Springfield's Mayor Therrien calls out Councillor's Miller and Kuczynski for holding public information meeting.
Clipper Weekly editor Mark Buss sides with Mayor
The Facts Behind the October 22 Public Meeting & Mayor Therrien’s Pushback
When Leadership Turns to Damage Control - and Residents Push Back
On October 22, 300 residents packed the Cooks Creek Community Centre to capacity. They came to learn about 2 deeply important issues: Sio Silica’s renewed application threatening our aquifer and an update on the Winnipeg Metropolitan Region (WMR)’s Plan 20-50 and how Winnipeg will obtain control over Springfield’s land planning decisions. Residents also came because they are tired of decisions made without their consent. This meeting was proof that the people of Springfield are wide awake and watching.
Councillors Miller & Kuczynski had the courage to organize a Public Meeting so residents could finally hear the truth. For many, this was the first time they had heard unfiltered facts. It was democracy in action (held in Miller’s own Ward 3). Councillors Fuhl and Warren attended as invited guests. Mayor Therrien declined. Residents were clearly thankful for the opportunity to ask questions and learn more.
But the success of the Public Meeting clearly made some people nervous. The next day, an unsigned “official” Statement appeared on the RM of Springfield website, claiming the “community forum was not an official event of Council and was not sanctioned by the full Council.” There was no Council vote. No approval. No discussion. Yet the statement was released publicly, as if to discredit the councillors who dared to hold the meeting. Mayor Therrien, nor CAO Draper have the authority to act on their own and release official RM of Springfield documents. The statement further said, “The Council remains committed to transparent and inclusive engagement through communications, decisions and public open houses.” This was not transparency. This was damage control. The statement was posted on the RM’s Facebook page. Residents immediately saw it for what it was, an attempt to undermine and silence the voices of those who showed up and pushed back. “It felt like they were trying to tell us we shouldn’t have been there,” said one attendee.
In a surprising turn, The Clipper Weekly flatly refused to publish a summary of the meeting, even as a paid advertisement. The Clipper Weekly owner and publisher, Mark Buss, reportedly said it would not run “because the meeting was not sanctioned by Council.” When offered full payment to print it, the refusal still stood. Councillor Miller & Kuczynski’s statement was effectively censored by The Clipper Weekly. Meanwhile, Steinbach’s The Carillon accepted the same submission without hesitation. They even published their own article covering the event, including Mayor Therrien’s dismissive response that the Public Meeting was “confusing for residents.” The difference between the two papers couldn’t be clearer: one respects free speech; the other protects the powerful.
So, what’s really happening here? Why is Mayor Therrien and The Clipper Weekly so desperate to control the message? Why issue unauthorized statements, block communication, and prevent residents from hearing what Councillors Miller & Kuczynski have to say?
When pressed further, Mr. Buss stated, “this is my paper, and I’ll print whatever I want.” Councillors Miller and Kuczynski then sent their news release to other local media. To date, The Winnipeg Sun, CBC News and the Steinbach’s Carillon have now reported on the Public Meeting.
Mayor Therrien has agreed with the WMR to a rapid 200 residence per year expansion of
Springfield at existing taxpayers’ expense. The Water Treatment Plant, where all Springfield residents will pay for it rather than the developers, is an example of Mayor Therrien’s buy in to WMR Plan20-50. Our taxes will go up to parity with the City of Winnipeg and Springfield taxpayers will pay dearly for this for years to come.
The pro Sio Silica and pro WMR Plan20-50 sides may be getting worried that Springfield residents are beginning to wake up to the enormous changes that are being planned for them by outside forces.
Residents have a right to know what’s being planned for their community, before it’s too late.
The people of Springfield have spoken and they’re not going back to being quiet.
Mayor Therrien’s public statement on RM Letterhead not endorsing Mark and Andy’s Meeting in Cooks Creek
Joint Press Release by Andy Kucynski and Mark Miller
Public Forum Engages & Updates Residents on Sio Silica and WMR
Nearly 300 Springfield Residents Attend Public Meeting Opposing Sio Silica and WMR 20-50
Cook’s Creek, Manitoba: An estimated 300 concerned residents filled the Cook’s Creek Community Centre in a public engagement forum hosted by Springfield Councillors Andy Kuczynski and Mark Miller. It demonstrated a powerful community response to ongoing concerns about Sio Silica’s on-going proposed silica sand mining project and Springfield’s future within the Winnipeg Metropolitan Region (WMR) including the shelved Plan 20-50 and Bill 4 going forward.
