The City of Winnipeg has confirmed that Brady Road Landfill has reopened Monday — a week after it was closed following the discovery of the body of an Indigenous woman at the site.
Police initially ruled the death of 33-year-old mother of four Linda Beardy as “suspicious,” but announced Thursday that they believe her death was accidental, saying they found video surveillance of Beardy climbing into a commercial garbage bin hours before its contents were taken to the landfill.
The situation has led to criticism of the police, as well as a demonstration outside the Smith Street headquarters of the Winnipeg Police Service on the weekend.
Protesters have called for further investigation into Beardy’s death, as well as further searches at the site for the bodies of other missing Indigenous women.
Lake St. Martin First Nation, Beardy’s home community, has called her death traumatizing — and in a statement via the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs (AMC), Chief Chris Traverse suggested police are avoiding a proper investigation.
“It will never be possible for Linda to experience or live in her newly created Nation of Lake St. Martin,” Traverse said.
“Instead, she will be brought home in a coffin, like many others who never made it home. I extend my deepest condolences and want it to be acknowledged that Canada has failed to protect the rights of Anishanabek in this beautiful country.”
In a release, AMC described Beardy as an evacuee from Lake St. Martin due to devastating flooding in 2011.
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