L’article Brome County News, January 14, 2025 est apparu en premier sur Sherbrooke Record.

Built in 1911, Villa Châteauneuf has been used as a convent, a school and a retreat for Catholic priests. The property managers want to rent it to a women’s shelter while the town of Sutton wants to turn it into a community centre.

A 29-year-old man has been arrested in connection with a stabbing that left a woman critically injured in Montreal's Plateau-Mont-Royal borough Monday afternoon.

Quebec’s Environment Ministry is warning residents near the Vermont border that a dead raccoon has tested positive for rabies.

At a time when Canada needs a strong leader who’ll be able to stand up to Donald Trump, Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre continues to face criticism for being ill-equipped to deal with Trump’s tariff threat. Poilievre’s net favourability currently sits at -17%.

NDP leader Jagmeet Singh has released a statement on Poilievre’s lack of a plan to respond to Trump’s tariffs, once again calling him a billionaire bootlicker.

“What is Pierre Poilievre proposing to do about Donald Trump‘s tariff threats? Nothing. That is failure in leadership. We know why as well. We know he doesn’t want to do anything to upset his endorsement from Elon Musk. He’s been endorsed by a billionaire because Pierre Poilievre is a billionaire bootlicker. Elon Musk and other billionaires know that he’s going to make them even richer. Anytime a politician decides to side with the billionaires, we know what that means for working class people: It means pain; it means cuts to services that working class people need; it means pain for the middle class, too. That’s what Pierre Poilievre is about. That is a failure in leadership.”

Singh has instead proposed that Canada “withhold targeted critical minerals that America needs in addition to implementing retaliatory tariffs” if Trump implements his 25% tax on Canadian goods.

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

The post Pierre Poilievre is not equipped to deal with Trump appeared first on Cult MTL.

Tap virtuoso Travis Knights is back home in Montreal to perform The Mars Project, a sci-fi dance show with an international cast. He spoke to Daybreak Montreal in-studio ahead of the performance. The Mars Project runs from Jan. 15 to 18 at Théâtre Maisonneuve.

A Quebec water bomber that was grounded after colliding with a drone while fighting wildfires in California is expected to be back up in the air as soon as Tuesday.

On Sunday, Montreal's Haitian community commemorated the lives of more than 200,000 people who died in the 2010 earthquake that struck their home country.

The Quebec Liberal Party's leadership race is officially underway, with four candidates declared so far. Here's a look at who could win the top job.

When Louise Martineau pulled up to the emergency room in crisis, she was told she would have to transfer her husband, who couldn't move, from the car into the hospital by herself.

By William Crooks

Local Journalism Initiative

On Jan. 10, the Société Alzheimer de l’Estrie received a generous donation of $10,000 from the Lake Magog Lodge, No. 55. This contribution, presented at the society’s Sherbrooke headquarters, highlighted a shared commitment to supporting individuals and families affected by Alzheimer’s disease.

David Bouffard, a Master Mason with the Lake Magog Lodge, explained on the scene that the donation was part of their district-wide fundraising initiative, coinciding with the lodge’s 150th anniversary. “Every year, Freemasons from our district choose a project to support. This year, we organized various activities, including bowling and other fundraising events, to collect $10,000,” Bouffard said. The funds were split between assisting a fellow member in Quebec City living with Alzheimer’s and supporting the Société Alzheimer de l’Estrie.

The choice to donate to the Société Alzheimer de l’Estrie was deeply personal for the lodge members. Bouffard noted that a connection to someone impacted by the disease inspired their decision, adding a meaningful touch to their contribution. “Our values are about friendship, growth, and helping others in society. We aim to turn rough stones into perfect ones—it’s a lifelong process,” he said, referencing the philosophical underpinnings of Freemasonry.

Caroline Giguère, Directrice générale of the Société Alzheimer de l’Estrie, expressed her gratitude for the substantial gift. “I’m very happy and find it incredibly generous that they thought of us,” she said after the presentation. Acknowledging the many organizations the lodge could have supported, Giguère emphasized how this donation will directly benefit the community.

The funds will be allocated to the development of a new respite care home, set to open in 2026. This facility will offer short-term stays, ranging from one to seven nights, designed to provide caregivers a much-needed break while ensuring quality care for their loved ones. “This donation will go directly toward the respite home,” Giguère explained, describing the project as essential for caregiver relief and well-being.

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L’article Lake Magog Masonic Lodge donates $10,000 to Alzheimer’s Society for new respite home est apparu en premier sur Sherbrooke Record.

By William Crooks

Local Journalism Initiative

As winter deepens in the Eastern Townships, local experts emphasize the importance of ice safety. Despite its allure for activities like snowmobiling and fishing, venturing onto ice carries significant risks. “Ice is never 100 per cent safe,” stressed Batallion Chief Dany Brus, an experienced firefighter, in a recent conversation. Alongside Renflouement Véhicule owner Sylvain Audette, who retrieves vehicles from icy waters, they offered crucial advice for minimizing danger and maximizing safety.

The basics of ice thickness

The general rule for ice safety is based on thickness: clear, bluish ice is the strongest, while grey or slushy ice is highly dangerous. According to Brus, two inches of ice may support walking, four inches suffices for ice fishing, and at least 12 inches is necessary for small trucks. “Always check the thickness using a drill every nine metres,” he advised, underscoring the variability of ice conditions. However, depth, water movement, and weather fluctuations further complicate safety assessments. “Currents and nearby obstructions like docks thin the ice,” Brus explained. He also noted that ice weakens in the afternoon due to sun exposure and can be deceptive following re-freezing after melting.

Real-life risks on the ice

Sylvain Audette, whose company Renflouement Véhicule specializes in recovering vehicles from lakes and rivers, has seen the consequences firsthand. This winter alone, he has already retrieved five snowmobiles. “People underestimate the risks,” he said. Audette highlighted carelessness as a key factor, with operators often ignoring changes in ice strength due to runoff or surface water. He uses specialized panels and winches to extract submerged vehicles, often collaborating with divers. Audette stressed the importance of acting quickly after an incident to avoid complications from ice re-freezing over the vehicle. “The hardest part is locating the vehicle when people call days later,” he explained, noting that lack of clear markers at the site of an incident often delays recovery efforts.

Cold water immersion: The 1-10-1 rule

If someone falls through the ice, survival depends on quick thinking and preparation. Information provided by local firefighter Chief Brian Wharry explained the “1-10-1” principle: one minute to control your breathing, ten minutes of meaningful movement before incapacitation, and up to an hour before unconsciousness due to hypothermia. This timeline emphasizes the importance of staying calm and seeking help. To self-rescue, Brus advised using ice picks stored in sleeves or jackets to pull yourself out of the water. “Kick to get your hips onto the ice, then roll away without standing up,” he said. Proper equipment, such as flotation suits, greatly increases survival chances.

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L’article Winter dangers – Expert advice on staying safe on the ice est apparu en premier sur Sherbrooke Record.

By William Crooks

Local Journalism Initiative

In the early hours of Jan. 11, a quick-thinking snowplow driver helped avert a potential disaster by spotting smoke at the Esso gas station in Stanstead. Noticing smoke emerging from the building’s roof around 3:30 a.m., the driver alerted the station clerk, who then called the fire department.

“The snowplow operator smelled smoke and didn’t ignore it. That situational awareness likely saved the building,” said Battalion Chief Dany Brus in a Jan. 11 interview.

Fire crews, led by Stanstead Battalion Chief Chris Goodsell, responded swiftly and efficiently. They contained the fire to the roof area, preventing further spread and minimizing structural damage. “The team knocked it down fast and hard,” Brus said, emphasizing the firefighters’ professionalism. The station remains operational, with only the fire-affected section temporarily closed for repairs.

While the exact cause of the fire is still under investigation, initial findings suggest an electrical issue. Chief Brus noted that the situation, though under control, had the potential to escalate given the location of the fire. “Being in the roof of a gas station, it could have been much worse,” he explained, adding that the underground tanks and turned-off pumps posed less immediate risk.

The winter conditions added an extra layer of complexity. Ice accumulation from recent weather events made navigating the roof treacherous, while freezing temperatures created challenges with water lines and equipment. Despite this, the firefighters managed the situation effectively. “Winter firefighting is a different ballgame,” Brus said, acknowledging the team’s preparation and adaptability.

The fire was fully extinguished by roughly 7 a.m., and the team remained on-site for cleanup and safety checks. Chief Brus took the opportunity to commend the department’s effort. “Hats off to the Stanstead crew for their hard work,” he said, while also encouraging locals to consider joining their ranks. “We’re always recruiting. If you’re interested, reach out to your local fire department.”

As repairs begin at the gas station, the quick actions of both the snowplough driver and the firefighters have ensured that the damage remains contained, preserving an important community hub.

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L’article Alert snowplow driver helps Stanstead firefighters limit damage at gas station blaze est apparu en premier sur Sherbrooke Record.

By William Crooks

Local Journalism Initiative

The Eastern Townships School Board (ETSB) is hosting an online information session for parents on Jan. 21 from 7–8 p.m., aimed at demystifying the process of registering young children for kindergarten. Early Years Pedagogical Consultant Genevieve Manseau, who spearheaded the event, shared insights into what attendees can expect and why these sessions are invaluable.

This marks the second year for the virtual session, designed specifically for parents enrolling their children in K4 (kindergarten for four-year-olds) or K5 (kindergarten for five-year-olds) for the first time. Manseau explained in a recent interview, “Starting school is a significant milestone that brings up a lot of emotions, stress, and questions for parents. We want to make that transition as smooth as possible.”

The session will provide a comprehensive overview of what the kindergarten experience entails, including daily schedules, classroom activities, and the support systems in place for students. Manseau emphasized, “Parents often wonder, ‘What does a school day look like? Who will my child interact with?’ We cover everything from the teacher’s role to other key staff like bus drivers and support personnel.”

The ETSB has also incorporated elements unique to their jurisdiction, such as language options. Parents can learn about the mix of English and French in ETSB classrooms and how to navigate the eligibility requirements for English education in Quebec. “Eligibility is a big topic,” Manseau noted. “We explain what parents need to know and the documents required to determine whether their child qualifies.”

A key component of the session is addressing parents’ logistical concerns. Topics include school catchment areas, contact information for local schools, and transportation options. “We’ll even provide a list of all ETSB schools with their contact details,” Manseau added. “This helps parents figure out which school their child should attend.”

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L’article Local school board zoom session aims to ease kindergarten jitters for parents est apparu en premier sur Sherbrooke Record.

The Quebec Health Ministry has confirmed an 11th case of measles in the province. The infected person visited the Carrefour Laval mall on Jan. 7, meaning that thousands of people may have been exposed to the virus.

Children's entertainer Kim Yaroshevskaya, known for her roles in Fanfreluche, Passe-Partout and the CBC drama Home Fires, has died. She was 101.

As the federal Liberals prepare to choose Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's successor, another Liberal leadership race is getting underway in Quebec this week.

Abdelhaq Sari has represented the Marie-Clarac district in Montréal-Nord at city hall since 2017 with Ensemble Montréal. He says that after seven years on the job, he thinks he can do more for his constituents from Ottawa.

As the teacher shortage worsens, the provincial government is increasingly reliant on "unqualified" teachers, putting the quality of education at risk and exhausting school staff.

After developing a business matchmaking platform to connect women entrepreneurs with funding, Tayssa Waldron realized that the financial barriers women are often rooted in mental and emotional factors. She’s now committed to helping women build a healthier relationship with money.

The Montreal SPCA took in Freddy the rooster after he was found wandering in a cemetery in rough shape in October 2024. After reading about his story, one woman decided to take him in.

Krissy Goodleaf will be remembered for many things: her athletic spirit, her love of the future generations of Kahnawa’kehró:non that she helped raise as a teacher, and her pure adoration of her family to name just a few. 

For many of her loved ones, it’s her smile and the memory of her laugh that’s provided comfort in recent days, as the community comes to terms with her tragic and sudden passing.

“If you ever had the privilege to even hear her trademark laugh, you’d know that laugh could only come from someone who was living and experiencing the true joys in life,” Goodleaf’s Kahnawake Survival School (KSS) teaching partner, Heather White-McGregor, told a packed church at Goodleaf’s funeral this week. 

She recounted how Goodleaf was an excellent singer – “she never met a karaoke microphone that she didn’t love” – and how she was always the life and soul of the party. She shared stories, like how one time when she, her husband Shoronia, Krissy, and Krissy’s husband Jeff Brown found themselves squealing with laughter on the children’s bumper cars at a Mexican festival, and how most recently she had shared the stage with Krissy for the Turtle Island Theatre Company’s show Murder With Ghosts.

Each night of the show, Goodleaf had painted on her unibrow darker and wider, asking White-McGregor with a playful smirk, “Is my eyebrow too much?”

White-McGregor shared her eulogy with The Eastern Door.

“When I really think about who Krissy Goodleaf was, I can’t help but think that she was a woman who absolutely, wholeheartedly lived her life,” she said.

Goodleaf’s death on December 30 was unexpected, and the family asks that people respect their privacy as they deal with their loss. Her sister Suzy Goodleaf said she is appreciative of the outpouring of love and support from the community.

“It was really wonderful to be able to see people appreciate her life and what she had done, and to hear it,” Suzy said. “It was very powerful to see the amount of people that came to her funeral and gave their support.”

Suzy said that it was especially poignant in the context of the difficulties Krissy and her family had back in 2014, when she and Brown, who is non-Native, were evicted from the community with their young children during residency disputes. 

“At the time, and since then, she’s wondered what kind of support she had from the community,” Suzy said. “She had the one extreme of being ostracized in the community to what we saw, which is how much people obviously loved and cared about her.”

Krissy was propelled by that experience, as upsetting as it was, to focus on bringing people together, Suzy said.

“I know it’s hard to bring it up in this situation, but it was definitely something that made life really difficult for her, and kind of upped her efforts to make sure that people didn’t feel excluded,” Suzy said. “Her work on inclusion was really from that place of not wanting people to experience what she had experienced.”

Krissy was known for treating people with kindness and spearheaded many anti-bullying and inclusion initiatives at KSS – including in 2010, when she was involved in the Live Like a Champion program, where students were focused on bettering their lives through athletics. 

Now, the program is being revived in her honour, with the creation of the Krissy Goodleaf Live Like a Champion Scholarship Fund.

“It’s going to enable students to continue on their path and with the legacy that she carried, and that’s what she wanted for all of them, was to feel like champions,” said Sha’teiohseriio Patton, associate principle at KSS. “I think the scholarship is a really beautiful way of honouring her name and her power as an educator, as a person, and as a community member. She was such a beautiful person, and it’s going to be an honour for any student who receives that scholarship.”

Kahnawake Education Center (KEC) director of education Falen Iakowennaiéwas Jacobs said that supports have been put in place for students and staff, including traditional medicines from Otsi’tsakèn:ra Charlie Patton as well as talking circles, and group and individual therapy, and other outlets.

“She’s irreplaceable. There’s absolutely nobody like Krissy Goodleaf, and we’re definitely going to feel the impacts of her loss,” Jacobs said. “But we’re going to work together not only at KSS but as the KEC, to continue her legacy, and her work, and the passion she had for the betterment of the community. We’re dedicated to that.”

Krissy’s legacy will live on in the teaching staff at KSS too – her mentorship is what molded so many teachers into who they are today, White-McGregor said.

“Once Krissy became my teaching partner, my career as an educator, and my life, was kicked into high gear. She was the most perfect kind of mentor or partner any new teacher could ask for,” she said. 

“It was this determination to change things, and the wholehearted belief that this change was attainable, that gave Krissy this special inimitable power.”

Krissy often put the needs of her students before her own, a similar attitude that she embodied at home, where she was a devoted mother to Lizzy, 12, and Bruce, 11. 

“She was an amazing mom. She gave them all the love that they really needed, and we’re hoping that’s going to help to hold them as we try to make up for what they’re going to be missing,” Suzy said. “It was unbearable for her to think of being away from them, ever. Everything she did, she did for them.”

Krissy was the youngest of her siblings, Suzy, Alana Rice, and Mike Goodleaf, by 13 years, and is survived by all of them as well as her mother Vera Goodleaf.

Suzy said that the family are going to hold each other tight as they grieve, and will be there to continue to support Krissy’s children.

“She wanted them to know that it’s a big world out there and they can be a part of it, do whatever you want to do,” Suzy said. “I hope they can really, sincerely, feel that support and welcoming of the community.”

Community members and loved ones are invited to support the Krissy Goodleaf Live Like a Champion Scholarship Fund at www.katerifoundation.org or via e-transfer to [email protected].  

[email protected]

Workers at the Kanawaki Golf Club say they’re worried about their health after having to handle old cement pipes laced with asbestos. They say that management has failed to properly dispose of the hazardous material – pipes underground that date back from a water irrigation system that’s not been in use for decades.

Soil containing segments of the broken-up pipes was also dug up, moved and reburied in at least three areas of the golf course grounds, employees told The Eastern Door.

The workers came into contact with the pipes during work involving digging that began in the summer to add a new drainage system and pond on the property. Up until this October, they were instructed by management to dispose of the dirt from the work in large piles, which were gradually covered with new soil. 

The employees spoke on the condition of anonymity, saying they didn’t want their names in the press out of fear they could be fired. 

“As a community member, I don’t want to have Kanawaki ruining the environment. They’re only renting the land,” one worker told The Eastern Door. “You can’t be having asbestos buried all over the place.”

A meeting is now expected to be held soon between management at Kanawaki and Indigenous Services Canada (ISC), which leases the land to the golf course, after Kahnawake’s environment office became aware of the situation in October and wrote to the federal government. 

“We are concerned,” said Patrick Ragaz, general manager of the Kahnawake Environment Protection Office (KEPO). “This was new information for us. We weren’t aware that the irrigation system was there and that it contained asbestos.”

In Kahnawake, materials containing asbestos, a hazardous material known for causing mesothelioma, are meant to be disposed of according to safety protocols set by the KEPO. 

That process includes setting aside these kinds of items whenever they’re discovered, sealing them in plastic bags designed for storing hazardous materials, and then hiring a company specialized in handling asbestos properly dispose of them. As well, only those with specialized training are meant to handle the material.

This procedure was only followed after October, according to workers, when a crew from KEPO arrived and were shown some of the cement pipes by workers at the golf course. The environmental office had been there then to carry out routine groundwater testing. 

Management at the golf course maintain they’ve only been aware of the existence of the asbestos laced pipes since then, after speaking with the crew from KEPO.

“That’s when they brought it to our attention,” said general manager Steven Pert, who’s worked at the golf course for the last 13 years. “I was not aware of what was in the ground and what the material and the components of the materials were.”

