Kanesatake residents accused in illegal dumping case say they’ve done nothing wrong

By The Canadian Press on October 7, 2024.

Residents of Oka and nearby communities take part in a citizen roadblock training session to combat alleged illegal dumping in the area, in Oka, Que., Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz

MONTREAL – Some residents of a Mohawk community west of Montreal who are accused by the Quebec government of illegal dumping say they’ve done nothing wrong.

Quebec government lawyers are in Superior Court today seeking a temporary injunction to stop the dumping of contaminated soil and other waste on 17 waterfront properties along the shores of the Lake of Two Mountains in Kanesatake.

They have named 17 defendants, mostly Kanesatake residents, and two excavation companies that did work on the properties where the dumping allegedly occurred.

But lawyers for two of the defendants say it isn’t fair for them to be lumped in with everyone else, since no contaminated soil was found on their land.

One of them is accused of filling in soil along the shoreline on her property, while the other is accused of cutting trees along the shore.

The court case follows months of media coverage and public pressure from community members, who say illegal dumping has been a problem in Kanesatake for years.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 7, 2024.