Since December 2022, Winnipeg Police Service said they believe the remains of Morgan Harris and Marcedes Ryan are in the Prairie Green Landfill.
A search of the area was not initially planned. But calls for further action from the family of the two Indigenous women led to the funding of a feasibility study, which concluded that a search is achievable.
That study, funded by the federal government and released earlier this year, looked at the possible risks of sending workers into the landfill to canvass for remains. Stating that despite the possible health risks from toxic chemicals, including asbestos, and issues related to the practical use of cadaver dogs, the study said that not conducting a search could be more harmful for the victims’ families.
Taking it all into consideration, Premier Heather Stefanson said a search would be too risky. She didn’t outright rule out the possibility of a search, however. In a statement on July 5, Stefanson noted that “we cannot knowingly risk Manitoba workers’ health and safety for a search without a guarantee.”
The statement goes on to state that the province is waiting for Ottawa to complete its review of the study as well as the decision it will then come up with.
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A search could still be in the air, but only if the federal government supports one and provides safeguards to address safety risks, according to the premier’s office.
“We will have those discussions with the federal government. If they choose to go down that path,” said Stefanson. “We haven’t heard from (them) though. We need to go ask them what their plans are and what their intentions are moving forward.”
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, the premier noted that the safety of workers who’d conducted the search is the main priority. She said the way the province has approached the issue was a difficult decision to make and that greenlighting a future search would be the responsibility of the federal government, not the province.
Both Harris and Myran were believed to have been killed last year. The study, co-written by an oversight committee — consisting of provincial ministers, elders, and other experts -=- noted that the two victims were killed and left in dumpsters. They were then picked up by a garbage truck which brought them to the landfill.
Jeremy Skibicki has been charged with first-degree murder in their deaths, as well as that of Rebecca Contois and an unidentified woman. Contois’s remains were found in the Brady Road landfill.
For the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, the news is one of disappointment and disbelief. In a statement on July 6, they noted that the province’s handling of a potential search “disregards and disrespects the lives of First Nations individuals, families, and nations.”
The statement further adds that the association will continue to advocate for the funding necessary to search the landfill.
Grand Chief Cathy Merrick said she and members of the committee met with the premier on July 5. She said she hopes Stefanson would reconsider her decision, as a lot of work has been put into the process of ensuring a search takes place.
“(It) is so disheartening when the provincial government does not take this very seriously. We always have to ensure that we look after our loved ones and that when we find them, that we’d be able to put them to rest,” said Merrick.
“(The premier’s) excuse — her superficial excuse, in terms of safety concerns — was already identified in the feasibility study… we’ve identified in the feasibility study as to how we would be able to mitigate the concern that she had.”
Merrick added that the family of the victims are disappointed, and even more broken. The pain, she said, they feel is something they have to relive every time.
“They want to have closure,” said Merrick.
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