A report shedding light on why Manitoba’s prior Progressive Conservative (PC) government declined to search a landfill for the remains of two murder victims, Morgan Harris and Marcedes Myran, is currently being withheld under the province’s stringent freedom of information law. Recently obtained records revealed that senior bureaucrats had prepared a presentation for cabinet ministers regarding the potential search weeks before the government ultimately decided against it in 2023. This 13-page digital slide deck elaborates on the information that civil servants presented to the politicians, yet the release of these documents has been denied under Manitoba’s secrecy laws, which are among the most restrictive in Canada. Family members of the victims and Indigenous leaders had advocated for the search of the Prairie Green landfill, where the victims’ remains were believed to be located.
The tragic background to this situation includes the brutal actions of Jeremy Skibicki, who killed four women, including Harris and Myran, in 2022. Skibicki is currently serving a life sentence for these murders. In response to community pressure, the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs conducted a study that was publicized in May 2023. This study acknowledged the significant challenges associated with searching the landfill, citing risks associated with toxic chemicals, costs estimated at a staggering $184 million, and the uncertainty of success. Nonetheless, it also emphasized the feasibility of the search and pointed out that not undertaking the search could inflict further trauma on the victims’ families and adversely affect Indigenous communities across Canada.
In the subsequent days, discussions among bureaucrats, including deputy ministers from various departments, took place regarding the slide deck, which was finalized by the end of May 2023. However, in early July, the then-premier, Heather Stefanson, publicly announced that the province would not pursue a search, citing concerns outlined in the study about safety, costs, and the unlikelihood of finding remains. The PC government faced significant backlash and was ultimately defeated in a provincial election shortly thereafter, during which they campaigned on their stance against searching the landfill. Stefanson resigned from her position following the election.
After the change in government, the newly elected NDP administration launched a search in late 2024, which proved successful within a few months, costing approximately $18 million to $20 million. The operation also sought remains of another victim, Ashlee Shingoose, that had been disposed of by Skibicki. Meanwhile, the partial remains of Rebecca Contois had already been located at a different landfill site. The discourse surrounding the initial decision not to search included documentation prepared for cabinet, which included various proposals and recommendations related to the feasibility study on the search.
The office of the ombudsman indicated that the refusal to disclose the materials was justified under Section 19 of Manitoba’s freedom of information law, which restricts the public release of documents intended for cabinet discussions. This law is more prohibitive compared to the transparency regulations in other provinces, where certain discussions can subsequently be made public under specific circumstances. Notably, while Alberta maintains similar restrictions to Manitoba’s, provinces like Nova Scotia allow for the release of certain background information shortly after cabinet decisions are disclosed.
Experts have called for reform in Manitoba’s approach to freedom of information, arguing that not all cabinet documents merit confidentiality. Paul Thomas, a political science professor, suggested that there should be a distinction between factual background information and the advice or recommendations provided by civil servants. As it stands, Manitoba’s cabinet documents are kept secret for 20 years, although a provision permits the premier of the time to waive confidentiality. The Canadian Press attempted to reach out to Stefanson for commentary but received no responses, further underscoring the ongoing complexities and controversies surrounding the issue of transparency in government decisions.
