Public Safety Committee on Oct. 17th, 2017

[Grand Chief Abram Benedict]

It's not financially feasible because the location is quite close. I probably don't have to tell all of you, but people don't generally like to have user fees, and if they do, it's always a negotiation. As well, the shipping channel that runs through there poses some challenges. The navigable waters there, whether they be in the shipping channel or outside of it, freeze in the winter, so then we would be—

[Michel Picard, Liberal, Montarville, QC]

Okay. Therefore, other infrastructure projects such as bridges would also be very expensive and may not be possible because it's too wide. Again, I don't see the land—

[Grand Chief Abram Benedict]

Yes. Between Île Saint-Régis and Cornwall Island would be the closest point here, as shown on the map.

[Michel Picard, Liberal, Montarville, QC]

Yes.

[Grand Chief Abram Benedict]

That shipping channel goes right between those two islands. Theoretically, if there were to be some sort of infrastructure, we would need to have a high-level bridge, and that would only bring you to one more island. You'd have to join a couple of islands.

[Michel Picard, Liberal, Montarville, QC]

Therefore, we are stuck with one bridge from yellow to green...?

[Grand Chief Abram Benedict]

Yes.

[Michel Picard, Liberal, Montarville, QC]

Okay.

Let's say that we're not disregarding those options, but we understand that they are expensive and complicated.

Now we have to find ways to be comfortable balancing our way of living together, and you, in collaboration with us, have to find ways to avoid abuse from non-indigenous people who may want to take advantage of your recognized privilege, knowing that by going through those regions they might exceed what is reasonable.

It's not a new issue. You've had those concerns in the past. What were your reflections—this is mainly commercial-wise—on the illegal intent in transactions in the business community? What were your reflections on how to avoid always being hit or targeted as being either involved in or subject to those outside ill-intentioned groups of people?

[Grand Chief Abram Benedict]

The Mohawk Council of Akwesasne has a police force: the Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service. As well, the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe has a police force: the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribal Police. They are both part of international enforcement teams within the United States and Canada. They share information regularly, so this enforcement and the lookout for threats already exist within our community, although we do struggle with resourcing.

I know that first nation policing is an issue across the country, as well as in our community. I think there needs to be a recognition that we need additional resources in the partnerships that exist now to be able to capture those continued threats that exist. It is happening as we speak.

[Michel Picard, Liberal, Montarville, QC]

Do they have those limitations on the U.S. side as well in terms of the lack of resources and budgets and all of that? On both sides of the border?

[Grand Chief Abram Benedict]

Yes.

[Michel Picard, Liberal, Montarville, QC]

This means that our issue is mainly how to manage your daily lives when you're going through the border with a solution that may enforce the privileges you have that are all recognized, without jeopardizing or putting at risk our whole community as Canadians, including first nations, to make sure that the security is well managed.

[Grand Chief Abram Benedict]

Yes, absolutely. We're prepared to enter into discussions with the agencies that administer a number of programs to find how we can best ensure that we're meeting the safety and security concerns of all of our nations.

[Michel Picard, Liberal, Montarville, QC]

Thank you.

Thank you, Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

That appears to bring us to the end of our questioning.

I want to thank you, Grand Chief Benedict, and your colleague Mr. Bero, for reaching out to us and elucidating on these unintended consequences, if you will, of Bill C-21. I can tell from the questioning that we're all kind of saying “hmm”—we could see your point.

[Grand Chief Abram Benedict]

Yes.

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

Again, on behalf of the committee, I want to thank you for your effort to reach out and to be here this morning.

[Grand Chief Abram Benedict]

Thanks to you and the committee members for allowing us to be here.

I extend an invitation to the committee to visit our community, as a whole or individually, and see the reality.

Thank you very much.

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

Thank you.

I'm going to suspend for a couple of minutes while we go in camera. Then we'll deal with the budget issue, and that will be it.

[Proceedings continue in camera]