Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew has announced that the search for two murdered First Nations women at a Winnipeg-area landfill is currently well under budget. This update comes as authorities continue working to identify a second set of remains recently discovered at the site.
Funding and Search Progress
The search operation began in early December after both the provincial and federal governments committed $20 million each to the effort. The project aimed to recover the remains of Morgan Harris and Marcedes Myran, two Indigenous women tragically murdered.
So far, two sets of remains have been located. The RCMP confirmed that one set belongs to 39-year-old Morgan Harris. The identification process for the second set of remains is still ongoing.
Despite significant progress, Premier Kinew emphasized that the project is still in its early stages, and much of the allocated budget remains untouched. However, he declined to specify how much has been spent so far.
Consultation with Families
Premier Kinew underscored that the province will consult with the victims’ families before making decisions about the next steps in the search.
“That’s what we want to discuss, once we’ve had the identification process and time for the families to absorb the information,” Kinew said during a press briefing on Monday.
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Search Area and Challenges
Authorities initially planned to search through 20,000 cubic metres of waste, covering an area comparable to four football fields. Premier Kinew did not disclose how much of this area had been examined before the remains of Morgan Harris were found.
More details are expected to be shared after the second set of remains is identified and following discussions with families and the search oversight committee.
Background on the Tragic Case
Jeremy Skibicki was convicted last year of first-degree murder in the deaths of Harris, Myran, and two other Indigenous women. Investigators revealed that Skibicki targeted these women at homeless shelters in Winnipeg, disposing of their bodies in garbage bins.
The remains of Rebecca Contois were found in a separate landfill and a garbage bin. Tragically, the body of an unidentified Indigenous woman, known by the community as Mashkode Bizhiki’ikwe (Buffalo Woman), has yet to be found. Police have not confirmed where her remains may be located.
It is believed that Myran’s remains are also in the Prairie Green landfill.
Political and Social Response
In the past, authorities refused to search the landfill due to safety concerns. The former Progressive Conservative government opposed funding the search, a stance that became a contentious topic during the 2023 provincial election.
Last week, the interim leader of the Progressive Conservatives issued a public apology in the legislature to the families of Harris and Myran.
For years, families of the victims, alongside Indigenous leaders and activists, have tirelessly advocated for a landfill search. Their efforts reached Parliament Hill and the Manitoba Legislature, ultimately resulting in the funding and execution of the current search.
