Category: News

The Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke (MCK) is launching a new initiative that aims to increase the number of permits for Electronic Gaming Devices (EGDs) on the territory.

In a release, the MCK frames the initiative as a method to strengthen Kahnawà:ke’s gaming industry and funnel the revenue back into the community.  It points out that gaming revenues have generated over $100 million in the past 30 years, much of which have gone towards supporting essential services, infrastructure, and underfunded programs. This expansion of own-source gaming revenue is projected to exceed the $100 million mark on an annual basis.

The Kahnawà:ke Gaming Commission (KGC) will employ a phased approach in the expansion, overseeing an application process which is estimated to take one year to complete. The construction and implementation phases come next, resulting in a 18-24 month timeline for new EGD permits to become operational. When issuing new permits, the KGC intends to introduce a revised slate of regulations and sharpen its focus on location selection, public safety and operational transparency.

Ohén:ton í:rate ne Ratitsénhaienhs Cody Diabo expects the expansion to revitalize essential programs and support community priorities, but he emphasizes that the industry needs to remain under a watchful eye. “The community has seen many benefits from EGDs” said Diabo. “Learning from experience that with growth, we also need to ensure the enhancement of the regulatory and operational oversight of the growing industry.”

The KGC plans on introducing new protocols in the name of safety and transparency, including mandatory public safety screenings, clearer ownership requirements, and stricter due diligence for operators. Amendments are already being made to existing regulations to ensure they comply with anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing standards.

Public safety will be prioritized through sweeping regulatory enhancements. These include new road safety measures and mandatory training for safety and gaming security teams, as well as mandatory health, fire and security checks for all gaming establishments. Regular monitoring, auditing and public reporting will also be core elements of the expansion.

The MCK plans on gathering community input on both the permit expansion itself and the regulatory enhancements that come along with it. Details on the engagement process- and the application process- will be made available in the near future.

Kahnawà:ke’s Waste Management department reminds the community that recycling is now only being picked up once every 2 weeks.

The new schedule was implemented last week, meaning recycling will not be collected this week, January 12 – 16, 2026. Waste Management reiterates that this shift is the only change to the schedule, and pickup will still occur on the same day it used to.

Businesses will continue to have their recycling collected on a weekly basis, and cardboard pickup will continue weekly on the same day as usual. Compost collection will also remain weekly, on the same day recycling is usually picked up. Garbage is unaffected by this change, and will still be collected every Friday.

Recycling pickup will resume next week (January 19 – 23, 2026) and continue with the one-week-on, one-week-off system moving forward.

The Lands Unit of the Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke (MCK) is launching a Land Use Planning Community Engagement Initiative, with the goal of collecting feedback for the development of a Land Use Plan.

The Land Use Plan will guide how land and resources are stewarded now and into the future, as well as identify areas of cultural and environmental significance that need protection. As part of the Plan’s development, the Lands Unit is running several engagement activities including a community-wide survey, an Open House, and two in-person focus groups.

The focus groups are scheduled to take place Wednesday, January 21st in the Lands Unit boardroom. There will be one session from 9AM to 12PM, and a second from 1PM to 4PM. The focus groups carry a maximum attendance of 10 people, so those who wish to take part should contact Lands Technician Assistant Summer Martin at summer.martin@mck.ca or at 450-638-8244.

After the focus groups, an Open House Kiosk will be held the following day- Thursday, January 22nd- from 9AM to 4PM in the lobby of the Kahnawà:ke Services Complex.

In its announcement, the Lands Unit says the planning process behind the future Land Use Plan will “balance community priorities related to housing, economic development, and long-term sustainability”. Community members are encouraged to participate in as many engagement opportunities as possible, as feedback will be key in shaping the future of land use in Kahnawà:ke.

The Kateri Memorial Foundation (KMF) has promoted from within to fill the position of Executive Director. Skye Thomas will now take on that role, after joining the KMF back in April 2025.

