Financial statement finally released

The Mohawk Council of Kanesatake (MCK) audited financial statements for the 2024-2025 fiscal year are available after nearly a year’s delay.

Last year, former MCK chief John Canatonquin was struck by the amount of deferred revenue totaling $16.7 million in an interview with The Pines Reporter. Deferred revenue is funding the MCK did not spend during the fiscal year.

In the recent audited report, the deferred revenue grew to $25.2 million.

Caretaker council member Brant Etienne, while he is not on the finance portfolio, said he was informed a large section of the deferred revenue is mostly due to a funding agreement with the Kanesatake Education Center. Last year, the education center received the most funding of all departments from Indigenous Services Canada at $9.7 million. Social assistance was second, at $3.5 million.

Amy Beauvais, caretaker council member who handles the finance portfolio, could not be reached in time for publication.

This year, the audited fiscal statements were published on June 26.

A First Nation’s financial statements are required to be submitted to Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) within 120 days of the fiscal year under the First Nations Financial Transparency Act.

For Kanesatake, the fiscal year ends on March 31, making July 29 the deadline, which means the MCK is about 11 months late to file the audited financial statements. Council has been late to file such statements since 2020.

Because of the delay, funding for some departments may have been affected this year, said Beauvais in an interview in May.

But Beauvais hopes a new accounting system and a fully staffed financial team will complete the 2025-2026 financial report soon and finally bring Council up to date.

Remuneration

For the fiscal year 2024-2025, former grand chief Victor Bonspille collected 12 months of pay, totalling $74,437.

All other former chiefs, including Serge Otsi Simon, Amy Beauvais, Denise David, Brant Etienne, Valerie Bonspille, and John Canatonquin earned $66,648.

Victor and Valerie Bonspille continued to be paid while they awaited the results of an appeal they made to an Ethics Commission over the past fiscal year.

In February 2024, the majority of elected MCK chiefs sanctioned Victor and Valerie for allegedly missing more than 50 Council meetings. The Kanesatake Custom Electoral Code dictates that any chief who is absent from three Council or public meetings without a valid reason has vacated their position.

At the time, Victor insisted Council sessions can only be called by the grand chief and appealed the decision. Under the Kanesatake Custom Electoral Code, a grand chief or chief who is removed from the position for missing Council meetings can appeal the decision to an Ethics Commission. The Code gives the MCK Council the prerogative to create the Ethics Commission, an external body to which receives and rules on appeals.

In March 2025, the Ethics Commission ruled Victor and Valerie were disqualified for holding political office for missing more than three meetings without a clear reason and engaging in wrongful conduct that interfered with the performance of their duties.

The pair were paid as they awaited appeal, and the Ethics Commission ruled that pay would not be retroactively revoked, and that the Bonspilles’ would no longer receive paycheques effective April 1, 2025.

Victor and Valerie both rejected the ruling at the time, and Victor in an interview with The Pines Reporter in May maintained the Ethics Commission was wrong.

In expenses, Simon incurred the highest at $1,053, while Beauvais spent $818, David $601, Valerie $550, and Victor $50 for the 2024-2025 fiscal year.

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Hadassah Alencar, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter