MEET THE CHIEF: Grand Chief Victor Akwirente Bonspille wants to bring transparency and improve communication to the Kanesatake community

By Victoria Gray Writer KANESATAKE-The Kanesatake community spent the majority of the COVID-19 pandemic with very little communication and were kept in the dark about pandemic protocols and what was done to help keep them safe. The current elected Grand Chief Victor Akwirente Bonspille was elected in August 2021 and although he has spent eight years on council he and others were shut out of council’s decision making process throughout the pandemic he says. He says information was withheld because of opposing views on council. “There was friction between council members and the pandemic team,” he said. “We weren’t all seeing eye to eye there.” There are about 800 people living on the territory and about 2,700 registered band members. Bonspille believes there may have been about 60 COVID-19 cases…

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