In a release, the KMF describes Thomas as “an engaged community member with a strong commitment to the mission and future of the Foundation”. Thomas played a key role in coordinating and managing volunteers for last year’s Charity Golf Tournament, which the Foundation says demonstrates strong leadership and adaptability. She has also been the owner and operator of GIA Kahnawake for the past 8 years, honing skills the KMF hopes will help support its continued growth.

“I feel extremely grateful and humbled for this opportunity” said Thomas. “The foundation does really important work within the health care sector and to support health care, so I’m really proud and excited to step into this new role and to continue serving the community”.

Every year, the Foundation raises nearly 3-quarters of a million dollars for charity through events like Tso-Tso’s Duck Race, Karonhiaráhstha’s Winter Wonderland, the Golden Ticket, and the Charity Golf Tournament.

The Superior Court of Quebec has dismissed an application for an interlocutory injunction brought by the owners of Magic Palace, who were seeking to reinstate the Royalty Agreement between the business and the Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke (MCK).

In its December 17, 2025 decision, the Court found that the Plaintiffs could not establish a serious issue to be tried regarding Council’s right to terminate the agreement. It also found that their allegation of abuse of right was ill founded, and that the balance of convenience swung in the MCK’s favor, upholding its decision to terminate the Royalty Agreement.

The Court determined that all evidence pointed towards the Royalty Agreement being violated when control of Magic Palace was handed to a non-local, Mr. Luftar Hysa. The Plaintiffs have since filed an application for leave to appeal the judgment, and it’s expected to be heard in the Court of Appeal on February 19th.

In a release, the MCK emphasized that Magic Palace and its owners are still seeking significant damages against the Council, as well as a declaratory judgement to reinstate the Royalty Agreement. As the case remains tied up in court, and no trial date has been set, the MCK says it will not provide further comment at this time.

Kahnawa’kehró:non can look forward to a bit of a financial boost this coming Spring.

The Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke (MCK) has announced the introduction of a one-time Inflationary Benefit Payment, which will see every member on the Kahnawà:ke Kanien’kehá:ka Registry (aged 18 or older) receive $500 in May 2026.

The initiative comes in response to the rising cost of living, and is intended to offset inflationary pressures and provide financial relief directly to community members. In a release, Ohén:ton í:rate ne Ratitsénhaienhs Cody Diabo said the payment will support Kahnawa’kehró:non struggling with the mental toll of financial instability. “In a time where inflation has impacted our everyday lives and has caused immense stress, anxiety, and financial uncertainty among community members, this one-time payment provides a meaningful way to support all during these difficult times” Diabo said.

Ratsénhaienhs Paul Rice, Economic Development and Administrative Affairs Portfolio Lead, adds that the initiative is being paid for by Kahnawà:ke’s gaming industry. “The majority of our own source revenue comes from gaming revenue, so we wanted to do something that would have a direct impact on individual community members” he said in an interview with K1037 News. “We know there’s been a lot of increases to [the] cost of living, and inflation has really had an impact on the average family. So yes, we wanted to allocate gaming revenue to this first-time Inflationary Benefit Payment.

Rice says that community members will receive a callout in the coming weeks, reminding them to update their information and ensure it matches the Kahnawà:ke Kanien’kehá:ka Registry. “When that callout happens, it’s important that you contact the appropriate department and update your information so that you will, in fact, receive the payment”.

The Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke (MCK) is in the process of negotiating with two different companies in order to have propane delivered to cabins in Tioweró:ton again. Budget Propane was previously responsible for bringing propane to around 20 customers on the territory, but recently suspended deliveries due to the weight limit on the access bridge.

A structural analysis of the load-bearing capacity of Falls Bridge concluded that the limit was 5 tonnes, while Budget Propane’s delivery trucks weigh 18 tonnes. Company President Guy Marchand confirmed to K1037 News that deliveries were halted as a result, adding that continuing as usual would put his drivers’ safety at risk.

Ratsénhaienhs David Diabo now says that the MCK is working to find a solution. “The Head Caretaker was telling me that they did find two other resources to deliver propane: one from Sainte-Agathe and one from Mirabel” said Diabo. “We’re going to try to get a new contract with the other two providers, just to make sure that everybody has some propane to get them through the winter”.

