Prairie Green landfill: excavators begin moving materials above targeted search zone

Excavators began moving material late last week above the targeted search zone at the Prairie Green landfill where the remains of two Indigenous women are believed to be.

The Manitoba government says it’s a significant development in the search for Morgan Harris and Marcedes Myran, which has entered the third stage.

“You can see rock trucks that have begun to lift off the top layers of material so that we can get into the target area where we believe the remains of these two women that we love so much and have devoted so much time thinking about are,” Premier Wab Kinew told reporters Wednesday at Prairie Green.

The engineering assessment of the targeted zone, the government says, has been completed, and a search facility pad is nearing completion.

A pilot test program provided key information on how the search can be best conducted, said Amna Mackin, provincial assistant deputy minister. Material from a small area in a similar section of the landfill was excavated. It was quicker to excavate than initially anticipated, and the material was dryer than expected — both positive discoveries, says Mackin.

But it also revealed just how time consuming it is to spread the waste at the facility in order to conduct the search. Mackin says spreading the material thinly is crucial, and different tools were tested in order to achieve the best results.

The families and Myran and Harris and representatives from the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs were present at Wednesday’s press conference, sharing how important it was for their loved ones to be found.

“This search is about far more than recovering remains. It is about honouring the lives of Morgan Harris, Marcedes Myran, and Mashkode Bizhiki’ikwe and ensuring justice for them and their families,” said AMC Acting Grand Chief Betsy Kennedy. “As Acting Grand Chief, I reaffirm our commitment to seeing this search through in a way that centres the families and their voices.

“This was the mandate of our late Grand Chief Cathy Merrick, and it is our duty to continue this heart work.”

The Government of Manitoba says recruitment for workers remains ongoing — now at the interview stage. Two-hundred applications were received and job offers are expected to be made soon.

The fourth stage of the landfill search, which is scheduled to begin in early December — weather dependent — will involve the excavation and search of the targeted zone.

“There is a huge operation that has brought us to this point, and there have been many, many Manitobans and people from other parts of the country who have stepped up to help bring us to this part of the search,” Kinew said.

“I hope that you understand that this province cares about you, and you understand that the people of Manitoba are good people and want your loved ones to have the dignity that they deserve,” Kinew told the Harris and Myran families.