Sean Horne, the golf course’s superintendent, said similarly. 

Workers The Eastern Door spoke to tell a different story, however, saying many longtime employees there – including former management – have long known there’s a former water irrigation system on the grounds made out of cement containing asbestos. 

A former employee that held a leadership role at the golf course confirmed this, saying segments of the former irrigation system were routinely found over the years whenever work requiring digging was carried out. They were always disposed of appropriately, he said, through the hiring of specialized disposal companies, while he worked there.

He also asked that his name be withheld in this article.

These types of pipes were commonly used in Canada over the 1940s and 60s to supply drinking water, but they increasingly fell out of use after health risks associated with asbestos became known. The golf course just off Route 207 has been there since 1914. 

“The course is 110 years old, so we’re not aware of every material that was used there in the past,” Pert said. “When this was brought to our attention that these were materials that are unsafe, we acted accordingly, and very swiftly, to maintain the highest standards of safety for our staff and our members.”

Pert and Horne also said soil containing pieces of the cement pipes were never moved and buried over with new soil.

“We handled it, and we sealed them. There were no pipes that we buried afterwards. There was no crushing of any sort,” said Horne, who’s worked at the golf course for the last two years now. “These pieces that were dug up were put aside, bagged, and sealed to be disposed of properly.”

By October or early November, they also said that all the pieces of cement pipe that had been bagged and set aside had since been hauled away by a specialized disposal company that they hired.

But even after then, many segments were still visible in multiple areas, with large pieces of cement pipes lying on the grass. The Eastern Door was sent numerous photos of the pipes – including two that were taken in December.

“The old superintendents would dispose of the pipes before putting any soil,” one worker said. “You shouldn’t be spreading these pipes all over the place, landfilling in different parts of the golf course.”

The areas where soil containing asbestos cement pipes were laid and buried over are located near fairways two, 13, and 18, the workers said. A creek runs nearby fairway 13. A bulldozer was also used to flatten the earth at two of those locations back in August, they said.

“I think some were run over by a four-wheeler, which would have crushed them,” said one worker, who said he didn’t know he was dealing with hazardous materials until after he spoke to workers from KEPO.

“When I was working around it, it was dusty when I was driving around,” he said. “They said, ‘If it cracks, it could go into the air and I could breathe it in.’”

Regaz from the environment protection office said only those with the appropriate training should be dealing with items that contain asbestos. 

“The labour office here has told the workers to stop working with those pipes and to stop those activities until all these conversations can be had,” he said, mentioning the meeting expected to be held soon with federal officials. 

In a written statement, ISC shared it’s committed to hosting a meeting with golf course management, the environment protection office, and band council before the end of this month.

[email protected]

A divided Mohawk Council of Kanesatake is the norm these days, and sadly not the exception, but one chief separated himself from the pack and went too far this year, in attacking The Eastern Door to try to silence us.

And it happened to be the grand chief.

Victor Bonspille had made a career out of not returning our phone calls or deciding, arbitrarily, that his personal feelings and ego about what we write, including direct, recorded, and verified quotes right from his mouth, was “fake news.”

So, he pouted. But along with that pouting came a very dangerous press release telling the community we were wrong.

This attacking the media thing, in Kahnawake and Kanesatake especially, is old and tired. It’s counter-productive. It’s ludicrous. And it has to change.

We report for and to the people, about the people. We are the truth-seekers, the ones who uncover things elected officials would rather we didn’t. We are the ones who hold council after council accountable.

That’s certainly not what Victor or any of the chiefs do. They have other fish to fry, but sometimes the fish we fry is them. And they don’t like it, of course.

The “press release,” put in quotations because it was a unilateral hack/attack job, was, to put it plainly, a joke.

But it did a few things.

It set a bad precedent for future relations with media, especially local.

It exposed Bonspille as vindictive, clueless as grand chief, and spiteful.

And it distracted from the real issues.

You need skin seven spans thick, the old saying goes, but Victor Bonspille demonstrated his is paper thin, and as a result, is unfit to lead.

As we said in an editorial addressing this matter last month, it isn’t about who will replace him. We have no horse in the race. We don’t really care who gets in, as long as they can lead without the plethora of issues that has plagued Kanesatake: nepotism, ego, childish antics, misogyny, idiocy, revenge, and other attributes we should never prop up on the biggest stage.

We merely want a Kanesatake that can rely on leadership to lead, not with egos and fear, but with pride, dignity and power.

You’re not powerful if you write things like this:

“….I find it appalling that the Eastern Door (Marcus Bankuti and Steve Bonspiel) continue to disrespectfully mention my deceased Mother’s good name. A shameful means of journalism that is solely based on the fact that “I” am the Grand Chief of Kanesatake. Respectful journalism is attainable when you take into account all the facts and truths. The Eastern Door has only accomplished hurtful propaganda, which has caused more division within my Community of Kanesatake,” the “press release” reads. 

We mentioned his mom, whom we adored when she was still with us, because that connects him to the whole dumping issue on paper. It’s pretty important to know your leader has never mentioned that fact, isn’t it? Without our reporting, you wouldn’t know that.

People need to know as much of the truth as they can find to make informed decisions on who will lead them.

Appearing in court to then try to undermine an injunction on dumping also makes him either complicit or incompetent. Who’s advising him to do this? Or is this all on him?

People have been waiting for so long to solve all dumping issues, especially G&R Recycling, yet here’s the grand chief interfering.

Something doesn’t add up.

This is the second editorial we had to write recently on “leadership” attacking the media, one here in Kahnawake and now Kanesatake.

That’s not a good record for both councils – issuing, within weeks of each other, bogus “press releases” to supposedly set the record straight.

If you want to set the record straight, return our calls and messages, swallow your ego and work with us to get more information out to the public, and, most importantly, lead.

Leading comes in many forms, but it does not include kicking, screaming, and attacking.

It means, even if you don’t like us, it’s imperative to sit down, give us your time, and get your point of view across so we can in turn tell the community.

Whether we agree or not, like you or not, we will print what the community needs to know and what you said. Because that’s good journalism.

That’s how this works. We play a role and you play a role, grand chiefs of our communities.

Let’s hope 2025 isn’t as tumultuous in terms of MCK-Eastern Door friction, but we can promise you this: if we are attacked, we will defend ourselves and our rights, and if we are put in a position to be targeted, we will have no choice but to go on the offensive. 

Steve Bonspiel

The Eastern Door

The Kahnawake Peacekeepers opened more than twice as many mental health files in 2024 than the year prior, with major increases also seen in the number of assault and domestic violence files, year-end statistics reveal.

However, according to Peacekeepers spokesperson Kyle Zachary, a change to how reports are registered in the computer system could account for the variation, rather than any significant change last year in the number of incidents in the community.

In the past, reports were filed under a single category according to the type of call, with officers able to add additional information, which was uncategorized. However, officers are now able to add additional flags, which do show up in statistics, meaning anyone trying to draw inferences from this year’s statistics is working with an apples-to-oranges comparison. The system was updated at the end of 2023.

“I wouldn’t hit the panic button right away that all these instances are doubling,” Zachary said, adding that it’s more likely the current numbers reflect what was also happening in the past but was underrepresented in statistics.

Last year, the Peacekeepers opened 66 mental health files, compared to 32 in 2023. Meanwhile, the number of domestic violence files opened year over year ballooned from 34 to 59 in 2024, a 73 percent increase.

“Seeing the increase in domestic violence and mental health, it’s alarming at first, but when you know the circumstances surrounding the increase, you can see it’s a little more in line with previous years,” said Zachary.

While the update to the Peacekeepers’ system clouds any discernible trends, it is not the only possible factor for the high number of mental health reports last year.

“I don’t have numbers for you, but I can certainly attest to the fact that the levels of requests for help are really on a progressive increase,” said David Martel, psychologist and clinical supervisor for one of the mental wellness support teams at Kahnawake Shakotiia’takehnhas Community Services (KSCS). 

“The more marked increase happened during the pandemic and shortly after. Now the slope is not as pronounced. The level of increase is not as sharp as during and right after the pandemic, but it is still on the increase.”

This is not necessarily a bad thing, Martel added, because this rise could be attributable to efforts to destigmatize mental health challenges, making people more likely to reach out for help.

“All the work that we’ve been doing on trauma and using what we call a trauma-informed approach really revolves around that, that if you’re in pain, there’s a reason for that, just as if you broke your legs, nobody would be doubting the validity of your pain. We’re trying to bring that same awareness to mental wellness,” he said.

That’s not to say there are not increasing pressures on mental wellbeing – Martel said factors like the worsening cost of living and even eco-anxiety may contribute to difficulties when it comes to mental health.

“What I do know for a fact is of course we do live in a stressful world, and when you add those factors up, of course you’ll see more people that reach the limit of what people can adapt to,” he said.

Martel confirmed that KSCS has also seen a sharp increase in domestic violence in the community in recent years.

Zachary said the policing statistics are important in part because they can serve as a useful resource across Kahnawake.

“It’s a snapshot of the community, of areas that need to be focused on by not just the Peacekeepers but other community organizations,” he said, noting that KSCS, for instance, would likely be interested in the mental health numbers.

Other notable trends include assaults, up to 102 from 79, a 29 percent increase, and mischief, up to 37 from 22. The number of fraud and impaired driving files also ticked up.

Warrants went down to 62 from 96. Break-ins also went down slightly, from 10 to 9, even as a rash of break-ins in early October aroused fear and outrage in the community.

