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25 minutes ago
First Nation at centre of Oka Crisis gripped by environmental battles linked to cannabis megastores
Two women climb over felled pine trees, some branches still green with needles, following a deep trench cut into the forest floor. A little under a kilometre away, this forest connects to the old front lines of the 1990 Oka Crisis, or the siege of Kanehsatà:ke. The trench, roughly three feet deep, stretches out from the back of Big Chief's Variety, a five-storey cannabis megastore that sits along Quebec's Route 344 in Kanehsatà:ke, a Kanien'kehá:ka (Mohawk) territory about 60 kilometres southwest of Montreal. The trench and downed trees are the result of recent construction work by the owner of Big Chief's Variety, say Kawisaienhne Albany, 27, and Karihohetstha Cupples, 23. It's part of a widespread and relentless construction boom fuelled by the lucrative cannabis industry — one that the women say is reshaping the community's lands and shorelines, while aggravating long-simmering internal tensions. The cannabis shops, they came here and they just have brought a lot of destruction, said Albany. What we fought for in '90 is what we're still fighting for today, said Cupples. But now, it's not against the golf course, it's not against Oka — it's against our own people … whose minds have been infected by greed. Enlarge image (new window) A deep trench, stretching back into the forest, has been dug behind the Big Chief's Variety cannabis megastore in Kanehsatà:ke, a Mohawk First Nation located southwest of Montreal. Photo: CBC/Brenda Witmer In the summer of 1990, the Canadian military laid siege to Kanehsatà:ke after community members tried to stop a golf course expansion from razing an area known as The Pines and desecrating their graveyard. A botched Sûreté du Québec (SQ) raid on the blockade triggered a 78-day armed standoff. After the tanks rolled out, Kanehsatà:ke was left on its own to find its footing. With the majority of its land-claim matters remaining unresolved, and the conflict casting a long shadow, its band council struggled to generate a sustainable economy. While tobacco stores sprung up and brought some wealth to the community, Canada's legalization of cannabis in 2018 opened a new realm of opportunity. Today, dozens of cannabis shops crowd Route 344, which cuts through Kanehsatà:ke. Some are just small, shack-like stores. Others are hulking buildings, with electronic billboards and placards offering more than just cheap weed; they advertise magic mushrooms, booze, slot machines and gasoline. Some of these cannabis megastores host parties and events that have attracted floods of outsiders, at times overwhelming the territory, which has a population of about 1,500 to 1,700 people. Serge Simon, whose family runs two small cannabis shops, built off years of selling tobacco, said the community now faces disaster. Eventually it's going to implode, because they're going too far, too fast, said Simon, who spent 10 years as grand chief, up until 2021. He's running again now, one of three candidates in an recently delayed election (new window) . Heavy traffic is shown around the cannabis megastores lining Highway 344, which cuts through Kanehsatà:ke, on April 20, 2025. Photo: Big Chief's Variety/TikTok Kanehsatà:ke currently has no internal laws to govern these megastores, which operate outside federal and provincial licensing frameworks. The territory also doesn't have its own police force; it was disbanded in 2004 after a disastrous (new window) , federally funded police raid. (new window) The SQ regularly patrols the highway, but typically only gets involved in serious incidents. Community members told CBC News that recent conflicts over cannabis operations have become violent, sometimes resulting in middle-of-the-night arson attacks. Local political leaders say organized crime has infiltrated some cannabis operations on the territory. The majority of them are very good people. It's their partners, some of them, that bring in this criminal element, said Victor Bonspille, the previous grand chief who is seeking another term. I'm not going to penalize them for wanting to get ahead.… A lot of us grew up with very little. Enlarge image (new window) Serge Simon is one of three candidates running for grand chief of Kanehsatà:ke in the recently delayed election. Photo: CBC / Brenda Witmer Environment under pressure Last month, following a march commemorating the Oka Crisis, a group of women raised a white-canvas sign with black lettering that read: Protect Our Land. It was hand-painted by Cupples, a nod to her grandmother, Louise Gagne, who painted one of the iconic signs from that summer conflict 35 years ago, asking in both French and English, Are you aware that this is Mohawk territory? Cupples and others were staking out a new front line of sorts, on a forested plot they claimed back in 2020, to protect it from growing cannabis