As Brokenhead votes on Sio Silica mining partnership, protesters gather in waters defence

Members of the Brokenhead Ojibway Nation in southern Manitoba are voting in a referendum on a proposed mining partnership with Sio Silica this Friday. In July, the Alberta-based mining company offered the nation a five per cent profit share in a proposed silica sand mining operation in southeastern Manitoba. The deal would generate an estimated $20 million annual profit once the project operates at full capacity. The referendum was announced last Thursday. In-person voting is being held at the community’s Private Tom Chief Memorial Hall. If a majority of members vote ‘yes’, Brokenhead and Sio Silica will finalize an agreement and establish a joint oversight committee. If a majority of members vote ‘no’, the profit-sharing offer will be rejected. Some band members are concerned about the potential environmental impact it could have. “This water, our water, our groundwater, our aquifers are at stake,” organizer and land defender Taylor Galvin said. After receiving news of the referendum, Galvin organized the protest to call for accountability, a halt to the vote and protection of lands for future generations. Brokenhead member Hayden Gilmore is concerned about the project’s environmental impact–one he believes could affect generations. “I have little cousins, I have slightly older cousins that are all around our age, and for the next forty years that we’re all going to be alive hopefully, these projects are going to be impacting us,” the 21-year-old said. “They’re going to be impacting our waters, they’re going to be impacting our land.” Sio Silica to submit new licence application In February 2024, then-Manitoba Environment and Climate Change minister Tracy Schmidt rejected a proposed Sio Silica mining project due to environmental concerns. “We have a responsibility to ensure we are not endangering Manitobans’ drinking water,” Schmidt said in a February news release. “This proposal failed to adequately consider long-term impacts including potential aquifer collapse. That’s why we made the decision to not issue a license for the Vivian sand extraction project.” In a Friday email to APTN News, Sio Silica president Carla Devlin said they plan to submit a new environmental licence application within the next week. “It incorporates additional data, four years of monitoring, and addresses recommendations from the Clean Environment Commission,” Devlin wrote. The mining company hosted a series of roundtable meetings with Brokenhead leaders and members. However, Galvin said she and other members left the discussions feeling unheard. “We never got to ask a lot of questions, we never got to really voice our concerns around it,” she said. “When we did, it was met with side-tracked answers and greenwashing, it felt like, even red-washing, using Indigenous knowledge and Indigenous people to try and get ahead as a box to check off.” Devlin said the company is taking concerns about community consultations and the potential environmental impact seriously. “Consultation is an ongoing process, not a one-time event, and we are committed to continuing open and respectful dialogue. Indigenous-led environmental oversight is built into the project, supported by over four years of independent third-party monitoring that has shown no adverse effects,” she wrote in a statement to APTN. “This is an environmentally sound project that offers significant economic opportunity and long-term benefits. It is important that decisions are based on facts and science, not fear or misinformation.” The referendum’s online voting system opened Aug. 1 and closes Aug. 8. Band member Brenda Greyeyes said her daughter, who lives in B.C., experienced issues with it, alleging the QR code she received led to a broken link. “The process was so convoluted,” Greyeyes said. “She phoned me and she said, ‘Mom, I had to go through so many steps and then finally, it didn’t even work.’.” APTN reached out to Brokenhead Ojibway Nation about issues with the online voting system but did not receive a response by publication. Protestors building solidarity Members of Brokenhead Ojibway Nation protesting the proposed deal. Photo: Cierra Bettens/APTN. Brokenhead isn’t the only Manitoba community impacted by proposed silica mining projects. Members of the Our Line in the Sand campaign from eastern Manitoba and land defenders from Camp Morning Star attended the protest in solidarity. The camp near Hollow Water First Nation in Manitoba was established in February 2019 to oppose Sio Silica mining projects. Heavyn-Lee Martens, a youth from Brokenhead, is casting her vote with future generations in mind. “Everything you do, everything you say…will affect the next seven generations,” Martens said. “So it’s important to really keep that in mind.” Brokenhead Ojibway Nation did not respond to APTN’s request for comment on Friday. In a Thursday statement on the referendum, Brokenhead stated “it is seeking a mandate from the community before engaging in future discussions.” “This is why we are holding a referendum — to allow all eligible community members to have their say and determine the direction collectively. The vote was scheduled at a time when most members are available and gathered in community to ensure maximum participation and transparency,” the statement reads. Continue Reading