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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.

A statement posted to social media said that all entrances to the Village area of Kahnawà:ke would be closed to non-residents between 3 and 6PM on December 3rd, 2025, but the Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke (MCK) says they were not responsible for the announcement.

In a release, the MCK said that the Public Safety Division and the Kahnawake Mohawk Peacekeepers (KMPK) were also not behind that statement, although Peacekeepers have initiated redirection of non-local traffic away from the village area during afternoon rush hour in order to mitigate congestion issues.

Ohén:ton Î:rate ne Ratitsénhaienhs Cody Diabo says that halting or redirecting traffic requires extensive planning. “It’s not as simple as just saying, ‘I put something in the road, you can’t pass’ “, said Diabo. “There has to be proper lights, proper signalization, proper signage… they can’t just be there sort of shutting it down, saying ‘no, nobody’s in’ “.

Diabo adds that jumping the gun on traffic mitigation measures can actually worsen the situation. “It’s going to take time for [drivers] to turn around- and if they’re frustrated- they turn around fast and they get into an accident, then it backs up traffic even more”.

Quebec is getting its first Indigenous-owned commercial real estate agency, and former Grand Chief Kahsennenhawe Sky-Deer is one of the people spearheading it.

She serves as the Vice-President of Corporate Affairs at Panorama, an agency that aims to provide strategic services to businesses, governments and communities across the province. Panorama was founded by Benoit Loyer, a Mi’gmaq from Listuguj, and is supported by partner and real estate broker, Susan Levinger. Speaking at the agency’s launch on Wednesday, Sky-Deer recalled how she, Loyer and Levinger came up with the idea.

“They said, “you know what, there’s no one occupying the field in commercial real estate as it pertains to First Nations””, Sky-Deer said. “So, let’s launch a new division, a new company- and this is what we’re gonna do: we’re gonna bring people together in a good way”.

“Trust, collaboration, the spirit of unity, all those things that were just shared” she continued, following an introduction from elder Ka’nahsohon Deer. “About how we need to think different, how we need to do different, and take care of our people. All people. And so that was kind of the vision and the spark of where Panorama was born”.

Kahnawà:ke residents can expect some difficulty getting around the area in the coming months.

A paving project on the Old Malone Highway will cause a partial closure of the road for the next month or so. Work on the project began today and is expected to carry on until October 3rd. The section of the Old Malone Highway between the Canadian Pacific Kansas City Tunnel and the Route 132 intersection will be completely closed during that time. However, detours are in place for businesses impacted by the closure and for those travelling to the village area via the 132.

Châteauguay, meanwhile, will be having its own share of traffic problems as work to re-align Industrial Boulevard gets underway this Wednesday, September 10th. Boulevard Saint-Jean-Baptiste, between Rue Rodrigue and Boulevard Saint-Francis, will be down to one lane in each direction until December. Access from Saint-Francis to Saint-Jean-Baptiste will also be completely closed Wednesday and Thursday.

Onerahtókha Karlie Marquis is on leave from her position as Executive Director at the Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke (MCK). K1037 News has learned of an internal memo sent to MCK staff this week, confirming that Marquis is on leave as of Tuesday, September 2nd. Her possible return date is yet to be determined.

An MCK spokesperson tells K1037 News that this is an internal Human Resources matter. When asked for comment, Marquis confirmed that she is on leave, but could not comment further. The Council’s Executive Office will be re-delegating her responsibilities until the matter is resolved.

A new courthouse is coming to Kahnawà:ke. Land is already being cleared, filled and levelled at the building site, which sits between K103.7’s studios and the Kahnawà:ke Animal Protection offices. The plan is to bring in a one-storey, modular building that will measure approximately 60 x 60.

“Justice Services is in the process of looking into securing a modular building that will be used to house different justice services”, says Commissioner of Justice, Kevin Fleischer. “Land has been designated next to the K103 radio station and the animal protection office for the future construction of the Community Justice Center”.

“There’s been a rapid expansion of our justice system over the past several years”, adds Fleischer. “We simply need proper space and facilities for our services, and to better serve the community”.

The KMHC has identified three (3) positive Influenza cases in our Long-Tern Care Units 1 & 2. You are asked to follow KMHC’s Infection Prevention & Control directives to protect vulnerable community members and staff, including: wearing a mask in Residential Units at KMHC; practice hand hygiene before visiting residents at KMHC; and delay visiting residents at KMHC if you have symptoms of influenza.

A local, familiar name is no longer with us. Kahnawà:ke’s Connie McArdle has passed. McArdle survived a liver transplant using a pig’s organ in 1994 and lived to the age of 86, died on March 10^th. McArdle’s mother Annie Montour was from Kahnawake, where she remained active in the community in the years before and after her procedure. She served on the Kateri Memorial Hospital Foundation board and worked for decades at the Eastern Door newspaper, almost from its inception.