Diabo adds that those who reside in Tioweró:ton the rest of the year are not being left behind, either. “Now, we know there’s a handful of people that stay there year-round,” he said. “We’re going to do our best to make sure that they have what they need”.

The Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke (MCK) is calling on the community to report businesses in the region that refuse to honor the Band Card for point-of-sale tax exemption. Ratsénhaienhs Jeffrey Diabo met with Quebec representatives to address the issue, which sometimes even affects deliveries within Kahnawà:ke territory.

“It seems to have gotten worse now, from what I understand” Diabo said. “It just comes down to Quebec enforcing whatever agreement is in place with Kahnawà:ke. They’re not doing that, so [at] my meeting with the Quebec representatives before the holidays, I raised the issue and they committed to looking into it and taking action on their side”.

Diabo adds that the representatives requested that the MCK compile a list of businesses or organizations that refuse to honor the Band Card. As a result, the Council has established an email and phone number which community members can contact with their reports.

Reports can be sent by email to taxissues@mck.ca or to Tricia Collier by telephone at 450-638-0500. They must include the business name and location, the name of the manager, owner, or employee involved, the date and time of the interaction, and the reason provided for refusal. Incidents will then be compiled and submitted to Revenue Quebec on a weekly basis.

Diabo says that while the province holds the lion’s share of responsibility, Kahnawà:ke needs to hold up its end of the bargain. “The problem is two things,” Diabo said. “First of all, Quebec is not enforcing it, so their people are not being held to account. At the same time, we have to make sure Quebec is aware of the businesses that are refusing, and that may be where we’re kind of [in a] deficit on our side- in keeping them informed that this is a problem”.

Kahnawà:ke’s new outdoor lacrosse and hockey rink will be ready soon, according to Sports & Recreation Director Roiatate Horn. “Phase 1 of the rink is more or less complete, we’re just waiting on some final signoffs from engineers and project managers”, said Horn. The site of the rink is located just outside the Kahnawà:ke Sports Complex.

Horn hopes the first blades will hit the ice in time for Christmas, but he says the rink still needs some work before it’s ready to go. “The refrigeration part of it actually is not up and running this year- that’s part of Phase 2”, he said, adding that the equipment has already been installed, but isn’t operational just yet. The plan is to have the rink covered in time for Spring 2027.

Horn originally wanted the rink to be ready for lacrosse, but that plan didn’t materialize in time. “Minor Lacrosse […] sort of started the community fundraising initiative with this, and their goal was to put a roof over the outdoor rink by Orville Standup Park”, Horn said. “Our goal was to ensure that they were the first ones on it, but given the weather that we’re working with right now, it’s not ideal for lacrosse to be using that”.

After 7 years of negotiations, the Federal Government is returning 162 acres of land to Kahnawà:ke. The land in question is spread across 2 lots in St. Remi and St. Isidore, and talks regarding these lots and the Seigneury of Sault St. Louis have been ongoing since 2018.

Ohén:ton Í:rate ne Ratitsénhaienhs Cody Diabo says the turning point in discussions came with a visit from Canada’s new Minister of Crown–Indigenous Relations. “It happened when we had the new minister Rebecca Alty in the territory, and we did a tour of the seigneury to show all the development and the need to really move on this file now” Diabo said, emphasizing the “frustrations from the community seeing development after development”.

Diabo also says that the 162 acres are a fraction of what the community is due. “What’s owed, I’ll say, is about 24,000 acres” said Diabo. “Kahnawà:ke was about 40,000 and then- you know, from the Jesuits and different things- a lot of it got utilized without our consent. So yeah, there’s about 24,000 acres that are within the grievance itself”.

The returned lots are mostly farmland, but the Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke (MCK) says they have not yet determined what the land will be used for. That said, they plan on holding community engagement sessions in the new year to provide information and collect feedback from Kahnawa’kehró:non.