Minister accuses Manitoba of being ‘heartless’ for refusing to search landfill for remains

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 12/07/2023 (787 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Premier Heather Stefanson stood by her government’s decision not to support a local landfill search for the remains of two missing Indigenous women, even as a federal minister slammed Manitoba for being “heartless.”

“My reflection on this is that this has been dealt with in a very heartless way, quite frankly, and we do absolutely have to try as a federal government,” Crown-Indigenous Minister Marc Miller said Wednesday at the Assembly of First Nations annual gathering in Halifax.

“The premier was not wrong that there is a concern for the health and safety of those who’d be performing (the search). But we’re doing some very difficult things around the country, in terms of remediation of mines, we’ve done searches before in dumps. The feasibility (study) said this is doable and the federal government is willing to play a role,” Miller told the Manitoba AFN caucus.

In Winnipeg, Council of the Federation chairwoman Stefanson wrapped up the three-day annual premiers meeting, which was dogged by questions about her Tory government’s decision about the proposed landfill search.

Winnipeg police believe Morgan Harris and Marcedes Myran were killed in 2022, and their remains inadvertently transported by waste trucks to Prairie Green Landfill, north of the city.

“As a Council of (the) Federation, we had great meetings over the last couple of days, great deliberations on important issues for people right across our country,” Stefanson said, when asked at the final COF news conference about the week-long protest blockade at Winnipeg’s south end Brady Road landfill.

She said her heart goes out to the impacted families and the “horrific situation” they face.

“But I’m also the premier, and we have to make what are difficult decisions, and these are decisions that need to be made and I continue to stand by the decision that has been made.”

The blockade began July 6, one day after Stefanson announced Manitoba would not support a search of the privately owned Prairie Green for the remains of Harris and Myran. She cited a federally funded study that said such a search, although feasible, poses health risks, could take three years and cost up to $184 million.

On Wednesday, Miller said the Liberal government is willing to work with Manitoba, “but they’re not there, and that’s unfortunate.” The federal minister later spoke to Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham on the issue.

The City of Winnipeg will be in court Thursday, seeking an injunction to remove the Brady Road barricade manned by protesters.

Gillingham urged the two levels of government to come to an agreement.

“The families are stuck between two senior levels of government who do not agree on the next steps forward,” a statement from the mayor said. “The city is in a similar position.”

Brandon University political scientist Kelly Saunders said government’s handling of the issue, including messaging and timing, ahead of the premiers meeting in Winnipeg, shows poor judgment.

“If it was an intentional decision to announce it right before (the COF gathering), it certainly was not something that I would have recommended or something that I would have done,” Saunders said.

“Wait until after these meetings were done… Send it out on a Friday afternoon at 3:30, when everybody’s kind of half-asleep and not paying attention.”

Instead, the summer meeting of premiers and territorial leaders kicked off July 10 at the Leaf horticultural attraction in Assiniboine Park with protesters and national Indigenous leaders condemning the premier’s decision.

Stefanson missed an opportunity, as host, to shine on the national stage ahead of the Oct. 3 provincial election, the BU associate professor said.

Winnipeg Free Press | Newsletter

Dan Lett | Not for Attribution

Tuesdays

A weekly look at politics close to home and around the world.

Sign up for Dan Lett | Not for Attribution

Sign Up

I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement.

“It’s really a chance to showcase your leadership on a very positive, upbeat note. So you don’t want anything to overshadow that or undermine it — to distract away from good news statements — and this certainly has overshadowed that.”

If her PC government holds on to power, Stefanson’s refusal to support a landfill search may come back to “haunt” future Indigenous reconciliation efforts, Saunders said.

“You can’t just say we’re going to move forward on reconciliation and then not seemingly be willing to deal with a major issue which should be a part of that conversation.”

— with files from Danielle Da Silva

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.