Following the computation of the statistics, it remains business as usual for the Peacekeepers, Zachary said.

“The mission statement remains the same. We’re going to focus on the community, community policing above all else. Hopefully we’re going to see a more positive reduction in numbers next year,” he said.

Kahnawa’kehró:non struggling with mental health challenges can contact KSCS intake at 450-632-6880.

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Marcus Bankuti, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The suspect recently arrested in connection with threats made to the Kateri Memorial Hospital Centre (KMHC) has been ordered to undergo a mental health evaluation before his next court appearance, set for Monday, January 13.

The hospital had to go into lockdown on two separate occasions in December, after a male called in threatening to enter with a firearm and shoot.

The Eastern Door requested a copy of the mental health evaluation report through the judge appointed to Joseph So:se Montour’s case but has yet to hear back. Such reports are typically confidential, but at times can be made public at a judge’s discretion. 

The 29-year-old man has remained in custody since his arrest on December 8. He’s since been charged with six separate offenses after appearing before a judge at the Longueuil courthouse. 

They include three charges of uttering threats, two intimidation charges, and one for allegedly assaulting a Peacekeeper. 

Whether or not he’ll be released from custody is expected to be debated at his next court appearance. He has yet to plead before a judge. 

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The Kahnawake Fire Brigade (KFB) was alerted to a fire at TerraPure by the Kahnawake Peacekeepers, who had been informed of a related road closure by the Roussillon Police.

“It’s my understanding that out of an abundance of caution, (the Peacekeepers) called us to assess and see what was going on,” said KFB interim fire chief Wihse Stacey.

The Mohawk Council of Kahnawake (MCK) posted on Facebook on December 30 that the KFB had joined other fire services the night before, with the fire tamed by 10 p.m. However, when the incident commander arrived on scene to offer assistance, he was told the situation was under control.

“We weren’t called to the fire, we were called because of the fire,” clarified Stacey.

According to the MCK, the fire originated in the area for cardboard and wood pallets, but the air quality surrounding the factory was deemed safe and the direction of the winds that night diminished the impact of the smoke in Kahnawake.

“Fires at recycling plants are actually quite common,” said Stacey, with facilities often required to have fire protection on site.

TerraPure has kept the MCK apprised, according to the Facebook post. TerraPure did not return a request for comment by phone, and the MCK did not provide further details by deadline.

It’s not the first time the recycling plant has rankled Kahnawa’kehró:non – the plant has drawn the ire of those living near the Ste. Catherine industrial complex near Kahnawake Survival School (KSS), who were complaining last spring of a long history of pollution odours in the area, with the MCK confirming spikes in poor air quality at the time.

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Marcus Bankuti, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

For Andrew Delisle Jr., it was always about putting Kahnawake first. 

The son of the late grand chief Andrew Delisle Sr., Andrew dedicated his life to his vision of a sovereign nation, and he was willing to take whatever steps necessary to defend it. 

When Iohahí:io Delisle thinks of his father and his legacy, he said there’s one memory that always stands out.

“It brings me back to during 1990. I was going on 13 at that time,” said  Iohahí:io, Andrew Jr.’s first-born son. “I still remember it like it was yesterday.”

“He sat me down at our dinner table and told me that we’re going to war. We’re at war with Canada, and your responsibility now is to defend our nation,” said Iohahí:io, now a Mohawk Council of Kahnawake (MCK) chief. “He always told me that we’re forever going to be at war, as long as we assert our sovereignty on them and our birthrights, and those are non-negotiable.”

His father’s passing on December 21 was sudden, Iohahí:io said, and happened after he came down with pneumonia. He was admitted to Anna Laberge Hospital, where he spent his final moments that evening surrounded by family. He was 66.

During the 1990 Siege of Kanehsatake, Andrew Jr., and the mother of his children, the late Patricia Birchenough, worked together to get essential items to Kahnawake from across the river in Lasalle.

“My mother was actually the one that contributed to help bring the food and diapers across the water,” said Ioronhiateka Delisle, their son, who was just four at the time.

Their parents also worked together to get sensitive intelligence to the Kanien’kehá:ka Nation. Back then Birchenough, an Irish Montrealer, worked at a hotel that would host Quebec officials who would gather there to talk about the crisis, he said.

“My mother was stealing paperwork for my father to get intel on what the government was doing, and what they were trying to do,” Ioronhiateka said.

Andrew Jr., was also at the forefront of the movement to revitalize traditional government in the community – an effort that centered on working with the MCK to commit to return to its own peoples’ way of governing, under the Great Law of Peace. 

“A lot of the work we did was all geared towards moving Kahnawake forward, getting us out from under the clutches of the Canadian government,” said Council chief Jeffrey Diabo, who began working alongside him after 1990 at the Mohawk Nation Office. 

“As far as the sovereigntist movement is concerned, Andrew was at the forefront of that. He was basically following in the footsteps of his father.”

In the 1990s, he and Andrew Jr., had been representing the 207 Longhouse in the hope of getting Council to recommit to a mandate brought forward at a community meeting in 1979, where the people demanded a return to traditional governance – something the entire Council table also supported at the time.

“It was all geared towards trying to establish some type of unity movement, trying to get people to work together,” Diabo said.

By 1996, Delisle Jr., began working for Council as a Mohawk government development officer, where he remained until being named director of the Lands Unit in 1999. He later served as the director of the office of the Council of Chiefs, a role he remained in until his retirement in 2007.

“It was always about negotiating at the highest level to get the effects of the Indian Act out of Kahnawake,” said Diabo, who later got hired by Council in 2000 to work alongside Andrew Jr., on the traditional government project.

Just this past year, the MCK reaffirmed its commitment to that 1979 mandate, under what’s today called the Kahnawake Governance Project. 

Andrew Jr., was also behind the decision to assign a press attache to speak on behalf of Council, a title he created in 2002 and gave to Joe Delaronde, among K1037 FM’s co-founders.

“He grew up in the environment,” said Delaronde, also a childhood friend of his from grade one onward. “It was natural for him to do what he did.”

Andrew’s mother, the late Gladys Marie Parent, gave birth to him in 1958, just two years before his father was first elected as a Council chief. 

“He was involved in everything, all the political decisions that were made from the time he was there till the time he left,” Delaronde said about his friend.

Those who knew him best described him as a jokester. 

“He always had something funny to say, especially when you weren’t expecting it,” Ioronhiateka said. 

He was also a generous man, his son said, and would often help those in need.

“Everyone loved him because of the way he was,” Ioronhiateka said. “He made everyone in the room feel that they were meant to be there, even if they felt that they weren’t.”

In some circles, he’s known more as a painter than a political man, those who knew him said. About a dozen of his paintings were on display at his wake held at Poissant & Deer on December 26.

“He always painted, right to the end of his life. As a matter of fact, one of the paintings on the wall apparently was painted within two weeks of his passing,” said Delaronde, who said his paintings were often abstract, depicting his spiritual beliefs. “It was really impressive work.”

Andrew Jr., is also survived by his sisters Debbie Delisle and Lynn Delisle, as well as his other children, Jonathan Delisle, Adriane Delisle, Amy Delisle, and Drewanne Delisle, and his 14 grandchildren, in addition to many nieces, nephews, and cousins. 

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Donathan Saganash has worn a lot of hats during his almost two-decade career in law enforcement. 

Saganash, who is Cree, has served in many Indigenous communities, including as a patrol officer, an investigator, and attaining the rank of deputy director of the Eeyou Eenou Police Force in Mistissini. Most recently, he was policing in the Mi’kmaq community of Listuguj’s police department, located in the Gaspesie region of Quebec.

Now, his latest chapter sees him coming to Kahnawake, joining the Peacekeepers as a constable.

Saganash said that after years of working in smaller, more remote communities in the north, he was looking to try something new.

“I got to know some of the Peacekeepers here in Kahnawake during some training. They mentioned that there was opening within the organization, and I came in,” said Saganash.

So far, in the few weeks he has been in the position, Saganash has said the biggest difference with what he was used to before is the size of Kahnawake and the amount of people – and traffic – in town.

“We definitely did not have that much traffic passing through the communities I was in as they do here in Kahnawake,” said Saganash. 

“I feel like policing is policing, no matter where you are, but there are things that are a little bit different in a community that is more secluded, more isolated. Here, it’s like there is really a city feel to things compared to a lot of other communities. It has taken some getting used to, but I learn on the fly, and I got great partners to work with as well.”

Saganash said that so far, he has enjoyed getting to know the community as someone who was not very familiar with it before becoming a Peacekeeper, with the help of the other members of the force.

“I had never really been in Kahnawake before, mostly just passing through or during powwows, but now, I’m seeing the whole community and how everything is structured.” said Saganash. “And the guys here are teaching me about the community, its members, the culture, and the busy parts of town.”

His goal is to take his experience and the teachings about the community and use them to help serve Kahnawa’kehró:non the best he can.

“I want to get to know the community, its members, its culture, and be able to provide policing that is adapted to the Kahnawake Mohawk people, in patrols or investigations or anything like that,” said Saganash.

He has appreciated the welcome and the help the other members of the force have given him so far.

“It has been great. Everybody is great. The team is great,” said Saganash. 

The Peacekeepers have appreciated him joining the force, too.

“We are very excited to welcome Donathan to our team. He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience that comes from 19 years of policing,” said Peacekeepers spokesperson Kyle Zachary. “He has already been out in the community, making connections with community members and learning what makes Kahnawake special. He will be an excellent addition to our roster.”