development that has since boomed. If we're not there to protect the physical land itself, nature can't continue, she said. The plot sits between Big Chief's Variety on one side and AAAA Cannabis on the other, connecting to a swath of forest that runs behind several large cannabis operations along the eastern portion of Kanehsatà:ke. Albany said they've faced constant pressure from community members to give up the plot for development. I think a lot of them don't understand what a preservation area is — you don't touch it, you don't need to use it, she said. As they survey the first trench, Albany and Cupples find another one, appearing to run from another cannabis megastore sitting next to Big Chief's called the Green Room. It holds dark, stagnant water, with the stink of sewage. All I feel is anger because, it's like, how could you do this? said Albany. Enlarge image (new window) A ditch with stagnant water, emitting a sewage smell, cuts through a forest behind some of the cannabis megastores in Kanehsatà:ke. Photo: CBC/Brenda Witmer Green Room owner Gary Gabriel says the dark water comes from his septic system's overflow. You're allowed to do that here, he said. I got the same thing at my house. Everybody has overflow around here. Gabriel said he's installed a new septic system to stop the discharge, and he'll soon be cleaning up the existing overflow. He's also pledged to stop tree-cutting in the surrounding forest. CBC News made three in-person requests for an interview with Big Chief's owner Joshua Smith-Gabriel, but was turned down. Smith-Gabriel is not directly related to Gary Gabriel. Enlarge image (new window) Gary Gabriel, who owns the Green Room, says many families in Kanehsatà:ke are benefiting from the lucrative cannabis industry. Photo: Gary Gabriel/TikTok Construction on dumped soil along the shore The environmental impact of the cannabis boom extends beyond Kanehsatà:ke's forests, said Cupples, with stores and gas stations also taking up our shorelines along Lake of Two Mountains. Enlarge image (new window) A screengrab from a Quebec government video shows a dump truck dumping soil along the shore of Lake of Two Mountains, behind the Golden Star cannabis megastore. Photo: Ministère de l'Environnement du Québec Aerial footage filed by the provincial government in Quebec Superior Court show two other cannabis megastores — High Times and Golden Star — allegedly using illegally dumped soil to build their properties out along the shoreline. An injunction filed by Quebec to stop illegal dumping on the territory — mainly trucked in from Montreal-area construction sites — names Kanehsatà:ke members Barry Bonspille, owner of Golden Star, and Robert Gabriel, owner of the High Times, among 17 individuals and businesses total. Smith-Gabriel is also named for allegedly cutting trees on another property he owns along the shoreline, where he built a gas station. Enlarge image (new window) A screengrab from a Quebec government video shows how the High Times cannabis megastore property has been built out over the shore of Lake of Two Mountains. Photo: Ministère de l'Environnement du Québec Barry Bonspille, who is the brother of Victor Bonspille, could not be reached for comment, but he recently told Montreal-based independent journalism outlet the Rover (new window) that all material brought to my property was above board. Robert Gabriel, the owner of High Times, could not be reached for comment. He told an environmental investigator he used clean rock from a quarry to build out the shoreline for a parking lot. This is our land and no outside government will tell us what to do with it, said Gabriel, according to a handwritten transcript of the interview filed in court. Robert Gabriel is the brother of Gary Gabriel. Kanehsatà:ke is not technically a reserve; it sits on Crown lands held exclusively for the Kanien'kehá:ka community's use. The traditional territory once spread across 689 square time, it's been whittled down to 12 square kilometres. A number of cannabis storefronts in the community sit on communal lands seized by Kanehsatà:ke members over the years, as the band government has never been able to implement laws to regulate land use on the territory. More than three decades of intense and persistent internal political divisions within Kanehsatà:ke has hampered the ability of the community — with a band membership of about 2,700 people — to establish a strong governance system. It is currently in a state of political uncertainty after a planned Aug. 2 election was cancelled at the 11th hour after a contractor hired to oversee the vote flagged a number of issues that it said would have compromised the election. Indigenous Services Canada says it's up to the band to sort out how to hold another election. In a statement, the federal department said it would continue to monitor the situation to ensure the delivery of essential programs and services. All three grand chief candidates told CBC News full community buy-in is needed to regulate the territory's cannabis industry. Enlarge image (new window) Brant Etienne, who is running for grand chief of Kanehsatà:ke, says the band needs to do the hard work of rebuilding governance. Photo: CBC / Jorge Barrera Ottawa aware of organized crime concerns Brant Etienne, another grand chief candidate, said the band council ultimately needs to establish control, even if it means facing a potentially dangerous backlash from the organized crime groups he says operate in the territory. Even if our local population wants to change, you're going to have to contend with the likes of the Hells Angels [and] the Mafia, whether that's Italian Mafia, Lebanese Mafia, Haitian Mafia, said Etienne. I've accepted the fact that I might get hurt in this.… Somebody has to stand up. In an emailed statement, the office of Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree said it was aware of concerns … regarding the presence of organized crime in Kanehsatà:ke. The RCMP's Quebec C-Division would not confirm or deny whether it was aware of organized crime elements operating on the territory. Anyone with information on this subject is invited to contact the RCMP, it said in an email. The SQ said it could not comment specifically on Kanehsatà:ke, but wrote in an emailed statement that organized crime has no borders and that there may be criminal activities, as in other regions of Quebec. Gary Gabriel said he thinks the organized crime claims are overblown. As sole owner of the Green Room, he said if he found out anyone connected to organized crime worked for him, he'd throw them out immediately. I don't know who works for the other stores, he added. Gabriel said he employs more than 80 people from in and outside of Kanehsatà:ke, noting many of the territory's families are benefiting from the wealth generated by cannabis. We got everybody off welfare, he said. As for Cupples and Albany, they say the bad brought by the cannabis boom outweighs the good — and that they have no faith in the band council system to find a solution. Instead, their faith rests on something deeper. Our ancestors are standing with us, too, and they are protecting us. I do believe that, said Albany. It happened in '90, that they were there with us. It's going to happen again, said Cupples.
National Post
25 minutes ago
- National Post
How much work are Air Canada flight attendants not getting paid for?
Air Canada flight attendants were planning to picket at airports in four major Canadian cities on Monday in what the union is calling a national day of action. Article content The Canadian Union of Public Employees said demonstrations were set for Montreal's Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport, Toronto Pearson International Airport, Vancouver International Airport and Calgary International Airport, all at 1 p.m. ET. Article content Article content Among the issues, CUPE said, is that flight attendants are paid only for 'block time,' which begins at takeoff and lasts until landing. The union said attendants are spending time performing 'unpaid duties' during ground time before and after flights. Article content Article content In a briefing note released this month, CUPE noted: 'Flight attendants at Air Canada are required to perform unpaid duties every day before and after flights. This includes critical safety checks, boarding and deplaning procedures, assisting passengers with special needs, and preparing the cabin.' Article content It concludes: 'Flight attendants are not paid for a significant portion of their time on the job,' and notes that the safety-related duties are not optional, as they are mandated by Transport Canada. Article content How much time are we talking? Article content A 2023 survey of Canadian flight attendants from CUPE's Airline Division found that they performed unpaid work for 34.86 hours per month, on average — the equivalent of almost one full work week per month. Article content Article content The survey, which ran between Dec. 10, 2022, and Jan. 11, 2023, received 9,807 responses. Article content Article content 'Unpaid work is a dirty secret in this industry, and one we are determined to stamp out,' said Wesley Lesosky, President of CUPE's Airline Division, at the time. 'The bottom line is, if we're on the jobsite, in our uniforms, performing work duties then we should be getting paid — full stop.' Article content It adds: 'This model had also been used in previous contracts dating back many years. Air Canada's approach to flight attendant compensation, including for ground time, is consistent with that at most global carriers. In fact, CUPE reached a new contract with a large Canadian carrier in 2024 that uses this same approach.' Article content That would be the agreement between CUPE and Air Transat, which gave flight attendants at that airline a 30 per cent pay increase over the five years of the contract. It did not, however, address ground time and block time. 'The issue of ground time is discussed with the union as part of a more general conversation about overall compensation,' the airline said. Article content Do other airlines pay for ground time? Article content Most do not. However, in 2022 Delta Air Lines began paying its flight attendants at half their hourly rate for a set 40 to 50 minutes of boarding, depending on the type of aircraft and where it's headed, according to NPR. Delta is the only major U.S. airline whose flight attendants are not unionized, and the broadcaster suggested the move might be an effort by the airline to discourage unionizing. Article content After Delta's decision, American Airlines and its union also agreed to a similar plan. Article content What does Pierre Poilievre have to say on the issue? Article content The leader of the Conservative Party of Canada wrote a letter last week to Patty Hajdu, Minister of Jobs and Families and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario. In it, he called on her to amend the Canada Labour Code 'to require that federally regulated airlines pay flight attendants for all hours they are on duty, not just time spent on the air.' Article content This would effectively circumvent the union negotiations and also require other airlines in Canada to make similar payments to their flight attendants. 'No other federally regulated worker would accept being on the job without being paid,' Poilievre noted. Article content Flight attendants work long before takeoff and after landing — and deserve to be paid for it. Shadow Minister for Labour @kyleseeback and I are calling on the Carney Liberals to fix this unfair system and ensure fair pay for every minute on the job. — Pierre Poilievre (@PierrePoilievre) August 6, 2025 Article content
Globe and Mail
36 minutes ago
- Globe and Mail
Ontario appeals court upholds ruling requiring Ukrainian airline to pay families of victims on Flight PS752
Ontario's highest court has upheld a ruling that found Ukraine International Airlines legally responsible to pay full compensation to families of victims who died in the downing of Flight PS752. On Jan. 8, 2020, the plane was shot down by two Iranian missiles just minutes after taking off from Tehran, killing all 176 people on board. Most of the passengers were bound for Canada, including 55 Canadian citizens and 30 permanent residents, while many others had connections to Canada. Under the Montreal Convention, an international law governing air travel, airlines are responsible for proven damages up to US$180,000. Airlines are also responsible for claims above that amount unless the airline can prove the incident did not happen due to its own negligence. Iran admits 'disastrous mistake': Its military accidentally shot down Flight 752 Last year, an Ontario court found that Ukraine International Airlines was negligent because it failed to conduct a proper risk assessment for the flight out of Tehran, and the court found that decision meant the airline could not limit the amount of compensation it provided to families. The Court of Appeal for Ontario dismissed the airline's appeal in a decision released Monday. Joe Fiorante, a lawyer representing some of the families in the case, called the ruling 'an important result' for those who lost loved ones in the incident. 'The ruling of the Court of Appeal brings a small measure of justice for the families,' Fiorante said in a press release. A joint statement by lawyers Paul Miller and Jamie Thornback, who also represent families in the case, called the ruling 'a landmark decision.' 'At a time of heightened conflicts around the world, the judgment sends a clear message to international airlines that open airspace cannot be assumed to be safe airspace,' they said in a press release. 'Airlines must exercise extreme caution and diligence when operating in or near a conflict zone.' Iran is targeting Canadian relatives of Flight 752 victims, RCMP tells foreign interference inquiry Monday's ruling comes after the Supreme Court of Canada decided last year that it would not hear an appeal from victims' families who were trying to enforce a 2021 default court judgment against Iran for $107 million plus interest and costs. The families had taken steps to enforce the ruling by targeting Iran's properties and bank accounts in Canada. But an Ontario judge had dismissed that motion, finding that the Iranian property was protected by diplomatic immunity under Canadian law. The top court upheld that decision on appeal last year. For years, Canada, along with international partners including the United Kingdom, Sweden and Ukraine, has vowed to seek answers about the crash and hold the Iranian regime accountable for violations of international law. Global Affairs Canada says Iran has not claimed full legal responsibility for the incident, and current proceedings against Iran under international law will likely take several years before a resolution is reached.
