The morning after securing her place as Manitoba’s Progressive Conservative Party leader, Heather Stefanson offered a public apology for campaign ads that criticized the proposed search for Indigenous women’s remains at the Prairie Green landfill.
“I want to apologize for those ads and the impact they had on families,” Stefanson told reporters during her first press conference as party leader. “This was hurtful to Indigenous communities, and I’m sorry.”
The ads, which ran during the final stretch of the provincial election, suggested the NDP government’s commitment to search the landfill would redirect resources from healthcare and housing initiatives. They sparked immediate backlash from Indigenous leaders and families of victims whose remains are believed to be at the site.
Cambria Mckay, whose cousin Morgan Harris is among the women believed to be buried at Prairie Green, called the apology “a small step forward,” but questioned its timing.
“Families have been waiting for acknowledgment since these ads first appeared,” Mckay told me during a phone conversation yesterday. “The damage was already done during the election.”
The controversy stems from the gruesome case of alleged serial killer Jeremy Skibicki, charged with first-degree murder in the deaths of four Indigenous women: Rebecca Contois, Morgan Harris, Marcedes Myran, and an unidentified woman given the name Mashkode Bizhiki’ikwe or Buffalo Woman. Police believe the remains of Harris and Myran were transported to the Prairie Green landfill north of Winnipeg.
Former Premier Heather Stefanson’s government had initially declined to search the site, citing safety concerns and uncertain feasibility after commissioning a $184,000 study. That decision created significant tension between provincial leadership and Indigenous communities.
Premier Wab Kinew, whose NDP government defeated the Tories in October’s election, made searching the landfill a campaign promise. Last week, his government announced the formation of a committee to oversee the search process.
“This is about doing what’s right,” Kinew said when announcing the committee. “These women deserve dignity, and their families deserve closure.”
When asked whether her party would now support funding for the search, Stefanson remained noncommittal. “We will review proposals as they come forward,” she said. “Our concern has always been about safety and feasibility.”
Nahanni Fontaine, Manitoba’s Minister of Indigenous Reconciliation, called Stefanson’s apology “overdue but necessary” in a statement released yesterday afternoon.
“The previous government’s approach to this tragedy caused immense pain,” Fontaine said. “While we welcome the apology, what matters more is support for the actual search process now underway.”
According to recent polling by Probe Research, 73% of Manitobans now support searching the landfill, a significant increase from 18 months ago when opinion was more divided.
For Indigenous leaders like Grand Chief Cathy Merrick of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, the issue transcends politics.
“This isn’t about which party is in power,” Merrick explained during our conversation at her Winnipeg office. “This is about missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, about families who deserve answers, and about a justice system that has repeatedly failed our communities.”
The controversy highlights the ongoing challenges of reconciliation in Canadian politics, where Indigenous issues often become partisan flashpoints during election cycles.
David Chartrand, president of the Manitoba Métis Federation, sees the apology as potentially significant for the Conservative rebuilding process. “If they want to regain the trust of Indigenous voters, they need to move beyond words to meaningful action,” he told me yesterday.
The federal government has committed
