Landfill blockade removed, but protesters say 'other warriors will take action'

[mahatmakanejeeves]

WINNIPEG | News

Landfill blockade removed, but protesters say 'other warriors will take action'

Devon McKendrick
CTVNewsWinnipeg.ca Digital Editorial Producer

Updated July 18, 2023 1:48 p.m. EDT
Published July 18, 2023 11:50 a.m. EDT

The blockade at Winnipeg's Brady Landfill has been removed, nearly two weeks after protesters set it up demanding a search of a landfill north of the city for the remains of two Indigenous women.

Insp. Gord Spado with the Winnipeg Police Service said Tuesday morning that he and another officer arrived at the blockade to discuss its removal and reopen the road to the landfill. ... He said their goal was to resolve the matter peacefully. ... "The people that were here for the blockade were very cooperative. I interacted with the leader of the group and we gained an understanding of what was going to happen today. It was kept peaceful," said Spado.

{snip}

Protesters have been blocking the area since early July after Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson announced the province would not search Prairie Green Landfill for the remains of two women who are believed to be in the landfill – Morgan Harris and Marcedes Myran.

At the time, Stefanson said the potential health and safety risks for searchers were the main reason she won't support a search, citing the finds of a feasibility study that said workers could encounter toxic material and that there is no guarantee anything will be found.

{snip}

[Bernardo de La Paz]

1. Despite the pain of not searching, $187 million cost would do a lot for living indigenous women

It is a terrible balance to have to weigh, but I think it would be a waste to spend $187 million to search the landfill. Even if the two women were white, nobody would spend even $10 million searching a landfill. And there is no guarantee the two women are there. If they are there, there is no guarantee a search would find them.

It's sad. Period. But there are other better ways of reconciliation and better ways spend large sums of money to help indigenous people advance and gain the respect they deserve.

[Spazito]

2. Unfortunately, any savings by not doing the search will not...

go toward Indigenous issues. It will be used to reduce taxes for the rich no doubt.