City of Winnipeg files for injunction to have Brady Landfill blockade removed

The City of Winnipeg has officially filed for a court injunction to remove a blockade on the main road leading to the Brady Landfill.

In the application to the Court of King's Bench, the city said it is seeking an order to remove the blockade as well as an order to allow police to remove anyone who doesn't follow the removal order.

Protesters have been at the site since Thursday in response to the province's decision to not search Prairie Green Landfill outside of Winnipeg. It is believed that the remains of Morgan Harris and Marcedes Myran in the landfill.

As part of the application, Michael Gordichuk, the manager of solid waste services in the Water and Waste Department, filed an affidavit explaining the circumstances at the landfill.

He said if the city can't access the landfill, there are environmental and health and safety risks, including the combustion of waste materials, toxic gas buildup, the buildup and potential leaking of toxic liquids, increased odours and littering at the facility and the inability to do testing.

He added the city will also have to divert waste elsewhere, impacting other facilities that may not be able to hold all the garbage, which would also result in the city losing thousands of dollars a day.

"Despite the City's attempts to clear the blockade on the roadway at Ethan Boyer Way, I believe that the Respondents will not leave the roadway unless the court intervenes and grants an injunction and permitting the Winnipeg Police Service to enforce the injunction," the affidavit said.

Gordichuk also believes if the injunction isn't granted, the city will continue to "suffer irreparable harm."

The application will be heard before a judge on Wednesday, July 12 at 10 a.m.

Mayor Scott Gillingham says he supports the decision to seek an injunction to remove protesters who are blocking the main road to Brady Landfill.

Gillingham said the blockade needs to move as trucks need access to the site.

"We have to keep the garbage trucks moving in the city of Winnipeg," said Gillingham. "I think it's important that we don't run into the situation where we could have garbage collection interrupted."

Gillingham added the main focus is removing the blockade and not necessarily those who are set up at Camp Morgan.

When asked what he would like to see done for the protesters who refuse to move, Gillingham said the hope is they can reach an end result through conversations with those at the encampment.

"We've worked with the members who've been part of the encampment in the past, through December…That's ultimately the goal is to reach an end to this matter through dialogue."

The mayor noted he has reached out to the families to see if they would want to meet.

Tre Delaronde, an organizer and warrior at the blockade, said they still have no plan or desire to move the blockade.

"We'll do what we can to defend ourselves in a peaceful manner, in a respectful way, because our women deserve justice," said Delaronde.

Tre Delaronde, one of the organizers of the Brady Landfill blockade, poses for a photo on July 11, 2023. (Image source: Danton Unger/ CTV News Winnipeg)

When asked if he believes the camp will stay up even if the blockade is removed, Delaronde said he doesn't trust officials to not remove it as well.

"This is a peace camp, it's a peace village. So the blockade comes with this when their demands are not being met and their voices are not being heard enough," he said. "We know they will lie to us and they will betray their word. And that's what we know, or we feel that's what will happen, they will betray their word."

As for next steps if the blockade is removed, Delaronde said they will not sit around and they have discussed multiple plans to share their message, including blocking the Trans-Canada Highway.