Kuczynski and Miller were pleased to welcome political reps attending including NDP MLA Rachelle Schott, former MP/MLA Dr. Jon Gerrard and Manitoba Liberal Party Leader Willard Reaves, as well as, several past and current Springfield council and Sunrise SD trustees.
Georgina Mustard, a fourth-generation resident living next to the proposed mining site, delivered a moving personal testimony detailing the severe risk the proposed Sio Silica sand extraction potentially poses to the sensitive groundwater aquifer and generational farm land. Tangi Bell (Our Line in the Sand) highlighted the Ethics Commission findings against former PC Premier
Stefanson and her PC Ministers with Sio and concerns on the Manitoba mining licencing process.
Independent expert Ken Drysdale provided an overview of the WMR and their shelved 20-50 Plan, confirming that while the Region consists of Winnipeg and 17 municipalities, all votes are weighted by population, meaning the City of Winnipeg would maintain veto power over Springfield and capital regional land planning decisions. He clarified that municipalities may choose to opt out now and later opt back in after reviewing the updated WMR plan expected no later than January 2027. Opting out maybe the best strategic option to protect ones’ local autonomy.
A pivotal moment occurred when a resident asked Sio Silica President Carla Devlin (also a general contractor/property developer and the Mayor of East St. Paul) whether the company would guarantee protection of Springfield’s drinking water and provide financial compensation if contamination occurred. Devlin did not provide a direct answer, referring only to future corporate “open houses.”
Thankfully, the NDP government including Premier Kinew and then Environment and Climate Change Minister Tracy Schmidt, did not approve the Sio Silica license in 2024. However, it is anticipated a new Sio application maybe submitted in the new year and Miller and Kuczynski are aiming to be ready to review and challenge any application that may affect our water.
Councillors Miller and Kuczynski further publicly committed to supporting Recall legislation, if re-elected, allowing residents to remove elected officials during their term. This is a unique political accountability and transparency tool currently in place within Alberta and British Columbia.
“Springfield is a rural municipality with a distinct identity, not a suburb of Winnipeg,” said Councillor Kuczynski. “We are fighting to keep decision-making in the hands of local residents”.
Mark Miller expressed “appreciation to the many volunteers and residents who sacrificed their evening to be part of this extraordinary evening of dialogue which helps shape our community”. Thanks to Ernie and Kiara Nathaniel (Interlace Media) and Dr. Daniel Page for video recording the event. The aim is to make this session content available on various social media platforms soon.
Miller and Kuczynski committed to protecting water, southeast Manitoba’s aquifer, upholding public input between elections and offered to host additional public engagement forums to keep the people aware and to hear concerns and ideas from all residents.
The meeting concluded with strong accolades of encouragement to the councillors for hosting the meeting and continued calls for protection of groundwater, farmland, and municipal independence.
Full length unedited video of Open House meeting
The Dugald Oakbank Water Treatment System (DOWS) is a proposed water treatment facility aimed at supporting new developments in the Dugald and Oakbank areas. The project comes at a steep price for residents:
The RM is Borrowing $50 Million in Total
Here is the breakdown (Source – RM of Springfield Financial Plan 2023):
- $12,563,000 for the Dugald Oakbank Water Treatment System (DOWS)
- $22,000,000 for Lagoon Expansion
- $9,010,000 for Springfield Recreation Centre (Phase 1)
- $9,900,948 for Springfield Recreation Centre (Phase 2)
Why DOWS May Not Be the Best Option for Springfield
- Local Improvement District: DOWS should be taxed as a Local Improvement District, meaning only those who benefit should pay—as is common in other RMs.
- Developer Contributions: Developers should contribute more to the costs upfront, reducing the burden on taxpayers.
- No Benefit to current taxpayers : DOWS primarily supports new developments, so existing residents see no direct benefits. Homes on municipal water will pay higher consumer charges and a special levy, homes on private wells still retain all costs for their systems.
- Existing Capacity: The RM’s November 1, 2023, Water and Waste Management report confirms that current water capacity is sufficient for upcoming projects like Dugald Place Assisted Living, Dugald Pool, Vision 2020 Personal Care Home, and Springfield Rec Centre, as well as 470 residential lots currently approved for development
- High Costs and Waste: DOWS uses Reverse Osmosis (RO), an expensive and wasteful method. RO could potentially waste the equivalent of 75 Olympic swimming pools of water each year.
