The Manitoba government says a significant hurdle has been cleared paving the way to begin the search of a Manitoba landfill for the remains of two women.
On Tuesday, the government announced that the South Interlake Planning District had issued an accelerated development permit for temporary structures needed to search the Prairie Green Landfill for sign of Morgan Harris and Marcedes Myran.
A license was also granted by the province’s environmental approvals branch to begin the search of the landfill. Documents show the owner of the landfill, Waste Connections Canada, filed a notice last week seeking to begin humanitarian search activity on the site. The notice was approved Tuesday and outlines 29 conditions for the search, detailing ways to manage the environmental impacts including waste, odour, noise, and reporting guidelines
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew told 680 CJOB’s The News the delay in releasing plans regarding the search was done out of respect for the families and the judicial process during the month-long trial of admitted serial killer Jeremy Skibicki, which wrapped up in a Winnipeg courtroom Monday.
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Skibicki is facing first-degree murder charges in the deaths of Harris, Myran, Rebecca Contois, Marcedes Myran and an unidentified fourth victim who has been given the name of Mashkode Bizhiki’ikwe, or Buffalo Woman.
A decision in his court case is expected July 11.
The remains of two of the women are believed to be in a Manitoba landfill, and after months of protests across the country, the provincial and federal governments each pledged $20 million in March to fund a landfill search.
Kinew, whose government was elected in October 2023 after a campaign in which the decision to search the landfill was a key issue, told The News he feels for the families.
“We can only imagine what it’s like to lose a loved one under these circumstances,” said Kinew ahead of Tuesday’s government announcement.
“And then the politicization, and then what trial period has been like — my heart really goes out to these family members and we want to do right by them.
“We plan to share our plans for the search for the Prairie Green Landfill with them. Once we’ve had the opportunity to share those plans with the families, to discuss, to walk through next steps and to hear about their perspectives, … we will have a very significant update for the public in Manitoba.”
Kinew said it’s been disturbing for Manitobans to hear many of the details during the trial.
“I understand it’s troubling to hear some of this information, but it’s important because we have to maintain a really strong justice system, and the public has to have confidence in the administration of justice in our province.
“So this thing we’ve been going through together is necessary.”
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