Category: Featured

The Kahnawà:ke Environment Protection Office is conducting a fish study and is calling on ice fishing enthusiasts in the community to take part. The study is to analyze if any levels of contaminants are present and impacting the local fish population. KEPO is looking to collaborate with ice-fishing community members to collect samples for analysis. The upcoming study will follow up on previous works in 1997 and 2010.

An information session was held in December where items discussed included: the review of knowledge of fish health; previous fish health studies in Kahnawà:ke; the joint development of methods in this upcoming study; and expectations for the study.

A permit has been granted to Memory Tree Productions valid from today until this Sunday, January 29^th. The Lands Unit of the Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke (MCK) saying that the educational production deals with a person suffering from Dementia and will include participation of the Kahnawà:ke Peacekeepers and Kahnawake Search and Rescue.

The filming locations include: The Peacekeeper Station; the Kahnawà:ke Sports Complex; the old KSS campus; and a private residence near the Sports Complex. This production will not require any road closures or disruptions to traffic. You are being advised that due to the nature of the production, there will be several emergency vehicles in the area of the filming locations.

The environment minister (The Ministère de l’Environment, de la Lutte contre le changement climatiques, de la Faune & des Parcs or MELCCFP) has announced that a wastewater overflow event is planned by the City of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu into the Richelieu River from January 30^th until April 3^rd. The reason for the overflow is due to major repairs to the Champlain pumping station. While The Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke (MCK) understands the need to conduct the repairs, it is objecting to the MELCCFP’s authorization of the overflow event due to their failure to properly assess and compensate for environmental impacts.

The MCK will continue to address these issues and is advising community members to avoid activities (especially fishing) on or near the Richelieu River while the overflow takes place.

After three and a half years as the Executive Director of the Kateri Memorial Hospital Center (KMHC), and having steered the KMHC through the pandemic, Lisa Westaway is leaving her job. Westaway will become the Ontario Regional Executive Officer of the First Nation & Inuit Health Branch of Indigenous Services Canada. She let her staff know this morning:

“Honestly, I think it was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do. You know, I’ve switched positions in my lifetime, I’ve done a few different things and this was one of the harder ones. We’re in a really good place, we have an awesome team and you know, that doesn’t change whether I’m here or not.”

Frankie McComber, the Chair of the Board at the KMHC, told K1037 News:

“It’s going to affect the hospital in a serious way, I think it’s important to just say thank you to Lisa and her family for all they’ve done for the last three and a half years, not only just for the hospital but for our community. Through COVID I was able to see her first hand do the work and she always gave One hundred percent. During the pandemic she probably gave 120-130 percent. So, all that time is just greatly appreciated.”

Commissioner of Public Safety Lloyd Phillips telling K1037 News that he could not have headed up the special COVID-19 Task Force without Westaway’s support, guidance and leadership:

“The success of the Task Force is largely with her contribution, my success, the Task Force’s success, the community’s success is also her success. I honestly believe we wouldn’t be as successful if it wasn’t for her leadership and knowledge to help guide us through some tough times.”

Westaway begins her new job on April 3rd.

The Kahnàwake’s Winter Community Meeting has been confirmed for Tuesday, February 21st  at the Golden Age Club. The Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke saying that the meeting will begin at 7pm with a formal agenda to be announced as the date approaches.

There will be two Ratitsénhaienhs Community Engagement Kiosks held ahead of that meeting, booked for both February 10th and 17th  at the Golden Age Club. Both are scheduled to run from 1pm until 5pm.

Martin Stacey, the Director of the Lands Unit, is leaving his position to move into the private sector. An MCK release this afternoon highlights Stacey’s career that launched at the MCK Lands Unit in 1995 as a Landfill Inspector eventually joining the newly developed Lands Unit in 2002 as a Land Management Officer. In that role, he helped develop the Unit into what the Community is familiar with today. In 2013 Stacey became General Manager of Land Management and in 2019, he became Director of the Lands Unit. During his tenure, he played a key role in building capacity and developing procedures, processes and policies that were instrumental in taking away many of the land services away from Indian Affairs/Federal Office, and providing them directly to own community via the MCK Lands Unit.

Martin Stacey was a skilled negotiator who had no issue taking his federal counterparts to task when Kahnawà:ke’s interests were not favored. His knowledge and special skill sets have been recognized well beyond Kahnawà:ke, as he sits on several national boards across Canada with the goal of helping other Indigenous nations develop their own land management capacities.

His final day as an MCK employee will be this Friday, January 27th.

The Kahnawà:ke Justice Commission is seeking one community representative to serve as a member of the Commission. Roles and Responsibilities as a member of the Commission include: providing oversight to MCK Justice Services; ensuring the independence of judges; ensuring the institutional independence of the Court of Kahnawà:ke; and ensuring the reasonable and sufficient independence of members of the Administrative Tribunal. The Commission meets monthly, with an honorarium provided. Anyone interested in the role should submit a letter of intent by Tuesday, 23 Enníska/February 23^rd , 2023, to:

Kevin Fleischer, Commissioner of Justice
Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke
P.O. Box 720
Kahnawà:ke Mohawk Territory.
J0L 1B0

A signed privacy waiver for a criminal background check will be required. Eligibility requirements can be found in the Terms of Reference.

The Office of the Kahnawà:ke Kanien’kehá:ka Registry (OKKR) says the most recent additions to the Registry have been posted on the OKKR page on the kahnawake.com website. Melanie Gilbert is the General Manager of the KKR. She says that the additions were approved under the regulations developed and passed as part of the Kanien’kehá:ka of Kahnawà:ke Law which was passed in 2018:

“In 2018, this is the amended version, so since 2018 we’ve been making decisions on adding people to the KKR and this is just the most recent group of additions over this past 8 months or so.”

Since Brooke Stacey was named as the Registrar in December, 2021, 83 people have been added to the list, including 64 children.

Expect Mercier Bridge work and closures tonight from 8pm until 5 am Thursday morning. The MTQ will be working on the lighting systems on the span, the 138 in Lasalle and A-20 in one direction at a time. Expect partial and temporary lane closures.

Shelley Goodleaf-McComber is retiring. She will leave her position as Principal at Kateri School on June 30^th after a 35-year career. Shelley began her KEC career as a volunteer in 1982, then as a Teaching Assistant at Kateri School in 1988. After obtaining her Bachelor of Education in 1989, she transitioned into being a classroom teacher. Goodleaf-McComber continued her education, receiving a degree in 1995 in Special Education followed by her Masters of Education in 2003. Her career path led to a position as a resource teacher, then Assistant Principal and finally, Kateri School Principal from 2015 to the present. She dedicated her entire career to Kateri School and its students. Fallen Jacobs is the Associate Director of Education for the Kahnàwake Education Center on the big role that needs to be filled:

“Well, it’s definitely a loss for our system, Shelley has been with the KEC for a good, long, 35-year career. Her shoes will definitely be hard to fill, but we’re excited for Shelley for her next steps on her life’s path and we wish her all the best and we’re looking forward to collaborating with her on mentoring a new principal at Kateri School.”

Goodleaf-McComber is looking forward to what the next chapter of her life will bring. Her career story highlights the significant impact a parent can have on education and how volunteering can evolve into a lifetime of educating a community. After a few years of contemplation and uncertainty of when to walk away, she had firmly decided that she’s ready to retire from her position as the principal of Kateri School, eager to have more time to spend with her grandchildren and devote time to personal interests.