- Impact on Environment: RO is not an eco-friendly option, especially with Springfield’s other healthier and more affordable water sources available. RO produces brine that can harm the environment if not properly managed. RO waste water will be discharged into Cooks Creek Drainage Ditch which empties into the floodway. Homes close to the floodway may have their well water negatively effected from this discharged water. Large-scale RO can over-extract water from natural sources, depleting resources and harming ecosystems.
- Energy Intensive: RO requires significant energy, increasing its carbon footprint, especially if powered by non-renewable sources.
- Health Concerns: The water from the three proposed wells fails to meet drinking water guidelines for fluoride, sodium, and total dissolved solids—areas further east do meet these guidelines.
- Better Alternatives: Springfield has access to other pristine water sources that are significantly less expensive and require minimal treatment.
6 Examples of Eco-Friendly, Cost-Effective Alternatives for Springfield
- Move & Redrill Wells: Move and redrill the existing Heatherdale wells slightly south or east, staying within the Moosenose aquifer. This site was originally chosen as the best location to supply fresh water to Oakbank and Dugald for current and future needs.
The Moosenose is a large aquifer with its southern boundary intersecting the town of Oakbank and extending north into the Birds Hill Provincial Park. The eastern boundary crosses provincial highway 206 and the western boundary ends at the Red River Floodway.
- Reservoir/Holding Tank: Install a holding tank at the existing Heatherdale wells to allow fines to settle, reducing the need for intensive treatment.
- Expropriate Polluting Quarries: Expropriate surrounding quarry operators who are contaminating the municipal water supply—these quarries are nearly depleted and soon won’t be cost-effective to mine.
- Water Sharing with RM of Tache: Reach an agreement with the RM of Tache to pipe treated water from Lorette to the Dugald treatment center. Approximately 5.7 M.
- Draw from Shoal Lake Aqueduct: Consider drawing untreated water from the Shoal Lake Aqueduct or directly from the Greater Winnipeg Water Treatment Plant and pipe it to the Dugald treatment and distribution center.
- Independent Study: Commission an independent engineering study to identify a sustainable, pristine water supply within Springfield with the goal of reducing capital costs by 50%, ensuring it meets future needs with minimal treatment. Estimate of 8.4 M.
Did You Know?
- The RM approved a major draw of pristine aquifer water for Sky Blue Water Inc., a water bottling company close to PR #302 and #15. The well draw could support 5,000-6,200 Springfield residents—currently, there are only 1,334 Springfield residents on piped water! The RM of Springfield is fortunate to have many options for a new pristine fresh water!
- There are already more than 1,220 unoccupied new lots and houses for sale in the RM.
Anola with 86 new lots assigned, Dugald’s Wheatland and Skylark with 179 assigned unbuilt lots and 284 pending applications, Oakbank’s Terracon, Sienna Ridge, Hendren, R&B, and Qualico have assigned 211 unbuilt lots, West Pine Ridge with 460 new five acre lots.
It’s Not Too Late
The RM of Springfield Council has the power to withdraw Borrowing Bylaw 24-01.
Next Steps
The Environmental Approvals Branch must grant a license for DOWS, and the RM is waiting for this decision.
Let’s Contact the RM of Springfield Council and Ask Them to Do Their Homework
Urge them to commission an independent study to find a sustainable, pristine water supply within Springfield with the goal of reducing the capital costs by 50%.
- Mayor – Patrick Therrien
Email: ptherrien@rmofspringfield.ca
Phone: 204-902-0728 - Councillor, Ward 1 – Glen Fuhl
Email: gfuhl@rmofspringfield.ca
Phone: 204-232-4631 - Councillor, Ward 2 – Andy Kuczynski
Email: akuczynski@rmofspringfield.ca
Phone: 204-403-8971 - Councillor, Ward 3 – Mark Miller
Email: mmiller@rmofspringfield.ca
Phone: 204-403-82 - Councillor, Ward 4 – Melinda Warren
Email: mwarren@rmofspringfield.ca
Phone: 204-403-8201
What Residents are Saying
STRC recently completed an extensive canvas throughout the entire RM, meeting with over 1,200 residents. Over 90% of residents consulted said no to this excessive costly growth plan and don’t want to pay from their own pocket for services that don’t benefit them. Springfield residents want to keep their rural community identity and not move towards being a suburb of Winnipeg.
Who is Springfield Taxpayer Rights Corp (STRC)? A large group of over 1,000 concerned residents consisting of many professionals including but not limited to, engineers, a retired Chief Administrative Officer, Professors of University of Manitoba & Winnipeg, former Councillors, politicians, doctors, teachers, business owners, farmers, and a whole host of lay peoples.