Pines ‘ecological gift’ sessions end

The Mohawk Council of Kanesatake has finalized a series of community engagement sessions over the Pines ‘ecological gift’ land transfer to Kanesatake, with results of the community survey over the transfer expected to be published this summer.

Community response to the caretaker council’s plans for the Pines land will inform in what way, how fast, and even whether the community will accept the land transfer by real estate developer Grégoire Gollin.

“There’s a lot of different moving pieces to make that final decision,” said Mohawk Council of Kanesatake caretaker council member Brant Etienne. “I don’t personally have a frame of reference to confidently say when that might happen.”

In three community meetings, the council revealed plans to partner with Éco-corridors laurentiens, an ecological protection non-profit organization, to help protect the Pines land from illegal developments, seizure, and facilitate police intervention.

Without a third-party organization, the Pines land being transferred to Kanesatake would be susceptible to seizure from creditors because it would not be included as part of Kanestake’s formal land base, said Etienne.

Seizure of property for debt collection is an ongoing threat for Kanesatake. Quebec lawyer Louis-Victor Sylvestre has until November 2026 to attempt to collect a $2 million debt owed by the Mohawk Council of Kanesatake. The attempt would also renew the claim for the debt for another 10 years. And the Municipality of Oka could seize the land if the council does not pay municipal taxes.

Éco-corridors laurentiens also has the authority to call the police and request removal of persons if land grabbing or illegal development is occurring on the Pines land, said Etienne.

But many community members have expressed that receiving land back as a gift could jeopardize future land claims and ancestral land should not be accepted as a “gift.”

Also, the ‘ecological gifts’ program comes with strings attached, and according to the federal government the land must maintain its “biodiversity and environmental heritage.”

In a May 19 community meeting, Etienne said the federal government requirements “would mean the land would be protected permanently, but there are clear rules that must set about what activities are allowed, and certain types of developments or use would be restricted. That is just a by-product of the program through which the land could be donated.”

Many in the community have criticized the requirements imposed by the federal government as an affront to Kanesatake’s sovereignty.

It remains unclear whether a majority of the community will accept the Pines ‘ecological gift’ land transfer, a deal which has been underway for the past seven years.

In 2019, former grand chief Serge Otsi Simon signed a memorandum of understanding with Gollin over the land transfer. Multiple court cases involving Gollin, the Mohawk Council of Kanesatake and the Municipality of Oka have delayed the transfer over the years.

But Etienne is hopeful there is an end in sight to the court cases. The caretaker council will work on getting the community’s voice over the Pines’ land transfer in the near future.

“We have to bring the information to the community and get their feedback,” said Etienne.

“That’s the next major step, is just determining what the community wants.”

[email protected]

Hadassah Alencar, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter