MCK approves Hydro Line 3 formal Specific Claim Submission

02/26/2015

The Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke (MCK) would like to inform the community that Chief & Council have agreed to formally submit a claim regarding Hydro-Québec Line 3, which is a line that ran through Kahnawà:ke from Lasalle. This line, which is no longer exists, entered the Territory from the area between the Mercier Bridge and the Canadian Pacific Railway Bridge.

This submission, using the federal Specific Claims Process, is based on Canada’s ‘Breaches of Lawful Obligation’ in regard to the building of the power line through Kahnawà:ke (then referred to as ‘Caughnawaga’) during the World War II era. 

According to the process, Canada has up to six (6) months for initial review of the claim to see if it meets their minimum standards, then up to three (3) years to render a decision on whether or not to accept the claim for negotiation.

This is the fourth such claim to be submitted. Earlier claims concerned ‘Breach of Lawful Obligation’ associated with the construction of the Mercier Bridge (submitted in 2012) and the building of the Canadian Pacific Railway through reserve lands (submitted in 2013) and the building of the CSX (originally St. Lawrence and Adirondack Railroad) line through reserve lands (submitted in 2014).