback on the tradesman.

Communication and Transparency

Effective communication is the very basis of a construction project that is going to be successful. A respected builder should be in a position to respond to the client openly and provide them with full information. When you meet with the builder for the first time you need to focus on how well the builder listens to your ideas and worries and if the builder is able to convey his intentions and completion time clearly.

Clarity in pricing and contracts goes a long way in making a home builder trustworthy. A reliable constructor gives the customer a clear and specific breakdown of all costs, timeframes, and specifications. Moreover, there might be some parts of the contract unclear, which they would be willing to do more detailed explanations and examples to dissipate the doubts.

Financial Stability and Warranties

When choosing a home builder, the financial background must be looked into. A company that can maintain financial stability can ensure the building is completed and that they don’t have to cut corners due to financial constraints. It might be advisable to ask the builder about their relationship with suppliers and subcontractors, as these could be signs of their financial health.

Warranties of the work done are another important thing to consider. A responsible builder should have an extensive warranty on his/her work where a structure is covered for a more extended period and other parts of it for at least a year. The terms and conditions of this warranty must be clear and understood before signing any contracts.

Trust Your Instincts

Even though the above-mentioned elements are crucial, it is, however, a prime factor to trust one’s instincts. Building a house is a co-investment not only money wise but also on an emotional level. It is very crucial for one to go for the builder of whom they have trust and confidence. If it happens that you feel something is missing during the evaluating process it would be better if you started to explore the other options.

Conclusion

The process of finding a trustworthy home builder is a very long and elaborate one. In the case of good and scrupulous checking of the builder’s documents, examining a portfolio, checking the communication style, as well as verifying the financial stability and warranties, potential customers can count on the probability of contracting a good and reliable partner for their home-building journey.

Let’s not forget that the target is to make a strong house and that house should be a home that will be a history witness. Moreover, with the right constructor, this dream can become a reality. By Selecting a Home Group Melbourne builder individuals in the Melbourne area will be able to experience high-quality service, transparency, and customer satisfaction. This guide along with the choice of a trusted builder will enable the individuals who are about to have a home building to feel secure and confident knowing that they are in the hands of accomplished personnel.

The post Building with Confidence: Your Guide to Finding Trusted Home Builders appeared first on Cult MTL.

The federal government has told most provinces and territories they must cut their allotted spaces for local economic immigration programs by half this year, triggering concerns about drastic impacts on labour and the economy.

The Supreme Court of Canada will announce Thursday whether it will agree to hear the case concerning Quebec’s controversial secularism law, better known as Bill 21.

Staff at the Montreal Heart Institute usually get CPR training once a year. With this new technology, which includes live instructions and feedback, the hospital is aiming to conduct four training sessions a year for nurses and patient attendants.