Manitoba grand chief 'shocked' after province says it won't help pay to search landfill for remains

The leader of the group pushing to search a Winnipeg-area landfill for the remains of two First Nations women says she doesn't buy the Manitoba government's explanation that it won't provide funding for the initiative because of safety concerns for those who would be sifting through the materials.

"That's bullshit. Because the feasibility study was conducted by experts. We had an anthropologist on the technical working group," Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs Grand Chief Cathy Merrick said in an interview on Wednesday.

"Those issues are reflected in the study as to what can be done, as to what preventative measures can be taken not to put anybody at risk — so that homework is done, and I'm pretty shocked that those issues would come forward now."

Merrick spoke shortly after the Manitoba government released a statement on Wednesday evening, saying it "cannot knowingly risk Manitoba workers' health and safety for a search without a guarantee" of finding the women's remains.

"We understand the desire to leave no stone unturned," said a statement attributed to Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson and Indigenous Reconciliation and Northern Relations Minister Eileen Clarke.

"However, the search process described in the report is complex, and comes with long-term human health and safety concerns that simply cannot be ignored."

The statement also cited the emotional costs of a search that is delayed or does not locate any remains.

The feasibility report Merrick and the province referred to was completed in May, and looked at the logistics of searching the privately run Prairie Green landfill for two women who are believed to have been among the victims of an alleged serial killer.

Winnipeg police said they believe the remains of Morgan Harris and Marcedes Myran were transported to the landfill in May 2022.

The study found a successful search of the site, located north of Winnipeg, is possible.

Conducting that search could take up to three years and cost up to $184 million, the report said, but not doing it could cause considerable distress to the victims' family members and Indigenous communities across the country.

The feasibility study also outlined concerns about health and safety, recommending on-site hazardous materials teams to monitor air quality, act as safety officers and perform decontamination of personnel who work closely with evacuated materials.

That report, which was later leaked online by a relative of one of the victims, outlined a plan to hire more than 40 staff, including managers, elders and knowledge keepers, a forensic anthropologist and as many as 28 technicians to conduct the search for Harris, 39, and Myran, 26.

Both women's families have said finding their remains is vital to bringing them closure.