Springfield mayor calls cops to public meeting

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This article was published 15/06/2023 (704 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Springfield Mayor Patrick Therrien called RCMP to the council chamber to remove members of the public who refused to leave or stay silent while council considered a development agreement and rezoning for Sio Silica developments west of Vivian.

Therrien adjourned the Tuesday night meeting after community members interjected, refusing to continue until the most vocal of the crowd, including Vince Bennici, were removed.

“I think it’s wrong because this is not the first time they’ve called the police on me,” said Bennici, who ran for Ward 1 in last year’s election, losing to Glen Fuhl. “I question and I just want answers like everybody else does.”

Although no one was arrested, Bennici feels vindicated.

He said this is the fourth time Therrien has called the police to have him removed in seven months. Bennici has been attending council meetings since 2009 and has never experienced anything like this.

In a phone interview the following morning, Therrien denied having called the police to a council meeting before. He added this time it was because Bennici refused to leave the public meeting.

When asked for comment once five police officers arrived and the meeting was cancelled for the rest of the evening, Therrien refused to comment, saying in a Wednesday morning phone interview that it was “too hot of a time” to say anything.

“We had concerns for the safety of the people present. Nothing was going to get resolved last night there,” said Therrien. “It was way too volatile.”

More than 60 residents of Springfield and neighbouring communities packed into the council chamber to voice their concerns. Therrien said that because the gathering was a “special meeting” as opposed to a regularly scheduled council meeting that no question period or delegations from the public were allowed.

During proceedings, members of the public interjected with their questions and concerns about the mayor’s decisions.

“If the system goes wrong, how are they going to rectify it?” Al Mackling, 95, said after the meeting. “When you do harm to a giant aquifer, how do you re-establish that aquifer? We don’t know.”

Mackling, although no longer a resident of Springfield, believes that if the Sio project goes ahead, it’s a big risk and could affect those living outside the municipality if water is contaminated. He served as minister of natural resources from 1981 to 1986 and is a retired lawyer.

“You don’t gamble with a resource as precious as is the water in this huge aquifer,” Mackling said.

Other residents in the crowd were confused as to why Therrien would call a special meeting when not all council members were available, as well as his sudden change in support of the project.

Mark Miller, councillor for Ward 3, attended through Zoom from Washington, D.C. while attending an environmental summit.

Coun. Miller and Ward 2 Coun. Andy Kuczynski are against the Sio development, while Mayor Therrien, Coun. Melinda Warren and Coun. Glen Fuhl are in favour.

In an interview with The Carillon before the municipal election in October, Therrien described the silica sand project as “high risk”. He said it’s a matter of time before the water is contaminated, adding, “It’s a certainty it will eventually happen.”

Therrien also promised to create bylaws that would protect water sources in the municipality.

“I was against the Sio Silica process… and now I’m neutral,” Therrien said. “I have to remain unbiased to make a decision that’s fair to all the parties.”

Therrien said Springfield council was ordered by the Manitoba Municipal Board on March 8 to rezone the land and create a development agreement with Sio Silica within 90 days.

If council agrees, a sand processing facility will be built on the land, including a drying station, a wet station, a 2.6 kilometre rail loop and four silos for filling trains.

Therrien wants people to be aware that the agreement relates to the processing facility and not the mining operations, which is a separate issue.

“This development agreement doesn’t mean they can just go crazy and go ahead and do everything there,” Therrien said. “They have to get permits from us and we have to monitor to make sure everything is done correctly.”

Mining cannot begin until the Manitoba Clean Environment commission deems the process safe.

Therrien said residents should be contacting the provincial government with their concerns as well. The mayor did not know when the next meeting would be scheduled or if residents would be allowed to speak.