Brokenhead voters reject Sio Silica sand mine proposal
In a one-week referendum, 181 band members voted against working with the Alberta-based company, while 129 voted in favour.
'We would like to thank everyone who participated in the recent referendum, and our council respects the decision and will proceed in the direction provided by our members,' Brokenhead's chief and council said in a Facebook post.
Brokenhead member Taylor Galvin, a vocal critic of the proposed partnership, said she is 'on Cloud Nine.'
She organized a demonstration against the mining project on Friday morning, the final day of voting.
'There's been a lot of work and advocacy going on, building up to this day.'
Sio Silica is seeking provincial approval for mining operations in southeastern Manitoba. Its proposal includes drilling thousands of wells to extract silica sand, a critical mineral used to develop a variety of goods and electronics.
The proposed mine does not fall on Brokenhead lands, but Sio Silica sought support from the First Nation in exchange for five per cent of the project's annual profits and a promise of jobs and training opportunities.
In a statement, Sio Silica president Carla Devlin said her company respects the community's decision but noted 'it is difficult to see how widespread misinformation influenced' conversation about the issue.
'Our project is built on science, rigorous environmental oversight and a commitment to share its benefits with First Nations. This is an opportunity to position Manitoba as leaders in critical minerals, proving that the economy and the environment are not opposing forces,' Devlin said.
'The mining industry needs help from all stakeholders to ensure the public debate is based on facts, not fear, and to remind people that mining is essential to daily life.'
Critics of the plan have raised concerns about the project's potential impact on an underground aquifer, fearing operations could compromise its geological stability and impact water quality.
Manitoba's Clean Environment Commission reviewed the project and produced a report in 2023 that flagged similar concerns.
The NDP government denied Sio Silica's environmental licences in February 2024, saying the risks outweighed potential benefits.
Devlin told the Free Press last week that Sio Silica intends to reapply for its licence before the end of the month.
She said Friday that the company remains committed to that goal, and to pursuing partnerships in which Indigenous communities benefit from the project.
About 60 people gathered in protest outside the Private Thomas Chief Memorial Centre in Brokenhead on Friday, where band members were able to vote in-person before the referendum closed.
Voting started online Aug. 1.
Galvinc riticized the short voting window, noting it launched ahead of a long weekend and the community's annual Treaty Days celebration.
Brokenhead officials pushed back against her assessment in a statement published on the band website this week.
'The vote was scheduled at a time when most members are available and gathered in (the) community to ensure maximum participation and transparency,' it said.
The statement said council members were not taking a position on the referendum and were seeking input from members before continued talks with Sio Silica.
'This is why we are holding a referendum — to allow all eligible community members to have their say and determine the direction collectively,' it said.
tyler.searle@freepress.mb.ca
Tyler SearleReporter
Tyler Searle is a multimedia producer who writes for the Free Press's city desk. A graduate of Red River College Polytechnic's creative communications program, he wrote for the Stonewall Teulon Tribune, Selkirk Record and Express Weekly News before joining the paper in 2022. Read more about Tyler.
Every piece of reporting Tyler produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.
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