Supreme Court of Canada sides with First Nation in police funding dispute

OTTAWA – The Supreme Court of Canada says Quebec must provide more money for a First Nations police force after acting dishonourably by refusing to negotiate the funding terms.

The top court dismissed the province’s appeal of a ruling that said Quebec violated the principle of good faith and failed to uphold the honour of the Crown in refusing to adequately fund the Pekuakamiulnuatsh First Nation’s police force.

The Quebec Court of Appeal ruled in December 2022 that the provincial and federal governments owed almost $1.6 million to the First Nation in Mashteuiatsh, Que., to make up for years of underfunding.

The federal government agreed to pay its share of the money, but Quebec asked the Supreme Court to overturn the decision.

In its 8-1 ruling today, the Supreme Court says Quebec refused to consider the band council’s repeated requests to renegotiate funding for its police force, even though it knew the force didn’t have enough money.

The ruling means Quebec must pay $767,745 — its portion of accumulated deficits from 2013 to 2017.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 27, 2024.