Manitoba residents take silica sand project debate into their own hands

A group of rural Manitoba residents, including two town councillors, is starting their own effort to determine the future of a silica plant in their region.

The group, which includes RM of Springfield Councillors Mark Miller and Andy Kuczynski, launched a referendum on the Sio Silica project, which will allow residents to have their say on whether they want the plant in their region.

“I don't think it's ever been done before in Manitoba, where a private initiative is setting in motion a referendum to poll and to basically engage the citizens of our community on how they feel about this project,” said Miller, who has voted against the project.

The Sio Silica corporation has been looking to extract silica sand and process it at a new facility near Vivian, Man. Some residents have opposed the plan due to environmental concerns.

A Clean Environment Commission report released this summer outlined concerns about the plant’s impact on drinking water in the region.

“We are concerned for our water supply. We are concerned for the air and our land as well,” said Tangi Bell with the group Our Line in the Sand.

“We believe that there's no question, there's a majority of people in this community who are strongly adamantly opposed to this project because they want their aquifer protected,” Miller said. "They live in this community, this precious water resource is all that they have. They are expressing to us that their land values will go down, that agriculture will be affected.”

In 2022, Springfield's council voted against a zoning amendment that would allow this type of activity.

However, the company made an appeal to the Manitoba Municipal Board, which then ordered the rural municipality to amend the zoning bylaw.

A plan to amend the bylaw at a June meeting was dismissed as Mayor Patrick Therrien called the police and cut the meeting short following an argument. The zoning bylaw was later passed 3-2 at a closed meeting one week later.

Residents can call to vote either yes or no for the project from Aug. 13 to Sept. 18 at 8 p.m. More information can be found online.

Miller said the results of the referendum will be brought to the RM of Springfield council, saying it will show the appetite from the region for the project.

Reached by phone, Therrian said the referendum doesn’t reflect nor was authorized by the RM

"The protection of groundwater is a priority for all of council,” he said. “However, the decision of whether the proposed silica sand project proceeds or not is in the hands of the provincial government."

In addition to the RM, the results of the referendum will be sent to the province, where the ultimate fate of the project rests.

“If this project goes through, to me, it would be sending all of us here clear message that our environment and thus our human health and well being means nothing,” Bell said.

CTV News Winnipeg has reached out to Sio Silica for a response.