The Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke (MCK) is announcing the next steps in the Designation of the Highway 30 Returned Lands, following the conclusion of an extensive community engagement process carried out by the Lands Designation Working Group (LDWG) and independent consultants Neil McComber and Louise Mayo.
Between spring and fall of 2025, a multi‑layered engagement initiative, consisting of community focus groups, one‑on‑one discussions, surveys, and public kiosk activities, was completed to gather input on the future designation of lands located along Highway 30 and the Old Chateauguay Road. A final report detailing these findings was published to the community in 2025 and is now being re‑released for informational purposes.
Following the publication of the report, the consultant team supporting the LDWG conducted further focus groups as a means to validate and deepen the findings from the initial engagement process. Additional concerns were collected surrounding the engagement findings and the LDWG’s designation recommendations. As a result, the Working Group is ensuring more information is provided parrallel to its decision to move forward with designations by including an FAQ sheet to address some concerns. While the engagement and feasibility study both reflect the majority of the recommendations of the LDWG, there is a slight increase in allocated acreage being recommended for commercial use due to feasibility. However, the defining usage would include other designation types such as agriculture (ex. rooftop farms, food distribution, etc).
Overall, the LDWG confirms that the review of feedback from all stakeholders reflects a comprehensive and accurate picture of community priorities for the returned lands as well as their feasibility. The Kahnawà:ke Environment Protection Office’s Environmental Advisory Group also provided feedback during this review phase, contributing important environmental and technical considerations aligned with sustainability and stewardship principles.
Moving forward with the LDWG’s review of all additional feedback, including environmental, technical, and community‑driven input, the next steps are now confirmed. These next steps include ratification of the designation recommendations by the Working Group and submission of this ratification to the Council of Chiefs for formalization through Mohawk Council Executive Directive. These steps are consistent with the LDWG mandate to develop an informed, community‑based land designation approach, as outlined in the Terms of Reference for the Working Group.
“Ensuring a thorough engagement was important, as land is top priority for our community,” said Lands Portfolio Lead Ratsénhaienhs David Diabo. “We don’t have much land left; whatever we do, we have to make sure we do it right.
It is important to note that land designation is not equivalent to land development. The designation phase establishes the official categorization of land use (e.g., conservation, residential, commercial) but does not authorize any development. “This entire process was only about designating the lands. Any future use of these lands by the community would require its own engagement processes, assessments, and approvals prior to moving forward,” continued Diabo.
The Highway 30 Returned Lands Engagement Report and Frequently Asked Questions documents on the project are available on the MCK website.
