Former judge calls on Ottawa to sidestep Manitoba and launch search of landfill for women's remains

A former judge and chief commissioner of a national inquiry into violence against Indigenous women says the federal government must do more to convince Manitoba to order a search of a landfill for the remains of two Indigenous women.

Marion Buller, a retired judge who led the National Inquiry into Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and Girls, said Ottawa should take a larger role in the controversy over the province's refusal to date to order a search for the remains of Morgan Harris, 39, and Marcedes Myran, 26, in the Prairie Green landfill north of Winnipeg.

Buller said Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Marc Miller has options to secure a search of the landfill.

"There are brilliant minds all across Canada who can come up with some creative solutions for the federal government. Call on those brilliant minds, Minister Miller," Buller told CBC News in her first interview on the matter.

The Manitoba government has rejected calls to conduct a search of the landfill, citing safety hazards associated with sifting through toxic materials.

Buller said the federal government could sidestep the provincial government and try to reach an agreement with the landfill owner to conduct a search.

"There's so much more that can be done and should be done by all levels of government, rather than sitting back and playing some sort of blame game," Buller said.

Winnipeg Police have charged Jeremy Skibicki, 35, with first-degree murder charges in connection with the deaths of four Indigenous women, including Harris and Myran.

Police believe the remains of Harris and Myran are located below the surface of the privately run landfill.

The other two women are Rebecca Contois and a person whose identity is not known. She has been named Mashkode Bizhiki'ikwe, or Buffalo Woman.

The partial remains of Contois were found at the City of Winnipeg's Brady Road landfill in June 2022. The location of Mashkode Bizhiki'ikwe is not known.

A spokesperson for Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson's office said the government is standing by its decision not to conduct a search. One estimate suggested such a search would cost roughly $184 million.

The provincial government has instead offered to work with all levels of government to build a memorial in honour of the victims.

"Our hearts go out to the families who are dealing with unimaginable grief, but leadership requires difficult decisions," said Stefanson's spokesperson.