Kahnawake will be able to enjoy Île-Saint-Bernard at no cost
Members of the Kahnawake community can now visit the Marguerite-D’Youville wildlife refuge on Île-Saint-Bernard in Châteauguay free of charge.
Translation Amanda Bennett
It was during a “friendly meeting” between the Director General of Héritage Saint-Bernard, Luc L’Écuyer, former Mayor Pierre-Paul Routhier and Grand Chief Kahsennenhawe Sky-Deer on October 26, that this collaboration was proposed, said the municipality in a press release.
The wildlife refuge portion of the island is owned by the provincial government. To ensure the maintenance and security of the site, Héritage Saint-Bernard collects an access fee on its own. It is therefore this organization that will assume the costs, explained spokesperson Marie-Hélène Dorais.
Regular access for the day is $5.65 (plus taxes), and the annual fee is $27.18 (plus taxes), says the Île Saint-Bernard website. Châteauguay residents who have a Passeport Loisir are entitled to a preferential rate. Kahnawake residents will no longer have to pay for access.
“Behind this gesture, there is a desire to establish sustainable socio-economic relations for all parties, in a spirit of collaboration, mutual aid and respect,” she said.
In a press release, the City of Châteauguay stated its intention to reach out to Kahnawake through this offer. It says archaeological digs conducted at the site over several years by the Université de Montréal’s Archaeological Field School have indicated an Indigenous presence of more than 5,000 years on the site.
“This summer, during the archaeological research that took place on Île-Saint-Bernard, we were informed that the Mohawk community had a deep historical attachment to the site,” said former Mayor Routhier.
For her part, Grand Chief Sky-Deer says she appreciates the collaboration. “It’s a land acknowledgement of some type,” she said after the meeting in a video from the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake.
In 2020, the City of Delson paid Héritage-Saint-Bernard to allow its citizens access at no cost.
Kahnawake says goodbye to Mayor Routhier
This was one of the last meetings between the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake and ex-Mayor Routhier.
Sky-Deer expressed her sadness about the mayor’s departure. “We were definitely able to open lines of communication [during his mandate],” she confided. “We were definitely able to start to build a relationship. I think it’s important with Châteauguay being a bordering community to Kahnawake, and in the past we haven’t always had the best relationship."
According to the Grand Chief, Mr. Routhier was accompanied by the new Director General of the City of Châteauguay, Karl Langlois. Langlois was able to hear Kahnawake’s point of view on a variety of issues, which may help in maintaining a relationship with the next City Council.