Cornwall & Akwesasne Officials Move Forward on Port Divestiture

The City of Cornwall and Mohawk Council of Akwesasne have approved a plan to take joint ownership of the Port of Cornwall.

A bilateral committee made up of staff and elected officials from the City and MCA has been negotiating with Transport Canada on the divestiture of the area that is known as the Port of Cornwall and the surrounding lands.

These negotiations have been completed and co-ownership of the Port has been approved by the elected officials of both communities. This transfer is expected to be completed by the end of June. The specific terms of the deal with Transport Canada cannot be released at this time due to a standard confidentiality agreement, however the details will be shared once the transfer is completed.

At the same time, a joint public entity, titled the Cornwall Akwesasne Port Development Commission, is being established to oversee the management and long-term development of the Port under the umbrella of a co-owners' agreement. This agreement has also been approved by the elected officials of both communities and it will be released to the public once it is officially signed by both parties.

A media event is being planned for Tuesday, May 3rd at 10 am in the Turtle Room at the A'nowara'ko:wa Arena on Cornwall Island. At the event, officials from both communities will sign the co-owners' agreement and copies of the co-owners' agreement and the confidentiality agreement will be released to the public.

"By taking ownership of the Port, we will be able to control the future use of a critical piece of waterfront land," said Mayor Leslie O'Shaughnessy. "This significant achievement signals a new era of cooperation and collaboration between Cornwall and our neighbours in Akwesasne."

"I am pleased by the efforts of the negotiation committee thus far and I look forward to working closer with our neighbours; the City of Cornwall. This transfer will demonstrate our commitment to finding innovative ways of creating opportunities for both our communities," said Mohawk Council of Akwesasne Grand Chief Abram Benedict.

The agreement marks the culmination of numerous meetings and negotiation sessions involving officials from the City, Akwesasne and the Federal Government over the past two years. Consultants have been engaged in conducting significant analysis of the Port lands.

"The bilateral committee is doing its due diligence to ensure our communities are well-positioned in this divestiture while also being mindful of the need to take control of this key piece of land," added Mayor O'Shaughnessy.