DO YOUR JOB WAB: Protesters demand landfill search immediately

Article content

Cries of “search the landfill” and “do your job Wab” rang out at the Manitoba Law Courts Monday, as advocates for a search for the remains of two women say they continue to know very little about when or how a search will get underway, and are tired of waiting for answers.

“We don’t know where the government sits, we know they have $40 million right now, but what is the waiting for?” Joseph Munro said on Monday afternoon while taking part in a search the landfill rally held in front of the Manitoba Law Courts in downtown Winnipeg.

The rally coincided with closing arguments and what was expected to be the final day of the murder trial of serial killer Jeremy Skibicki, who has admitted to killing four Indigenous women, including Morgan Harris and Marcedes Myran, whose remains are both believed to be somewhere in the Prairie Green Landfill, north of Winnipeg.

Article content

Toggle full screen modePrevious Gallery Image

1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

5. 

6. 

7. 

8. 

9. 

10. 

11. 

12. 

13. 

14. 

15. 

16. 

17. 

Next Gallery ImageToggle gallery captions

All 17 Photos for Gallery

Function Not Available

Full Screen is not supported on this browser version.

You may use a different browser or device to view this in full screen.

OK

Munro has been one of the many advocates actively calling for a search of the landfill since the murders were announced in December of 2022, and was one of the organizers behind blockades that temporarily shut down access to the Brady Road Landfill on multiple occasions last summer.

Munro is now saying that if there are no answers soon on when a search could get underway, another blockade is not out of the question, although as of this week there were no official plans for any blockades.

“I know a lot of people are really anxious to get this moving, so there are whispers of ‘what do we do next?’” Do we put up another blockade at the Brady landfill, or do we do one at Prairie Green, but it’s just people talking at this point.”

And with chants of “do your job Wab,” heard during Monday’s rally, some are now asking that Premier Wab Kinew do more to communicate with victim’s families and Indigenous leaders and advocates about when a landfill search could start, and how it would be conducted.

Article content

Article content

On March 22, the province and the federal government promised funding of $20 million each towards a landfill search.

“We know the money is there, but other than that we have heard that families are totally in the dark,” Munro said. “There has been no communication with families since the funding was announced, so people are tired of waiting and wondering.”

On Monday, Melissa Robinson, the cousin of Morgan Harris, said she was frustrated with ongoing delays and a lack of communication from both the provincial and federal governments since the funding was announced, but added her and other victim’s families have a meeting scheduled with Kinew for Tuesday that was requested by the premier, but have no idea what Kinew might say at that meeting.

Article content

“We have heard nothing about how they would even do the search, so we are hoping for some answers on Tuesday,” Robinson said.

“We don’t intend to wait any longer.”

When speaking to media after closing arguments wrapped up, Robinson said they plan to “demand” Kinew commit to a landfill search start date at Tuesday’s meeting.

Since taking office, the NDP and Kinew have promised that the government would support a search of the landfill and late last week a provincial spokesperson said the province remains committed to a search.

“Our commitment to the landfill search remains the same, we will be searching the landfill,” a provincial spokesperson said in an email. “There are no other updates to announce at this time.”

Article content

The federal government did not respond to a request for comment.

Skibicki is also accused of killing Rebecca Contois, whose remains were discovered in the Brady Road Landfill last May, as well as a woman who has yet to be identified, and who community members are referring to as Buffalo Woman.

Once the Skibicki trial wraps up, the judge in the case will then determine if Skibicki is guilty of four counts of first degree murder, or not criminally responsible by reason of a mental disorder, and Robinson said they expect the judge to render his decision by the end of this month.

— Dave Baxter is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter who works out of the Winnipeg Sun. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.

Article content