RM closes doors to public, media during vote on controversial sand processing plant

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This article was published 19/06/2023 (811 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

OAKBANK — The RM of Springfield municipal building locked its doors Monday and refused to allow the public or reporters inside where council held a vote paving the way for a silica sand processing plant that opponents say may pose a threat to the region’s water supply.

Springfield Police and RCMP officers were present inside and outside the building as more than 100 people — the majority of whom appeared to be seniors — gathered in front, calling for elected officials to put the Sio Silica project “on ice” until its environmental impacts are further studied and understood.

Two municipal councillors urging caution on the project spoke to the crowd before the pair were allowed into the building for the meeting and vote.

Mark Miller called out Mayor Patrick Therrien for the doors being locked, saying it was undemocratic, and for not demanding more time from the politically appointed Manitoba Municipal Board that ordered Springfield to amend a zoning bylaw to allow the Sio Silica processing plant to proceed in Vivian.

“This Rural Municipality of Springfield draft development agreement has inadequacies that will not protect you or your family for future generations,” Miller said. “I can’t support that,” the councillor told those gathered in front of the building, some holding signs calling for the mayor to resign, and others with signs reading “Stop Sio Silica” and “Save Our Water.”

Miller and fellow councillor Andy Kuczynski say they represent half the residents of the RM and have been inundated with calls and messages not to back down.

“This aquifer has to be protected for our water, that’s the source for our lives,” said Kuczynski, whose comments were welcomed with cheers.

“Without water, our property is useless. We have to protect it — not only for us, but for generations to come,” Kuczynski said before the vote.

Outside the council chambers the crowd, including reporters, huddled in small groups around devices to watch the council proceedings on Zoom.

The vote on the rezoning went as expected, with council voting 3-2 in favour of the rezoning ordered by the Municipal Board. A vote to approve the redevelopment failed, with a 2-2 vote after one councillor abstained.

That doesn’t give the rezoning the green light, however. Manitoba Environment Minister Kevin Klein has the final say on if and how the project proceeds. He’s stated that his decision will be based on the findings of the Clean Environment Commission that held hearings on Sio Silica’s proposed sand extraction and processing operations. The hearings concluded March 24, with the commission’s report due to be given to Klein Thursday, 90 days after the hearings ended.

“This is not democratic, what has happened,” said Springfield grain farmer Richard Kuffner, who was holding a sign that said “Resign mayor.”

“We elect officials to look after our better interests but sometimes that’s not the case,” said the 75 year old.

Kuffner said he campaigned for Therrien in October’s municipal election on the understanding that if elected mayor, he’d prevent the plant from going ahead in the absence of due diligence.

“What Pat Therrien ran on and what he’s doing now are two different things. It just totally blew me away,” said Kuffner, who said he sees the potential for a rift in the community similar to what occurred after COVID-19 pandemic public-health restrictions were put in place — only it would be permanent.

“If that water does goes go bad, people on council won’t be able to sell their property. They won’t be able to move.”

Kuffner lives in the country and has a well.

“It’ll be like the pandemic, only 10 times worse — they’ll be shunned,” he said, referring to council members. “Why would you do this to your neighbours and to your friends and municipality on a chance that this might happen? If the water goes, your property’s worth nothing.”

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Therrien hasn’t taken any of Kuffner’s calls since he phoned to congratulate him on becoming mayor, the farmer said.

The mayor didn’t respond to an interview request and told media he wouldn’t be commenting Monday.

Colleen Draper, the RM’s chief administrative officer, told the meeting she was the one who locked the doors to the building after two staff members expressed concern for their safety.

RCMP were called to an RM meeting there last Tuesday over concerns about a conflict and reports that someone in attendance was being disruptive. No arrests were made and no tickets issued.

carol-sanders@freepress.mb.ca

Carol Sanders
Legislature reporter

Carol Sanders is a reporter at the Free Press legislature bureau. The former general assignment reporter and copy editor joined the paper in 1997. Read more about Carol.

Every piece of reporting Carol produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.