Communication breakdown on Terrapure

The Mohawk Council of Kahnawake (MCK) found itself forced to continue to glean information on the Terrapure file by way of media reports and press releases this week, paving the way for a translation error that led to frustration.

Contact has now been established between MCK grand chief Cody Diabo and the mayor of Ste. Catherine, Sylvain Bouchard, with a meeting set for next week. However, this development did not come the easy way.

A press release from Ste. Catherine to try and clear things up was published Thursday following an MCK communique Wednesday evening that had been written under the mistaken impression that Ste. Catherine met with several governmental bodies on an emergency basis on January 20 to address allegations against the Terrapure plant.

In fact, Ste. Catherine had merely announced, in a press release published only in French, that it was calling for such a meeting to take place. That text used the French word “convoque,” which can translate literally to “convene,” which generally means “to assemble.” However, Ste. Catherine’s press release was merely a call to assemble.

It’s unclear how MCK’s translation was executed, but running the original January 20 press release through Google Translate yields this phrase: “the mayor is convening this emergency meeting today with the relevant authorities.”

Nevertheless, Kahnawake was not mentioned among the parties sought for the meeting, which was requested following a Radio-Canada article this week detailing new allegations about the Terrapure facility relating to the exposure of workers to lead, arising from an unpublished report from the Monteregie health authority. According to Ste. Catherine, the meeting with several governmental bodies was requested so the city could obtain essential clarifications regarding that news report.

The press release from the city on Thursday that sought to clarify things emphasized Kahnawake’s right to be kept in the loop considering the impacts to the community, but it made no mention of Kahnawake’s land grievance, which is one key reason behind Diabo’s belief that Kahnawake has an urgent right to be informed.

“For me at the end of the day, it still boils down to the fact they should be reaching out to us now,” said Diabo, frustrated that he had not been kept apprised directly of developments in this matter. He said he should have been contacted directly by Bouchard, like he was by Chateauguay mayor Éric Allard following the 2024 fuel spill.

“From my knowledge, he was given my cell phone number,” said Diabo. The two have since been in touch.

The MCK posted its Wednesday press release as a community meeting was being held in Kahnawake at which Terrapure was on the agenda.

At that meeting, people vented their anger about allegations of environmental abuses, although no decisions were made there, according to Diabo.

Concerns about Ste. Catherine’s forthrightness were stoked around two weeks ago when the MCK first learned that Terrapure, which operates a battery recycling facility in the Ste. Catherine industrial park, had been charged in October under the Fisheries Act in relation to allegations of toxic water being dumped into the St. Lawrence Seaway.

Ste. Catherine itself was handed 38 charges for allegedly permitting the activities to take place.

“The city acknowledges that the environmental issues surrounding the Terrapure plant affect both the residents of Ste. Catherine and those of Kahnawake, and it strongly affirms that both communities are entitled to full access to government information,” reads the city’s Thursday press release, which was provided to The Eastern Door in English.

“The Mohawk Council of Kahnawake has publicly expressed serious concerns, notably regarding a lack of communication surrounding the presumed holding of an emergency meeting, as well as the absence of information from government authorities,” said the press release. “The city of Ste. Catherine understands the Mohawk Council’s concerns and reiterates that government authorities are responsible for providing all available information openly and promptly to all affected populations, including Kahnawake.”

In the press release, Bouchard notes that he indicated at a public meeting on January 20 that he would be reaching out to the grand chief to suggest a meeting.

“We fully understand the concerns expressed by the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake,” Bouchard said in the press release. “The residents of Kahnawake are also affected by this matter and are entitled to clear answers, just like our own population.”

Earlier on Wednesday, Diabo had been under the correct impression based on news reports that the meeting between Ste. Catherine and several governmental bodies had been requested but not yet held, telling The Eastern Door at that time that it would be unacceptable for the meeting to take place without Kahnawake’s involvement.

“The fact Kahnawake still hasn’t gotten an official letter or anything like that about this, that we’re still going off media reporting stories that they hear, that’s always upsetting at the end of the day and it needs to get rectified ASAP,” he said Wednesday morning.

Later in the day, the MCK was pointed to the January 20 press release, leading to the belief that the meeting already took place. He was under that impression until being contacted after the community meeting.

“I doubled down saying this is why you need to call us,” said Diabo.

Terrapure and the Ste. Catherine industrial park where the plant has operated since the 1980s have long been a source of discontentment for Kahnawake.

The industrial park is near the old Kahnawake Survival School (KSS) grounds, which the high school left because of heavy metal contamination in the soil. More recently, some Kahnawa’kehró:non blamed the addition of a plastics recycling facility at Terrapure for air quality problems.

Terrapure’s general manager, Denis Beaulieu, defended the company’s practices in a statement provided last week, saying compliance with the law has been Terrapure’s priority and pointing out that its operating permit was renewed in 2025.

Asked last week why Kahnawake was not informed of the charges against Terrapure and Ste. Catherine despite the facility being located within the Seigneury of Sault St. Louis land grievance, a spokesperson from Environment and Climate Change Canada said the department could not comment further because the charges have been brought to court and have yet to be proven.

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Marcus Bankuti, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter