AKWESASNE – The Mohawk Council of Akwesasne (MCA) conducted a community plebiscite this past month to collect the community’s opinion on what should become of the Kawehno:ke (Cornwall Island) corridor buildings.
For a period of twelve days, community members were able to cast votes from home using online voting. This component of the plebiscite proved to be very successful with half of the votes being cast through that mechanism. MCA will be exploring the use of online voting for other future needs.
The official plebiscite was open from April 14, 2014 until April 26, 2014. Two questions were asked; one pertained to the abandoned CBSA buildings and one pertained to the Akwesasne People’s Fire building(s). The results of the plebiscite are below and are unofficial pending an appeal period that ends on Monday, May 5, 2014:
Question 1: Do you support the demolition of the abandoned Customs Building (Kawehno:ke) using labour and services procured in Akwesasne?
Total Yes Votes: 181
Total No Votes: 6
Total Declined: 1
Total Rejected: 1
Total Votes: 189
Question 2: Do you support the removal of the Akwesasne Peoples Fire buildings from the corridor, no later than the demolition of the Customs Buildings?
Total Yes Votes: 161
Total No Votes: 23
Total Declined: 3
Total Rejected: 2
Total Votes: 189
Maybe after taking the old CBSA building down they can straighten the road there.
Did you know that it was our first time back in at least a year or near that and we got confused where to go. The road sure does need to be straightened out for sure. I do have an old picture that I took back in the 70’s era to remember that old bridge the way it was. I will miss seeing it there and has been there since 1957 – those were the good years – what happened to those good years of Cornwall and all of Canada. I wish that they were back again.
You’re going to miss the bridge?? Not me, it’s an eyesore. It should have been replaced years ago and taken down then.
Now Beverly Pyke is saying the plebiscite wasn’t a fair representation of the 12,000 residents under MCA’s jurisdiction. Isn’t she the same one who wants to organize a breakaway group from the MCA? Either you’re with the MCA or you’re not. You can’t have it both ways.