And, if things align the right way, Saganash is thinking that he could be a part of the roster for a long time to come.

“The intention was to work here for a bit, and if the Peacekeepers would keep me for a long term, then obviously I would take it,” said Saganash.

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The Mohawk Council of Akwesasne (MCA) revealed this week that they have signed a long-awaited and controversial settlement agreement regarding a New York State land claim, with community members unsure what that means for the next steps in the legal process.

MCA joins the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe (SRMT), which signed the agreement on December 11, but the Mohawk Nation Council of Chiefs (MNCC) have voiced their opposition with the settlement and stated that they won’t be signing it. 

MCA, SRMT, and the MNCC formed a tri-council concerning the claim back in 1986, and it’s unclear how the settlement will move ahead without the MNCC agreeing to it. 

MCA refused a request from The Eastern Door for an interview regarding their signing of the agreement and next steps, but provided a statement from their grand chief, Leonard Lazore. 

“Moving forward, the MCA is focusing on strengthening community engagement by providing updates during all future general meetings, where this will become a standing discussion item,” the statement reads. “Additionally, we are actively developing a comprehensive communication plan to ensure timely, clear, and transparent updates for our community.”

The SRMT did not respond to The Eastern Door’s request for an interview.

The agreement seeks to settle a land dispute which has been in the courts since 1982, though the history of the dispute dates back to 1796. Promises in the agreement include free tuition at State University of New York (SUNY) universities for Ahkwesahsró:non, hunting and fishing rights, and a provision for low-cost power, as well as a $70 million payment to be paid by the New York Port Authority (NYPA) to the tri-council over 35 years.

Those opposed to the settlement have, however, expressed concern that there could be room within the agreement for other land claims to be “extinguished” as part of the agreement. In a December 12 press release, the MNCC shared a press release stating that they would no longer recognize Howard Thompson, a Wolf Clan roiá:ner (chief), in part due to his engagement with New York State, SRMT, and MCA regarding the settlement.

“By tying the People of the Longhouse/Mohawk Nation Council of Chiefs/Haudenosaunee Confederacy to this settlement, it inadvertently accepts the legitimacy of the 1796 treaty; which confirms a consensual surrender of our land in New York State,” the release reads.

“We share this notification now, as we cannot wait until after he signs an agreement that could potentially destroy our inherent claim to our ancestral lands.”

The MNCC was unavailable for comment due to Midwinter ceremonies this week, but MNCC Bear Clan mother Louise Herne told The Eastern Door in December “We are greatly opposed to it as it reads.”

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The federal government has filed an application for judicial review of a ruling by the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal (CHRT) from last November, which had ordered the federal government to immediately address a backlog of at least 140,000 Jordan’s Principle requests.

The 14-page summary ruling on November 21 from the CHRT gave Canada 30 days to file a challenge, which they did nearly 30 days later, on December 20.

In a December 10 response to the ruling, Canada revealed that as of December 4, there were approximately 140,000 backlogged requests, including 25,000 self-identified urgent cases. In that letter, they expressed concern with the ordered timelines to address the backlogs from the CHRT, stating that they are not “operationally feasible.”

Jacinthe Goulet, a spokesperson for Indigenous Services Canada and Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada responded to The Eastern Door’s request for comment via email.

“Given the unpredictable volume of new daily requests, it is not possible to estimate the timeframe for clearing all backlogged requests. Every request differs both in the amount of time and effort required to review the request, as well as varying in complexity,” she stated.

“Parents, guardians, and communities should continue to submit requests to Jordan’s Principle for First Nations children.”

The federal minister of Indigenous Services, Patty Hajdu, also released a statement to media concerning Canada’s application for judicial review of the CHRT decision, adding that Canada had requested an abeyance, or pause, on the judicial review until the CHRT releases full reasons related to their summary ruling. 

Hajdu’s press secretary, Jennifer Kozelj, also sent a written statement to The Eastern Door. 

“Our top priority and our intention remain the same; making sure First Nations children have access to the products, services and supports that they need. Canada is working to ensure Jordan’s Principle meets its objectives,” she said. 

Kozelj stated that Jordan’s Principle has grown at “an extremely fast pace over the last few years,” with a 367 percent increase in approved requests from 2021/22 to 2023/24. 

“The CHRT has ruled that Canada needs to co-develop interim criteria and guidelines with the current parties in this process. Canada will work at the pace the parties set,” Kozelj stated.

Judicial reviews can take several months to move through the federal court.

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Stepping into the roles of Mufasa and Scar (aka Taka) was no easy task for Kelvin Harrison Jr. and Aaron Pierre. These characters aren’t just iconographically giant, but they were defined on screen by the voices of James Earl Jones and Jeremy Irons. As Pierre explains in an interview over the phone, the process wasn’t easy. “For me, there was a lot of failing forward. You fell forward until you had a moment of success and then you mined that. That’s where a lot of the joy comes in, because you found something tangible.”

Mufasa: The Lion King, the latest “live-action” Disney film, is a prequel that re-imagines Mufasa’s youth. A story within a story, the movie opens as Simba and Nala go off into the jungle, leaving their young cub to the care of Timon, Pumbaa and Rafiki. To entertain the child, they tell the epic story of Simba’s father Mufasa, and how he came to be king. 

Director Barry Jenkins, fresh off the unexpected Moonlight win at the Oscars and his epic followup for Amazon, The Underground Railroad, initially seemed like an unexpected choice for a Disney family film. Those projects, which both build on intimacy and interpersonal relationships, feel opposed to the larger-scale process of a studio film. 

Yet both Harrison Jr. and Pierre credit Jenkins for establishing a strong creative environment. “A lot of it is just Barry setting the stage, you know. He let us feel like we could kind of try anything, and we felt like it was a really safe space to just play. And I think we understood the assignment, as the kids say,” explains Harrison Jr. He adds that the success of the film relies heavily on this energy. “What transcends the most is our playfulness and our joy in making this experience as truthful as possible. 

Aaron Pierre, who also starred in The Underground Railroad, describes Jenkins: “He rises to the occasion, every occasion. If you look at his filmography, Medicine for Melancholy, Moonlight, The Underground Railroad, If Beale Street Could Talk and Mufasa: The Lion King, he just creates beautiful stories. He navigates challenging topics in a way that is really accessible.”

It’s strange to think, watching Mufasa, that Harrison Jr. and Pierre didn’t meet until after the film was finished. Jokingly, Harrison Jr. says he felt “duped.” Laughing, he explains, “I saw the videos online, and Seth and everybody from the 2019 version were in the studio together, and we didn’t get the opportunity. And I was like, ‘Man, what is the deal here?’ I thought we were all going to get to sing a song together and not do pieces of a song and then put it together. But, you know, testament to everyone’s talent on this one.”

The lengthy process of making these films also means that a lot of other ingredients are missing. Pierre didn’t even know what his character looked like while doing the voice work. Harrison Jr. said he did, but he had to “beg.” Pierre had only seen early sketches, which is very different from the final version. But, he explains, “Barry is so phenomenal that even though I didn’t have those images to reference, he was guiding me in the direction that I needed to go in order for it to seamlessly come together.”

Harrison Jr. recalls talking to Barry about his character’s look. “I remember seeing an interview with Jeremy Irons saying that he didn’t like the sketches of his character at first. He was like, ‘Why y’all want to make me look scrawny like that?’ And so I said, Barry, ‘I watched that interview of Jeremy Irons. Don’t do the same to me. Let’s not repeat history.’ So show me the progress. And he looked quite strong and handsome, so I approved.”

Watching the film for the first time was an intense experience. “It was epic, truly epic. I don’t use that word often. I was skeptical of the 2019 version of it, but there’s something about this that feels different. It feels more interactive and more playful. More honest in a lot of ways,” says Harrison Jr.

For both actors though, the most important thing was bringing kids into the story. They talk about how the film invites such a visceral physical experience, “you can almost smell the lion’s breath” says Harrison Jr. It’s also a kind of coming home, a fulfillment of a kind of dream. “Here we are as 30 year old kids still, getting to live out our little Disney dreams. So thank you. Thank you everybody who let this happen,” says Harrison Jr. ■

Mufasa: The Lion King is now playing in Montreal theatres.

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

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A CBC investigation found that Loblaws and other major grocery stores have been overcharging customers for meat by weighing the product with packaging, increasing the price by 4% to 11%.

Underweighted meat was sold at 80 Loblaws stores in Western Canada for an undisclosed period ending in Dec. 2023, according to CBC, who also discovered the same phenomenon in recent months at four stores in three provinces: two Loblaws locations, one Sobeys and one Walmart.

Federal regulations state that posted net weights for packaged food, and subsequent pricing, can’t factor in the packaging.

Terri Lee, who was a Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) inspector for 24 years before her retirement in 2021, told the CBC that grocery stores have been overcharging customers by selling underweighted meat for years. Lawyer and consumer advocate Daniel Tsai said that even a small weight discrepancy could add up to millions of dollars in profit for grocery chains over time.

“There’s definitely a need here for some kind of rectification that consumers get compensated,” Tsai said.

Iris Griffin, a Manitoba woman who discovered that her local Loblaws was overcharging for meat, complained to the CFIA, which alerted the grocery chain. A Loblaws representative has issued an apology, blaming “operational errors” for the problem and stating that the company is “refreshing” their in-store training.

“We apologize for these errors… We have robust internal processes and controls in place; however, they are subject to the occasional operational error. Even though 97% of our [2,400] stores were unaffected, any pricing issue that results in an overcharge is one too many.”

