The Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke (MCK) is pleased to announce that a new pedestrian bridge will be constructed to provide safe and accessible passage to Kateri Tekakwitha Island. This important project addresses longstanding safety concerns of pedestrians and cyclists sharing the existing bridge with vehicular traffic.
The entire project will be fully funded by the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation (SLSMC), including design and construction coordination. The project is scheduled to begin in Winter 2026, and all construction work will be tendered exclusively to Kahnawa’kehró:non. The construction is expected to take only a few months.
“The approval of this pedestrian bridge represents a major step forward in ensuring safe access to Kateri Tekakwitha Island for our community members, especially during peak periods like the annual Pow-Wow,” said Ratsénhaienhs Arnold Boyer. “We are pleased that this project will be funded and coordinated by SLSMC, while also creating opportunities for local contractors to contribute to its success. I want to be absolutely clear: this project does not involve giving up any land— not one more inch. This land remains ours, and this initiative is about safety and opportunity for all Kahnawa’kehró:non.”
The new pedestrian bridge will be built parallel to the existing Kateri Tekakwitha Island bridge, within the SLSMC easement.
Background
In 2020, the SLSMC commissioned a study on the Recreation Bay project’s impact on Kateri Tekakwitha Island, which found that increased pedestrian and cyclist traffic poses safety risks due to the existing bridge being designed only for vehicles. The study recommended separating pedestrian and vehicle traffic, and while a 2022 cantilever proposal was rejected due to design and cost issues, a revised plan was developed in 2023–2024 to include a prefabricated, standalone pedestrian bridge adjacent to the current bridge. This design was approved and presented to local contractors at the Kahnawà:ke Labor Office in July 2025 to encourage community involvement and confirm local trades’ capacity for installation.
