Northern Quebec Cree voters left behind despite promise of access

Vanna Blacksmith · CBC News

· Posted: May 02, 2025 4:53 PM EDT | Last Updated: 18 minutes ago

Elections Canada promises that anyone, anywhere, could ballot during beforehand polls. However, voters successful Northern Quebec Cree communities recovered that polling stations were closed.

It's the latest successful a database of stories from assemblage members successful bluish Quebec who accidental they had occupation voting oregon couldn't bash truthful astatine all. On predetermination day, immoderate Nunavik communities had polling stations that closed aboriginal oregon didn't unfastened astatine all.

Guy Beaulieu, a nonmigratory of Whapmagoostui, arrived astatine the section sports analyzable with his spouse connected April 19 expecting to vote, but discovered that the beforehand doors were locked during the play of beforehand polls. The elector accusation paper he'd got successful the message said beforehand polls were expected to beryllium held from April 18 to 21, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

"There was nary poster connected the gathering and nary signs, the doorway was locked. [We] adjacent went backmost the adjacent day, but [there was] still nothing," said Beaulieu, who is primitively from Val d'Or, Que. 

Beaulieu said he'd wanted to ballot successful the beforehand polls due to the fact that helium did not privation to miss his accidental to formed his ballot for his section riding earlier helium took disconnected for aesculapian question connected predetermination day.

"I was not amazed due to the fact that up northbound it seems that happens beauteous often," said Beaulieu of the issues helium encountered. 

Whapmagoostui is the lone Cree assemblage accessible lone by plane. Due to rainy upwind implicit the weekend, immoderate flights were postponed, including those for polling unit who were meant to acceptable up polling stations. 

Chisasibi, different bluish Cree community, besides had delays successful voting opportunities during the beforehand polls.

Norman A. Wapachee, who has been a person for the Cree Nation authorities for a fewer years, says that these things person been happening for years, particularly further northbound successful Nunavik.  

"It's a committedness that needs to beryllium upheld adjacent erstwhile definite circumstances occur. We request to find ways to uphold that promise," said Wapachee, who is the interim expansive main of Eeyou Istchee.

Wapachee said he'd tried galore times to scope retired to Sylvie Bérubé, the erstwhile MP for the Abitibi–Baie-James–Nunavik–Eeyou riding. 

"[Elections Canada] should travel alert successful early, stay passim the elections to transportation retired their roles and their responsibilities to unfastened the doors for elections," said Wapachee.

That's 1 mode Wapachee hopes the national authorities tin amended its efforts to springiness bluish communities the aforesaid opportunities to ballot arsenic the remainder of the country. 

Now that the riding is represented by Mandy Gull-Masty, Cree from Waswanipi, erstwhile Cree expansive chief and a erstwhile workfellow of Wapachee, helium hopes that the voting acquisition — among different things — volition alteration soon.

"I was hoping for an Indigenous idiosyncratic who's going to talk connected behalf of the Indigenous population, due to the fact that it's a immense country and the colonisation is not that high," said Wapachee.

In Nunavik communities this week, residents spoke retired astir not being capable to vote, and Inuit organizations called for an investigation. Soon after, Elections Canada issued an apology and said it would reappraisal the circumstances astir the situation.

"If you don't accidental anything, thing is going to change. You request to ever usage your voice, that's the powerfulness [our votes] have, to enactment idiosyncratic successful the MP presumption to alteration things," said Beaulieu. 

Beaulieu said helium hopes Elections Canada gets amended astatine delivering promised opportunities to ballot crossed the country, particularly successful bluish fly-in communities similar Whapmagoostui. 

"If you committedness something, if you accidental something, you person to instrumentality to your word," said Beaulieu.