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

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Onkwehón:we across Turtle Island donned their ribbon skirts on January 4, in recognition of the third annual National Ribbon Skirt Day. 

Ribbon Skirt Day first came about after Isabel Kulak, who was 10 at the time, wore a ribbon skirt to a formal event at her school. The child, a member of the Cote First Nation in Saskatchewan, had been told by teachers at the school that the skirt didn’t count as “formal attire” prompting her and her family to speak out about the experience.

The story sparked outrage across Turtle Island and led to January 4 being designated National Ribbon Skirt Day, an opportunity to reflect on the meaning and history of the ribbon skirt.

In celebration of National Ribbon Skirt Day, The Eastern Door spoke with community members about what their ribbon skirt means to them.

Queenie McComber

Queenie McComber has been making ribbon skirts for decades and puts her heart and soul into each stitch. She said that ideas for new colours and patterns come naturally to her.

“To me, the ribbon skirt means survival, and our identity. Plus, we’re so resilient, it keeps us grounded to Mother Earth, and you wear it with a good mind. I thank the Creator every day for my creativity,” she said. “This is my passion. I love doing babywear, you should see what I make for the summer!”

 Kaylia Delisle-Morris

Kaylia Diabo-Morris didn’t know how to make a ribbon skirt before last month, when she took a class with local designer Karoniénhawe Diabo. 

“Recently, my whole entire family started getting together for a potluck and healing circle. Everyone would wear their ribbon skirts, and we would get a traditional cleanse, and some of us were chosen to get a reading done,” she said. “This is where I started getting an interest to make my own ribbon skirt.”

Diabo-Morris and her family booked a private class with Diabo to learn how to make the skirt.

“It took us three classes to finish. It was very satisfying at the end when I got to wear my own. My husband is in remission from leukemia, so this ribbon skirt was extra special,” she said. “We started the class when he was in remission. He encouraged me to get out of the house and do something for myself, so I did, and I’m glad I got the opportunity to.”

Wendy Mayo

Wendy Mayo teaches community members how to sew their own ribbon skirts at the Golden Age Club, as well as other garments like ribbon shirts. She’s been helping to make owning a ribbon skirt more accessible for the community.

“It represents our culture. It’s medicine, how you wear it,” she said. “I myself wear my skirt knowing all the others that have worn them before me.”

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An investigation is now underway over the sale of hunted meat in Kahnawake, Quebec’s environmental ministry has confirmed.

The investigation being carried out by wildlife officers was triggered following the publication of articles in Le Journal de Montréal that framed the sale of game in the territory as a “black market.”

The reporting targeted community member Shane Stacey in particular, the hunter behind Wild Bush Cuts. The articles written by the French newspaper characterized his operation as “clandestine,” despite him openly advertising his butchering services on Facebook. 

“The sale and purchasing of hunted meat and fish are offences under the Act Respecting the Conservation and Development of Wildlife,” Ève Morin Desrosiers, a spokesperson for the environment ministry wrote in an email to The Eastern Door. “Bartering is also illegal according to the law, meaning you can’t exchange meat for a service, for instance.”

Those found selling or buying hunted meat can be fined, she wrote, with first offences starting at $2,500. 

“We’re all sovereign nations,” Stacey said after learning about the investigation. “Their investigation, it’s kind of for nothing.”

As far as he’s concerned, he has every right to hunt on unceded land, and to pursue work that allows him to provide for his family.

“By asking and playing nice and playing their way with the courts and all that, you’re giving them a shovel. They’re going to bury you,” Stacey said. “You don’t ask, you demand.”

He said he always hunts in moderation on public land, and never in Kahnawake.

“We have every right to barter our goods, especially Native to Native,” he added.

He said he’s been receiving death threats ever since the articles about him appeared in Le Journal de Montréal. 

“It really negatively impacted my life, these articles, but I’m trying to keep my head high,” Stacey said.

He and his brother, also a hunter, have since sat down with Mohawk Council of Kahnawake (MCK) grand chief Cody Diabo and chief David Diabo to talk about the service they provide. At no point did either say they take issue with it, Stacey said.

News that an investigation had been launched came out on December 20, when provincial Indigenous affairs minister Ian Lafrienière confirmed it at a press conference being held in Montreal to mark the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Kahnawake and Quebec.

David Diabo, who oversees the hunting file, confirmed the MCK has since been approached by a representative of the environmental ministry about it. He said a meeting is expected to be held soon at their office between the Council table and officials overseeing the investigation.

“At the end of the day, we have inherent rights to hunt,” the MCK grand chief said. “It always seems like whenever Indigenous people get involved into any type of industry, we always seem to be labelled as black market.”

Asked their position on the sale of meat in the territory, both Council chiefs skirted around whether or not the MCK explicitly forbids it.

“According to their regulation, we can make a moderate living,” Diabo said, referencing the province. “As long as things are being followed to the best of practices, you know. That’s all I can comment on that at the moment.”

David said similarly, adding he doesn’t personally support the sale of game. 

“Traditionally, we don’t sell any free resource. It’s shared within the community,” he said. “We can’t help what hunters are going out to do, but when they come to see us, we tell them, ‘You got to be a little bit more responsible.’”

By that he means hunting in moderation.

“Take what you need. Don’t over harvest. We tell this to everybody,” David said.

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It’s only been 2025 for a few days, but it’s already going down as a year to remember for Iehwatsirine Reed and Joel Morris, who welcomed their baby girl into the world on January 3, marking Kahnawake’s first birth of the year.

“I was just speechless, everyone in the room was crying and I was just so shocked that she was finally here,” said Reed, who was surrounded by her family when she gave birth to baby Iakoterihontátie’ Willa Morris at Anna Laberge Hospital last Friday. “Everything went really, really well, and I was just so super happy.”

Reed had gotten up in the wee hours of the morning on the day of baby Iakoterihontátie’s birth and got a surprise when her water broke on the way to the restroom. Her due date wasn’t until January 9, but immediately contractions started, and Reed knew that she was ready to make her entrance.

It wasn’t long before both Joel and Reed’s families rushed to the hospital – but Reed had a long journey ahead of her, with her labour not coming to an end until 10:05 p.m. that night, when Iakoterihontátie’ was finally born at a healthy 7 lbs. 12 oz.

The proud parents and their newborn daughter made it home by midnight, where they’ve been soaking up every second of parenthood.

“Everything is just new and fresh, and getting to hang up things and seeing her smile and looks change every day is so exciting,” said Reed. “Sometimes she sleeps with her mouth open, or she snores and makes cute little faces.”

As a first-time mom, Reed is planning to potentially get involved in parenting activities in Kahnawake, such as the Ion’tstarónhtha breastfeeding support group, and she’s also planning to apply for a spot at the Iakwahwatsiratátie Language Nest, so that she can raise Iakoterihontátie’ to speak the language.

Joel, who is already a father to two twin boys, said it’s been special to meet his baby girl.

“There’s no words to describe it,” he said. “It’s a big transition from going to all boy stuff, all blue and green to pinks and purple, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

His mother, Susy Lawrence, said that baby Iakoterihontátie’ is so small and beautiful, and looks just like her mother, and Reed’s parents, Merit Cross and Dustin Reed, said that they’re “absolutely in love with this little beauty and so happy to finally meet her.”

Being supported by family made the birthing process much better, Iehwatsirine said, and it was important that her sisters Wahcawin Reed and Iotshatenawi Reed were part of her experience. They were both delighted to meet the newest member of their family.

“Seeing my niece for the first time had me so overwhelmed with love and happiness,” Wahcawin said. “I couldn’t be any more proud of my sister and brother-in-law for gifting us all with this beautiful baby girl in the new year.”

Iotshatenawi called baby Iakoterihontátie’ a “precious gift,” and agreed with her sister that the first look at her new niece led to a rush of emotion.

“I couldn’t help my tears from flowing when she let out her first cry. She’s a perfect little human being, and I’m so thankful she made her journey to this Earth safely,” she said. 

For now, Iehwatsirine and Joel are looking forward to continuing to get to know their new baby, and perhaps to catching up on some sleep – that’s if little Iakoterihontátie’ allows it. 

“We’re just getting to know her every day, and getting used to how life is going to be,” Reed said.

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After more than a decade spent as a university student, Wahéhshon Shiann Whitebean is getting a taste for what it’s like to be the one at the front of the classroom, after accepting a position as a course lecturer at McGill University this semester.

“It’s definitely a different learning experience,” Whitebean said. “It’s a new opportunity for me to be on the other side of things as a prof, and to learn from my students.”

Whitebean’s course, which is being taught as part of McGill’s Indigenous Studies program, is titled “Knowledges, Methods, and Practices of Indigenous Oral History and Storytelling.” The goal of the 200-level class is to introduce students to the founding principles behind Indigenous storytelling and oral practices.

Topics like trickster stories, humour and laughter in storytelling, stories of wampum belts, and the role of settler scholars in Indigenous oral history will be touched on in the course, and students will also have the chance to learn from guest lecturers, including Roxann Whitebean, Wahéhshon’s sister.

“The way I’m approaching the course is just getting my students comfortable with reflecting on the material, but also making sure they’re self-situating, and thinking about their positionality on Turtle Island and in the university,” Wahéhshon said. 

The course works towards a mock project assignment, where students will propose their own oral history research project and describe how they would embark on that research, outlining their motivations and personal relation to their project idea. They will also explain what research methods they would use and why, and any other ethical considerations they might have based on the group or community they would be working with.

