Manitoba premier met with women’s families to talk about landfill search

Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew met with the families of two slain Indigenous women Thursday, whose remains are believed to be in the Prairie Green Landfill north of Winnipeg.

Manitoba’s new premier has promised the families of Marcedes Myran and Morgan Harris that his government will try to recover their remains after the previous PC government did not want to conduct a search.

“I’m happy that he (Wab Kinew) did apologize because it has been a long year, year-and-a-half and to hear that from one of the premiers is absolutely amazing and I thank him,” said Donna Bartlett, Marcedes Myran’s grandmother. 

In the summer, former Premier Heather Stefanson refused a search of the landfill, citing health and safety concerns. The Tories took out ads and large billboards promising they would stand firm in opposing a search. Kinew met the families for around 90 minutes Thursday to reaffirm their stance as a government.

“This was about resetting the relationship with the families and showing respect and honour to the families,” said Nahanni Fontaine, Minister of Families, Accessibility, and Gender Equity.

Long Plain First Nation Chief Kyra Wilson says there is a different dynamic between the families and the government.

“It was really nice to be able to sit in that circle, even though it is formal, but really actually getting to know one another on a personal level and personalize and humanize the issue that we are talking about,” said Chief Wilson.

Grand Chief Cathy Merrick from the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs says the families and the Indigenous community endured a lot of hurt from the previous premier and government – and is happy to see a new government.

“We know this process will be done, but we don’t want to be a political yo-yo between the province and the federal government, which previously is what happened,” said Grand Chief Merrick. 

“I feel that, and I know that things are going to change in this province.”

A federally funded feasibility report, completed in May, found a search could take up to three years and cost around $184 million. Kyle Mason says it’s encouraging to see what the new government is wanting to do.

“I have no doubt that everybody in that caucus and in the new government is absolutely committed for a search to happen, because not only is it a political promise, but it is the right thing to do,” said Mason.

Jeremy Skibicki has been charged with first-degree murder in the deaths of Harris and Myran.

He also faces the same charges in the deaths of Rebecca Contois, whose partial remains were discovered in a different landfill last year, and an unidentified woman, whose remains have not been found.

-With files from the Canadian Press