Expansion work has resumed at the site of the former Royal Victoria Hospital in Montreal, much to the dismay of those who have been fighting to bring it to a halt.
The Kanien’keha:ka Kahnistensera, also known as the Mohawk Mothers, have been leading the charge in the search for possible remains of Indigenous children they believe could be buried there.
“It doesn’t make any sense,” said Kwetiio, a Mohawk Mother.
“The only sense I could see in humanity right now is stopping everything and letting us find these anomalies and making sure they are not people, they are not human beings.”
On Thursday, the Mohawk Mothers were headed back to Quebec Superior Court to file an emergency motion to stop the drilling and excavation work.
The group of Indigenous women contends that McGill University and the Quebec government, are violating an agreement surrounding an archeological investigation to search for unmarked graves.
After a historic ruling last fall, McGill University, the Quebec government and other parties signed a deal with the Mohawk Mothers in April, allowing for searches to be conducted before construction can resume.
The deal led to the creation of a panel of experts to study, map out the land and ensure appropriate techniques are used to detect any graves.
But the Mohawk Mothers say they’ve faced many challenges in implementing the agreement.
An anthropologist and translator working with the group says McGill and the Société québécoise des infrastructures (SQI) have not been following recommendations set out by the panel.
“Notably sharing the raw data from GPR — ground penetrating radar surveys — and also sifting the soil that is excavated around anomalies. Notably the scent of human remains that was detected by search dogs,” said anthropologist Louis Blouin.
In a statement to Global News on Wednesday, a spokesperson for the SQI said it and and its partners are committed, in good faith and rigorously, to conducting archaeological research with experts in the field.
Drilling work carried out on Monday, Sept, 11 was meant “to assess the depth of the rock” and took place “under the supervision of archeologists,” the statement reads.
Furthermore, “cultural monitors were allowed to attend at all times,” the SQI said.
“Indigenous communities will be notified of any discoveries and Indigenous protocols will be respected.”
McGill University Associate Provost, Angela Campbell added that if human remains were detected on the site, work would stop immediately.
“The university’s position is that that agreement has been complied with and we’ve been working extremely hard to diligently follow the terms of that agreement and the work that’s being carried out on the site is in line with the terms of the agreement,” she said.
McGill University and the infrastructure agency told the court on Thursday that the Mothers’ request should be dismissed. Both groups said the agreement had been followed as it was drafted. Construction work is being done in an area where no bodies are believed to be buried, they said, adding that the work should be allowed to continue even if adjoining zones require more investigation.
Justice Gregory Moore did not grant an emergency injunction on Thursday, but said he would likely render a judgment next week.
— With files from Global News’ Annabelle Olivier and The Canadian Press’ Sidhartha Banerjee
- As Loblaw boycott begins, what to know about all the company’s brands
- Poilievre allowed back in House of Commons after getting kicked out Tuesday
- $34B Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project opens after years of construction
- N.S. man stuck abroad due to lack of available hospital beds ‘in our own province’
Comments