Wahéhshon said that by having the students practice these skills in a mock format, they will be better equipped for research projects and other work with Indigenous communities in future.

“I want them to be prepared, because I had some experiences when I was in undergrad where I didn’t feel prepared, both ethically and in terms of my experience to go out and interview people, and that’s problematic,” she said. “They’re thinking it through from start to finish, they know all the steps in the process to consider, and they have strong examples of the dos and the don’ts.”

In particular, Wahéhshon hopes students will leave with a renewed understanding of the role of oral history in academia, which is often overlooked as being less-than in comparison to written documents. Students will put that lesson into practice and will even be permitted to submit monthly learning reflection assignments in oral form instead of written.

“We’re not prescribing entirely to all of the conventional forms of academia. We’re keeping it open, we’re thinking about doing things in a different way,” she said. “It challenges them to see what it takes from the perspective of Indigenous people who practice this.”

She said that it’s particularly meaningful that students will be learning about oral history from an Onkwehón:we professor.

“I bring a two-fold experience to the classroom, one is my lived experience from being in a community, where I grew up in a muti-generational family, I spent a lot of time with elders, I attended Longhouse and I heard a lot of our stories, it was all oral culture,” she said. 

“And then there’s my experience as a researcher, as someone who had to go and learn to walk in the academic world. I go and do oral history and storytelling, and I navigate that from a research perspective.”

It was a full house for the first sessions of Whitebean’s course this week, with all 25 spots filled and a waitlist in place for students eager to nab a seat in her lecture room. 

“I just feel really encouraged,” she said. “It just felt natural.”

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Another New Moon has passed, meaning the time to stir the ash and leave the old year behind for the new one is here again.

It’s an important time of year for Ka’nahsohon Kevin Deer.

“As a faith keeper, Midwinter is the most prominent ceremony to me,” said Deer, who was observing Midwinter this week at the Mohawk Trail Longhouse. 

“I mean, they are all important, but Midwinter sets a precedent for the whole year, because the world is starting anew,” said Deer.

“We just passed to the winter solstice, which was the shortest day, and now every day is going to start to get longer and get brighter. So, it is important that right at this particular time we, for a lack of a better word, humble ourselves to all the natural colours of the universe,” said Deer. 

“The growing season is going to start, the strawberries, raspberries, the corn, the beans, and the squash, until we get to harvest, when we close the season. Then winter comes, and the cycle of ceremonies will start all over again.”

He serves as uncle in the Longhouse during the seven-day celebration that concludes today (Friday.)  The uncles open the ceremonies with the announcement of the forthcoming celebration of their ancestors.

“The belief is that our ancestors are starting a ceremony in the upper world, and we’re aligning ourselves to them,” said Deer. 

“The uncles, they are there to remind you that this is important. They are uncles to every person that is sitting in the Longhouse. It does not matter if you are 100 years old or you are a newborn baby.”

Multiple ceremonies take place during the week-long celebration at the Longhouse.

On the second day, for example, the medicine renewals happen, which address sickness and healing. 

“It is all about spiritual wellbeing, mental wellbeing, physical wellbeing, and emotional wellbeing,” said Deer. “We call the medicine people, who belong to different medicine societies. The spirits of the animals will come to you with a grief that can cause a sickness or disease that doctors cannot cure. That is how someone that can help you to understand what is happening comes to you, and then you, for lack of a better word, become ordained within those various societies.”

Other ceremonies include the burning of the decorated basket carrying the misdeeds of people, which used to be the sacrifice of the dog, whose unconditional love and loyalty represented the counterbalance to the misdeeds.

There is also the feather dance, the naming of babies, the drum dance, and the bowl game, among others. 

Regardless of the length of the ceremony, Deer said that those that come to Midwinter appreciate being able to be there for each one.

“People look forward to Midwinter, because they do not know if they are going to see the next one, so it is important that people make a conscious effort to be here. If you’re going to see it again, well, you are lucky, because it means you made it through the whole year,” said Deer. 

Different communities celebrate Midwinter for different durations, with the Onondaga Nation taking 21 days for their Midwinter.

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When Tanya Talaga and Courtney Montour learned that Playback, a Canadian television industry magazine, would be recognizing them as TV directors of the year for their docuseries The Knowing, based on Talaga’s book, they were both surprised and honoured.

“It was incredible to receive that news, especially from Playback, which is a really important industry resource,” said Montour. “To know that the industry is taking notice in the work that we’re putting out there like The Knowing, which is such an important and personal project, such a personal project for Tanya on residential school and her own family’s experience, that really stood out.”

Talaga, for her part, said that as someone who has not done much directing, it gave her confidence she was on the right path.

“I was totally stunned. It was so nice to see an industry magazine recognize both Courtney and me for the work we did on The Knowing,” said Talaga, who is a member of Fort William First Nation.

“Courtney is a well-known director. She’s super intelligent and has been working in the field for several years. I’m a journalist and a writer; I’ve never been to school for directing. I’m a storyteller. I own a media company, and we produce films, but directing is a whole other ball game, and I feel like I’ve been learning as I go. So, it feels great to be recognized.”

The pair were featured in Playback in the Winter 2024 issue, where editor Kelly Townsend spoke to the two about the process of getting Talaga’s book to the screen.

“I think we felt strongly that it was such a culturally important piece out of Canada this year,” said Townsend on the decision to recognize the docuseries. 

Each year in its Winter issue, Townsend explained, Playback recognizes people, shows, production companies, and others in the industry that they feel deserve to be recognized. While not awards with fixed categories per se, Townsend said that the magazine tends to usually focus on the business part of the industry.

“We tend to focus on the business aspect of things, how well things sold, did they make a profit, their ratings, things like that. However, in the case of The Knowing, this was a situation where we felt culturally, the documentary was an important piece,” said Townsend.

“I will say this is not me speaking as the editor of Playback, but more as a citizen of Canada: I really feel like The Knowing is such an essential read for Canadians to really get the context as to how residential schools happened and the bureaucratic processes behind them,” Townsend said. 

“Some of the numbers of our residential schools are just so massive. And I think Tanya’s ability to put a face to some of those numbers, I think that really puts it into a different context and perspective for Canadians. So, it feels like a very important read for me.”

Montour said that the recognition by Playback is part of a greater recognition of the docuseries across Canada, in the months following its release by CBC.

“I think it’s really important that the work is resonating across Canada, and not only with our own communities. Our communities are who we made the series for, and we collaborated with our communities while we’re doing the work. But it is really important that Canada is able to take in these stories and sit with them,” said Montour.

Talaga reinforced the idea of community collaboration and made sure to return to the communities featured in the docuseries to present it to them.

“It’s been amazing, because we sit down with survivors, we show them The Knowing and, put together, it’s four hours of television. We usually just watched the first two episodes, but in some instances, the survivors said, ‘no, we want to keep going.’ So, our events turned into these four or five-hour gatherings,” said Talaga.

“It’s really a community endeavour. I never want to be a story taker. Some people use that phrase to describe journalism in Indigenous communities, when people go in and out. But that’s not our way. We form relationships with people and then once you get to know people, we don’t just run away with their story and say thank you very much. We have that commitment of going back to community and giving back, and that’s part of how we do that.”

Other ways Talaga’s production company Makwa has given back is the Spirit to Soar Fund, set up in Thunder Bay to help provide Indigenous youth in the region with the resources they need to stay safe during their transition to the urban centre.

When the docuseries was presented at the Toronto Internation Film Festival in September, many of the people featured in the film went to see the presentation.

“It turned out to be a giant celebration. And that’s what filmmaking, to me, is about. It’s about our communities and sharing our stories in a good and responsible way. The work that I do at Makwa Creative, my production company, and through my books and my writing, I try and do that every single time,” said Talaga.

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The 10th edition of the Caroline Ouellette Hockey Celebration took place right before the holidays, with many talented girls participating on teams across age groups and divisions.

According to the organization, the goal of the Celebration is to “inspire young girls ages four to 15 to play hockey while providing them the opportunity to meet successful role models both in hockey and academics.”

And that is exactly what a half-dozen girls from Kahnawake had the chance to do, with one Kahnawake team participating in the U7 “festival” portion of the weekend and some players from town playing on teams in the tournaments.

The celebration is a four-day event, starting this year on December 19, until December 22. It features tournament play for older players, while U7 players get to play against different teams, but scores and results are not tallied.

President of the Kahnawake Minor Hockey Association Brianne Alfred served as coach of the Kahnawake Girlhawks, who participated in the festival, with U7 director Rebecca Scott serving as manager.

“The process was super easy. Brianne approached me asking if we had interest in putting U7 girls into the event, so I told her I’d speak to the parents and get back to her,” said Scott. “We didn’t have many girls, but we made it work.  Just an easy email sent in, and we were set to go!”

Scott decided to act as manager of the seven-player team once she got confirmation of their participation and was very excited to do so.

“An all-girls event is super exciting and a different kind of hockey,” said Scott.

Scott’s daughter, Kallie Diabo, participated in the celebration last year, but not on a Kahnawake team.

“She was the one who said, ‘wouldn’t it be cool if we had enough girls for our own team mama?’ and I said that would be super cool,” said Scott.

The experience did not disappoint at all.

“It was so much fun. Considering it was an early game, the girls showed up ready and really enjoyed themselves to the fullest,” said Scott. “My favourite part was when they scored. Their arms flew up as they immediately looked for their family in the stands.”

