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.
