Springfield crowd packs hall to fight Sio Silica project, WMR plan

An emotional and, at times, fiery town hall in Springfield drew more than 300 people this week as residents unloaded their concerns over Sio Silica’s silica-sand mining proposal and the municipality’s future in the Winnipeg Metropolitan Region (WMR).

The Oct. 22 meeting at Cooks Creek Community Centre, hosted by councillors Andy Kuczynski and Mark Miller, was billed as a community forum to hear directly from residents and experts. However, in a statement, the RM of Springfield later clarified that the community forum was not an official Council event. While councillors are free to engage with the community individually, the statement noted the event did not necessarily represent the “views, decisions, or official position of council as a whole.”

‘A disaster waiting to happen’

Fourth-generation landowner Georgina Mustard delivered a personal and emotional testimony, describing the risks she believes Sio Silica’s proposed drilling poses to the aquifer beneath her family’s farm.

“This is our water and our land,” Mustard told the crowd, warning of the consequences of contaminating a sensitive groundwater system that serves thousands of Manitobans.

Activist Tangi Bell, representing Our Line in the Sand Manitoba, highlighted Ethics Commissioner findings involving former PC Premier and cabinet ministers and raised concerns about the province’s mining licensing process. She said the company, now rebranded as Project SIMBA, is trying to keep its project alive despite the provincial government’s 2024 decision to deny its licence.Speakers also screened “Shifting Sands,” a short documentary by Interlace Media, and urged residents to sign petitions calling for a public inquiry into the project’s political handling.

A pivotal moment came when a resident directed a pointed question at Sio Silica president Carla Devlin, who is also a general contractor and mayor of East St. Paul, asking if the company would guarantee Springfield’s drinking water and provide compensation if contamination occurred. Devlin did not offer a direct guarantee, saying only that questions would be addressed at future corporate open houses.

Thankfully, councillors noted, the NDP government, led by Wab Kinew, and then-environment minister Tracy Schmidt rejected Sio Silica’s licence earlier this year. But the company is widely expected to submit a new application in 2026.

“We’re going to be ready,” Miller told attendees, promising to scrutinize any future proposal that could impact the aquifer.

Political figures in attendance included NDP MLA Rachelle Schott, Manitoba Liberal Leader Willard Reaves, former MP/MLA Jon Gerrard, as well as current and former Springfield councillors and Sunrise School Division trustees.

‘Who’s really in charge?’

Independent expert Ken Drysdale laid out concerns over WMR’s shelved Plan 2050, a blueprint that critics say gives City of Winnipeg veto power over planning decisions in 17 surrounding municipalities.

Drysdale explained that municipalities can opt out of WMR before the 2026 election through a simple council resolution, then opt back in later if they choose. He called opting out “the best strategic option to protect local autonomy.”

Many in the audience agreed, urging council to act before the rules become more restrictive.

Throughout the night, residents pressed councillors on transparency, lobbyist influence, and accountability. Several raised the idea of recall legislation, which would allow voters to remove local officials mid-term. Manitoba currently has no such law.

Kuczynski and Miller publicly committed to supporting recall legislation if re-elected, citing similar laws in Alberta and B.C.

“Springfield is a rural municipality with a distinct identity, not a suburb of Winnipeg,” Kuczynski said. “We’re fighting to keep decision-making in the hands of local residents.”

Miller thanked attendees for “sacrificing their evening” and praised volunteers, adding that more public forums are planned to keep residents informed and engaged.

This story was originally published in The Winnipeg Sun. It is republished under a Creative Commons license as part of the Local Journalism Initiative.