She also said that they were all smiles even after stepping off the ice and thoroughly enjoyed their time in their first all-girls game.

Scott and Alfred did, too.

“We’re super happy with the outcome. Brianne and I really enjoyed watching them go out there,” said Scott. “It’s such a positive thing for our young female hockey players to have an event that acknowledges them as female athletes.”

She said they are already looking forward to the next one. 

 “I 100 percent would put our girls back in, next year and the years after. I hope to put some of our older girls in as well,” said Scott.

Participants also had the chance to meet the namesake of the celebration, four-time Olympic gold medalist and Hockey Hall of Fame member Caroline Ouellette.

“Caroline made her way to every locker room to see and talk with the girls for a bit, she made a fast entrance, to high five our girls, say a few words and made her way out,” said Scott.

Other legends present for autograph signings and coaching included four-time Olympic medalist for Team USA and current Concordia Stingers women’s hockey head coach Julie Chu, three-time gold medalist and Order of Canada recipient Kim St-Pierre, and ex-Montreal Stars captain Lisa-Marie Breton-Lebreux.

Alfred’s daughter, Briella Kirby, was one of three girls from the community to participate in tournament play, competing as part of the U11 AA Lac St. Louis Warriors. The other two, Aria Kirby-Snook and Bria Bakersfield, both played for the U13 AA Lac St. Louis Warriors – although neither team were finalists. 

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Skating enthusiasts in Kahnawake can rejoice, as the outdoor ice surface near the old site of K1037 is ready to use, with the second one in the New Development on the way soon.

“When it comes to outdoor rinks, we are at the mercy of the weather, so they are ready now because the weather is perfect,” said Roiatate Horn, director of the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake (MCK)’s Sports and Recreation Unit.

Horn said that during the holiday season, there was an attempt to get the ice ready, giving two days of skateable ice – before the late-December rain melted it away.

This week had multiple days of freezing temperatures, which meant making viable ice surfaces possible.

But it is not just as easy as running a hose for a few hours when it is cold out to make everything ready.

“What normally happens is we need a few days of subzero temperatures so that the asphalt is cold enough to freeze water,” said Horn. If the long-range forecast is leaning that way, that is the time to put the water down. 

“The guys then clear out any snow and debris, before watering small layers at a time,” said Horn. Each layer needs to freeze before another can be added, and from five to 10 layers are needed to put in enough ice to skate on. 

According to Horn, right now, the ice is good enough to skate on but still needs some smoothing out to make it ideal for a game of hockey, which will be done in the upcoming days.

Even with the ice ready, it still needs watering, in the morning and at night.

“Some of the guys are doing overtime in the cold weather to make that happen. I’m so happy that they have the passion to work outdoors in this cold weather, in the morning and late evening, and I just want the community to know that Sports and Recreation has passionate workers that want to bring fun to the community,” said Horn.

The other thing Horn wants the community to know is to remember to be mindful of others when using the ice.

“We just want everyone to respect the neighbours. The rinks are in residential areas, so we ask that they keep the noise down, and that they don’t launch pucks and sticks on private property,” said Horn. 

“And on the ice, to remember that the ice is shared. If you are playing a game, just remember that not everyone is there for hockey, it is a shared space. Everyone needs to respect each other’s shared uses of the surface.” 

Finally, even if one is being active, they need to remember to be equipped for their own safety, both to prevent injury and to keep them guarded against the cold.

“While there are no rules for equipment, we encourage people to wear helmets and have the proper equipment,” said Horn. “And, even if you are moving, you need to stay warm, dress for the weather, even pack a warm drink in a Thermos to keep yourself warm and prevent frostbite or other cold-related things.”

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Kanien’kehá:ka forward Carey Terrance of Akwesasne has won his second straight gold medal with Team USA at the 2025 World Junior Hockey Championships. 

The 19-year-old played in all seven of Team USA’s games during the tournament, held in Ottawa from December 26 to January 5. While Terrance was on last year’s gold medal team, he did not appear in any games for Team USA.

While Terrance was not one of Team USA’s leading scorers – he registered two goals during the tournament – both goals ended up making the highlight reel.

His first came during the opening game of the tournament for Team USA on Boxing Day against Team Germany. On a two-on-one rush, Terrance and Brandon Svoboda passed back and forth to each other before beating the German goaltender. The goal was Team USA’s seventh of the game, which they won 10-4.

His second, scored in a 4-3 overtime loss to Finland during the group stage, was a thing of beauty. Terrance took the puck in the neutral zone, and skated into the offensive zone, deked a Finnish defender above the left faceoff circle, then snapped home the goal, tying the game at one in the first period.

Terrance averaged 13 minutes per game during the tournament, playing an important role on the penalty kill.

Drafted by the Anaheim Ducks in the second round, 59th overall in the 2023 NHL draft, Terrance is currently playing Junior hockey as captain of the Erie Otters of the Ontario Hockey League. He has 14 goals and 12 assists in 29 games for the Otters.

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High-profile cabinet minister Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly says she won't seek the Liberal leadership, according to a source with knowledge of her plans.

A Quebec water bomber fighting the Palisades Fire in Los Angeles was grounded on Thursday after it collided with a drone flying in restricted airspace, officials said. 

The tax went from $59 to $150. Add an existing $30 contribution on top of that, and those affected are seeing a $180 public transit fee on their bills.

APTN will air three NHL games in Cree on Jan. 18, Feb. 8 and Feb 22 and three more NHL games in Inuktitut on March 8, March 22 and April 12.

By William Crooks

Local Journalism Initiative

As the critical lease renewal period approaches in Quebec, a series of workshops aimed at empowering tenants with essential knowledge of their rights and obligations will be held in Stanstead and Magog this January. Organized by the Chantier Habitation’s Info-Logement committee, these free sessions aim to address the challenges posed by the ongoing housing crisis, which has left many residents struggling to find stable and affordable housing.

“This year, we’re thrilled to offer a bilingual workshop in Stanstead for the first time,” said Amélie Hudon, community development officer at the Corporation de Développement Communautaire (CDC) Memphrémagog and a key member of the organizing committee. Hudon explained in a recent interview that Stanstead’s workshop, scheduled for Jan. 18 at the community room of the Stanstead Arena, marks a significant step in making these sessions more accessible to the region’s English-speaking population.

Addressing a persistent housing crisis

Hudon emphasized the urgent need for these workshops in light of the ongoing housing crisis. “We don’t have any local organizations specifically defending tenant rights, so we asked ourselves what we could do to help,” she said. “Many tenants, and even landlords, don’t fully understand their rights and obligations, which can lead to misunderstandings and hardships.”

She also highlighted the broader challenges faced by tenants in the Memphrémagog region. “We have very few affordable housing options and no non-profit housing in the area,” Hudon noted. “This makes it extremely difficult for people, especially as rents and housing prices continue to rise.”

Recent statistics from the Chantier Habitation provided by Hudon illustrate the severity of the problem. The median monthly rent in the Memphrémagog region in summer 2023 was $1,550. A household would need to earn at least $62,000 annually to maintain a housing cost ratio of 30 per cent. The vacancy rate in Magog was only 1.3 per cent, with a shocking 0 per cent availability for three-bedroom units and just 1 per cent for two-bedroom units. For comparison, a balanced vacancy rate is considered to be 3 per cent.

In addition to these systemic issues, Hudon highlighted the growing problem of discrimination in the rental market. “We are observing all kinds of discrimination,” she said, emphasizing the need for tenants to be equipped with information and tools to protect their rights.

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L’article Tenant rights workshops return to Stanstead and Magog est apparu en premier sur Sherbrooke Record.

By William Crooks

Local Journalism Initiative

The Centre des Femmes La Parolière, a longstanding institution in Sherbrooke, is preparing to unveil its 2025 winter programming on Wednesday, Jan. 15. The launch event will take place at the Centre’s heritage home at 217 rue Belvédère Nord at 10 a.m. and promises to offer attendees a glimpse into a diverse array of activities aimed at fostering well-being and personal growth.

Marysol Garcia, the Centre’s coordinator, described the event as an opportunity for women to connect, learn, and participate in a supportive environment. “The Centre’s mission is to support every woman through solidarity, sharing, and mutual aid, so she can discover her strengths, develop her potential, and thrive,” Garcia said during a recent interview.

The winter session is the first of three annual programming schedules, following the introduction of a new seasonal format. While some activities are returning favourites, new options are being introduced this year to broaden the appeal and cater to diverse interests.

Inclusive and diverse programming

With services offered in French, English, and Spanish, the Centre has long sought to make its programming accessible to the community it serves. Garcia highlighted new activities being introduced this winter, including aqua yoga, alongside staples like yoga, Tai Chi, and creative workshops.

In addition to these classes, the Centre has added a monthly social activity calendar designed to include women who may not be able to commit to longer-term programming. Events such as café meetups, Valentine’s Day gatherings, and activities for International Women’s Day are planned.

“We aim to be open and inclusive, which is why we also consider expanding activities in other languages based on the needs of our community,” Garcia explained. She noted that previous initiatives, like a Spanish-language café in the fall, reflected the Centre’s responsiveness to the community’s evolving needs.

Garcia encouraged women to attend the Jan. 15 launch event, where facilitators and team members will present the activities and services. On-site registration begins at 11:30 a.m., with phone registrations opening later that afternoon.

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L’article New winter programming launches at Sherbrooke’s Centre des Femmes la Parolière est apparu en premier sur Sherbrooke Record.