After 20 years with no police force, safety tops voter concerns in this Quebec community

Provincial election signs are up in Chief Steeve Mathias’s community of Long Point First Nation, but he says there’s been silence when it comes to the issue he wants addressed for his community: an independent police force.

The community of 600, located in Winneway, Que., 630 kilometres northwest of Montreal in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region, has been waiting to get their own police service reinstated for 20 years.

In the meantime, they’ve had to come up with their own solutions while relying on the closest available provincial police station in Ville-Marie, Que., 100 kilometres away — where Mathias says officers can take two to three hours to arrive in an emergency.

“We’re trying to take all the different types of measures … through our own means that are very limited,” Mathias said.

The long-term impact of the policing desert is contributing to an increase in violence and drugs, he says. He argues the problem wouldn’t be this serious if the community had a consistent police presence.

“We’re getting a lot of pressure from our people. They say, ‘do something about the drug dealing … it’s getting out of hand, completely out of control,’” he said.

Ahead of the Oct. 5 provincial election, Mathias is speaking out, noting he wants “to see a government that cares.”

“It’s a human right to have public security … and [it] seems like my community is not eligible,” he said. 

‘I feel safer now with my door locked,’ says resident

The police force in Winneway was officially dismantled on March 31, 2006, when a tripartite agreement with the federal and provincial governments ended.

A number of issues led to it, including a failure to come to an agreement on matters such as a lack of resources, infrastructure, jurisdiction and the number of police officers, says Mathias. 

The band council began incurring a deficit, he says — significant and untenable for a community of its size. 

After the police force was dismantled, the provincial police took charge. Over the years, Mathias says they stopped patrolling regularly.

Now, the response time can be lengthy and is contributing to heightened fear. 

“I never used to lock my door at night,” said resident Diane Polson. “I feel safer now with my door locked.”

A lifelong resident of Winneway and interim director of the child-care centre, Polson says the question of security and safety is top of mind for her.

Twenty years ago, Polson served as part of a negotiating team in an effort to keep and expand the small police force the community had in the early 2000s. 

In 2022, the community signed a collaboration agreement with the province for a temporary police force made up of officers from neighbouring First Nations. 

But Mathias notes one of its conditions stipulated that provincial police still needed to be present for interventions. 

“The two First Nation police services cannot come to the community without … the Sûreté du Québec being present,” he said. 

“People found that very ridiculous. You know, there was a situation happening in the community and then like our First Nation police, they couldn’t intervene.”

The office of Quebec’s minister responsible for relations with First Nations and Inuit, Ian Lafrenière, said the situation involves complex challenges that predate its government. 

He agreed that the area should have police coverage, but said the government would not negotiate publicly. 

Training locals to protect community

For now, the community is mobilizing to find solutions. It’s hired a private security firm to train about 15 to 18 locals to help keep residents safe.

With the plan to purchase a vehicle for security agents to patrol the community, Mathias says the community is trying to give a sense of security particularly to elders, women and youth. 

Last winter — in response to growing concerns from residents over the presence of drugs and violence in town — the Long Point First Nation held a general assembly where a decision was made to mandate the council to take action. It allowed them to forbid certain individuals from coming into the community.

As part of this resolution, an individual who lives outside the community was banned. Mathias says he’s known in the community as a drug dealer.

But the chief notes, without resources to enforce such bans, there are concerns about violence escalating.

“I find that very shameful that the government are not taking these matters more seriously [as] they should,” he said. 

“Take accountability… provide the means and the resources.”