Cathy Merrick, the Grand Chief of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, and Cambria Harris, the daughter of Morgan Harris, when Manitoba and federal government announced that they would each spend $20 million to search the Prairie Green landfill.
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Manitoba and the federal government will each spend $20 million to search the Prairie Green landfill for the bodies of First Nations women who were victims of an alleged serial killer.
A spokesperson for the province confirmed the information to CBC/Radio-Canada.
A year ago, police said they believed the remains of Morgan Harris, 39, and Marcedes Myran, 26, were dumped at the Prairie Green landfill in May 2022. That dump located north of Winnipeg.
We confirm that our government has set aside $20 million in the upcoming budget to conduct research at the Prairie Green landfill, Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew said in an emailed statement.
< p class="StyledBodyHtmlParagraph-sc-48221190-4 hnvfyV">Our commitment to searching the landfill has been relentless. Even though we don't know if the research will succeed, we must try. This is our commitment to these families, he added.
Serial murders of indigenous women
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In a separate email, the federal government says it is taking another step forward with the province of Manitoba by providing $20 million in funding to conduct research at the Prairie Green landfill, writes Matthieu Perrotin, the minister's spokesperson of Crown-Indigenous Relations, Gary Anandasangaree.
The federal government will also provide $200,000 for trauma- and culturally-informed mental health support. These funds will complement existing Manitoba funding to support families and communities throughout the duration of the upcoming criminal trial.
The Mayor of Winnipeg, Scott Gillingham, has participated in meetings between the provincial and federal governments regarding funding, but the City has not made any comment at this time.
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The remains of Morgan Harris and Marcedes Myran, among others, are believed to be at the Prairie Green dump, located north of Winnipeg.
Earlier this month, after hundreds of protesters joined First Nations leaders outside the Manitoba legislature to call on the province to To act, Mr. Kinew announced $500,000 in aid to the victims' families during the trial next month.
The families of the victims had previously accused the provincial government of inaction. Indeed, the search of this dump was a campaign promise by Wab Kinew in the last provincial elections last fall.
The trial of the killer in series alleged Jeremy Skibicki, who has pleaded not guilty, will take place in front of a jury and is scheduled between April 29 and June 6.
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Winnipeg police say Morgan Harris, Marcedes Myran, Rebecca Contois and a unidentified fourth woman the community has named Buffalo Woman were all victims of a suspected serial killer.
Today is a very bittersweet day. It's a feeling of relief, but there is still work to do. And it's a matter of time. The work that needs to be done is going to take time, says Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs Grand Chief Cathy Merrick.
A lot of money has been spent convincing governments to do the right thing. Today, in a meeting with the federal and provincial governments, they committed to pursuing the landfill, she added.
Nevertheless, she clarified that it is impossible to determine when excavations in the landfill will be able to begin.
We haven't gone that far in terms of when research could actually begin, she says, referring to the meeting with the governments of Manitoba and Canada.
She adds that if the trial ends within a certain time, we will be ready to begin work.
Today, every day ahead will be very, very difficult, said Cambria Harris, whose mother, Morgan Harris, is one of Jeremy Skibicki's potential victims.
This is a step forward for indigenous peoples to take back the story that was stolen from us.
A quote from Cambria Harris
She adds that over the next few months, while the trial takes place, the community will have to come together to support each other.
It's vital to keep talking about it, she says. Families are going to have to pull together and we, as a community, have to pull together.
It's also for my mother, but it's also for all the children who have never had a voice. It's about showing women and Indigenous people that we are valuable, that we are loved and that we are worth seeking out, added Cambria Harris.
Natasha Kumar has been a reporter on the news desk since 2018. Before that she wrote about young adolescence and family dynamics for Styles and was the legal affairs correspondent for the Metro desk. Before joining The Times Hub, Natasha Kumar worked as a staff writer at the Village Voice and a freelancer for Newsday, The Wall Street Journal, GQ and Mirabella. To get in touch, contact me through my natasha@thetimeshub.in 1-800-268-7116
