Manitoba’s premier reiterated on Thursday that her government’s decision not to help pay for a search for the remains of two First Nations women at a Winnipeg-area landfill was based strictly on safety concerns for those who would be sifting through the materials.
“This is not about funding…. This is about the safety of those individuals who would be conducting the search,” Heather Stefanson told reporters in a scrum following an unrelated morning news conference in downtown Winnipeg.
“The landfill is full of toxic waste and, you know, that is identified in the report.”
The feasibility report Stefanson referred to was completed in May, and looked at the logistics of searching the privately run Prairie Green landfill, north of Winnipeg, for the remains of Morgan Harris, 39, and Marcedes Myran, 26.
Both women are believed to have been among the victims of an alleged serial killer. Winnipeg police said they believe the women’s remains were transported to the landfill in May 2022.
The feasibility report — prepared by a working group that included First Nations leaders, family members, police and other officials — outlined concerns about health and safety with a possible search, and recommended on-site hazardous materials teams monitor air quality, act as safety officers and perform decontamination of personnel who work closely with evacuated materials.
It also found that a successful search could cost up to $184 million and take up to three years to complete — but that not doing it could cause considerable distress to the victims’ family members and Indigenous communities across the country.
WATCH | Premier defends province’s decision not to fund landfill search:
Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson says her government’s decision not to provide financial support for a possible search for remains in a Winnipeg-area landfill was made because of safety concerns for the technicians who would be sifting through the materials.
However, there would be no guarantee of finding the women’s remains, the report said.
Stefanson’s comments were her first made publicly after the province released a statement Wednesday afternoon saying it “cannot knowingly risk Manitoba workers’ health and safety for a search without a guarantee” of finding remains.
Shortly after that announcement, Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs Grand Chief Cathy Merrick dismissed the province’s explanation, saying the safety concerns were addressed in the feasibility report.
Premier briefed on report
When asked whether she had read the 55-page feasibility report in its entirety, Stefanson said her officials have gone through it and briefed her on its contents.
“That’s what happens with all reports — that’s the process it goes through,” she said.
WATCH | Heather Stefanson’s full comments on not funding landfill search:
Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson took questions from reporters on Thursday about her government’s decision not to help pay to search a Winnipeg-area landfill for the remains of two First Nations women.
Cambria Harris, a daughter of Morgan Harris, expressed anger and disappointment with the province’s decision on Wednesday, after a meeting that included the victims’ families, Stefanson, Merrick and other provincial and First Nations leaders.
Harris said in a social media post that the premier told family members in that meeting she had “barely read” the feasibility report after receiving it that morning, but later clarified she had read “a good chunk of it.”
Looking forward, Stefanson said the decision on whether to move ahead with a landfill search ultimately lies with the federal government — and if they decide to fund a search, she would want to have discussions with them about how they would ensure safety for the workers involved.
A spokesperson for federal Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Marc Miller said the minister will have more comments on the study after he is done reviewing it.
The premier added that her heart goes out to the families of the victims, and the province offered them supports on Wednesday to help with their healing process.
The provincial government also said it is prepared to support a memorial and is continuing to “address the many sources of violence against Indigenous women and girls.”
Jeremy Skibicki is charged with first degree-murder in both Morgan Harris and Myran’s deaths, as well as those of 24-year-old Rebecca Contois and a fourth unidentified woman, whom community members have named Mashkode Bizhiki’ikwe, or Buffalo Woman.
Contois’s partial remains were found last year in Winnipeg’s Brady Road landfill. Mashkode Bizhiki’ikwe’s remains have not been found.
Skibicki’s trial is scheduled to begin in April 2024.