On behalf of our government and all Manitobans, our deepest condolences continue to go out to the families and loved ones mourning the tragic loss of Morgan Harris, Marcedes Myran, Rebecca Contois, and Buffalo Woman.
Today, we met with a number of family members and Indigenous leadership. In that meeting, we stressed the Manitoba government is prepared to support a memorial, which we hope other levels of government and Indigenous leadership will support as well.
We further committed to continuing and enhancing our comprehensive approach to preventing these types of tragedies from happening, and we wish to work closely with the leadership we met with today, and the families, to ensure this approach is working. We will continue to address the many sources of violence against Indigenous women and girls, including domestic and partner abuse, and other exploitation, while continuing our collaboration and investments in mental health supports and to address homelessness.
For those families whose pain we cannot imagine, we have also offered supports from the Department of Mental Health and Community Wellness to help with their healing process.
We understand that federal Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Marc Miller is in the process of reviewing the federally funded feasibility study and recommendations surrounding the Prairie Green landfill, and that a federal decision is forthcoming. We look forward to receiving those federal conclusions.
While we await the federal government’s response, we also emphasize the importance of focusing on ensuring an effective judicial process to ensure justice is served. We note that the technical subcommittee has named safety as the highest priority. We understand the desire to leave no stone unturned. 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.
Based on the report, we cannot knowingly risk Manitoba workers’ health and safety for a search without a guarantee. As stated in the report, the emotional costs associated with conducting a search and not recovering remains must be considered, as should the emotional costs associated with potential delays and the duration of a search.
Again, our hearts go out to the families and communities, and we will continue our efforts to create a Manitoba where everyone feels safe and valued.
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For more information:
- Public information, contact Manitoba Government Inquiry: 1-866-626-4862 or 204-945-3744.
- Media requests for general information, contact Communications and Engagement: newsroom@gov.mb.ca.
- Media requests for ministerial comment, contact Communications and Stakeholder Relations: 204-451-7109.