Brokenhead Ojibway Nation holds referendum on Sio Silica partnership – CBC

Aug 01, 2025

Sand mining company plans to submit new environmental licence application within week, president says

Brokenhead Ojibway Nation is holding a referendum on a prospective partnership with Alberta mining company Sio Silica, which wants to drill thousands of wells in southeastern Manitoba to extract silica sand.

Brokenhead announced Thursday it will hold an online referendum on the prospective partnership from Aug. 1 to Aug. 8 as well as an in-person vote at Private Tom Chief Memorial Hall at the community northeast of Winnipeg on Aug. 8.

The partnership calls for Brokenhead to receive five per cent of the profits from Sio Silica’s mining operations with Brokenhead, a share estimated at $20 million in annual revenue for the First Nation once the project reaches full capacity, according to a notice sent to band members from Brokenhead’s chief and council.

Read More: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/brokenhead-referendum-sio-silica-1.7599103