On September 14th 2024, leaders of the 2014 grassroots movement protesting for the conservation of the rue Jacques-Cartier archeological site gathered once again. 

Benjamin Richard - Local Journalism Initiative

This latest gathering was intended to reflect on the events of the occupation and their outcomes. As John Savage says, “This occupation, which began peacefully and continued as a community outreach project by the grassroots, ended very abruptly [...] with the arrest of some of the protesters [...] so we never really did have a final conclusion to it.”

John Savage, the main organizer of the protest, went back through the story of those faithful 42 days, where the indigenous community and its allies bargained their rights to be consulted on the future of the site, and demanded proper treatment of the found artifacts, amongst other things. Of all their demands, they were only able to get a park to commemorate the indigenous presence.

Protesters like Audrey Redman, were disappointed and hoped for a better, more accurate representation of their culture. Redman gave as an example the addition of tipis and a working fire pit, instead of a “fake fire pit”. She also referenced the undesirable way she and other members of the group were being treated during, and after the occupation.

The ceremony ended with a special call to the cities of Ottawa and Gatineau and the federal government to “establish an Urban Indigenous Council to protect our local Indigenous culture and heritage, including protecting the river and installing canoe docks to provide safe access to the rivers. And, [...] a rededication of the park and a public exhibition of the protest and the artifacts that were found at this site.”

To conclude, there is hope for better communication between the cities and the indigenous people of the region, but there is still a lot of work to be done for reconciliation