A petition is currently available for residents in Roland to sign in opposition to a proposed lagoon by the City of Morden.
Morden’s existing lagoon location is insufficient to meet the area’s growing needs, prompting the city to explore expansion options. One such option is a 300-acre parcel of land in the Rural Municipality (RM) of Roland, located along Highway 3, one mile north of a local hog barn. The City of Morden has made a conditional offer to purchase this land while awaiting the results of geotechnical testing, as well as the necessary approvals and licenses to proceed. If the project receives the green light, the plan is to construct an aerated multi-cell wastewater and sewage lagoon on the site, which would involve pumping waste via underground pipes.
Ron Bezan, a resident of Roland, is openly against building the proposed lagoon in the community. He noted that Roland residents will have the opportunity to comment on the project once Morden submits its proposal to the Environmental Assessment Board and the review process begins.
“There has been zero discussion from the City of Morden with the citizens of the RM of Roland,” he said. “Project and plans are not set in stone, as they have recently only received back the results of geotechnical soil testing. The results of these tests need to be reviewed by project engineers to determine if the lagoon build can go ahead based on soil types.”
Bezan pointed out that the City of Morden and the RM of Stanley have cited proper soil conditions as a reason for seeking a site outside their limits. However, he emphasized that their current lagoon in Morden is deficient in capacity rather than structural issues.
“I and many of the residents and ratepayers of the RM of Roland are not only against this proposal but are also offended that a ‘neighbour’ would even consider asking us to take their sewage and wastewaters,” said Bezan.
He expressed concern that if the lagoon is built in the RM of Roland, it could negatively impact the quality of life for local residents due to odors from human waste. Bezan mentioned that the existing lagoon site in Morden releases odors regularly.
“No one likes the smell when entering the east side of Morden,” said Bezan. “Why should we in Roland have to have that when outside for BBQs, recreation, school kids at recess, even just leaving house windows open?”
A group of concerned citizens has organized a petition opposing the proposed lagoon. They argue that Morden missed the opportunity to address its wastewater capacity issues and chose not to participate in a regional project several years ago.
“In June 2023 they announced a new plan for a treatment facility,” said a spokesperson for the group. “Only when that project came in over budget did they decide to pursue building in the RM of Roland. If they are over budget and can’t afford their project that is a City of Morden problem but now they have made it ours.”
Bezan also raised concerns about declining land values and potential contamination of the Winkler Aquifer, as the proposed land is in the catchment area for that water supply. The City of Morden has stated that they are “very conscious” of the Winkler Aquifer, which is why they are seeking land with adequate clay content.
Another petition is circulating among concerned citizens in the Pembina Valley, focusing specifically on issues related to the aquifer.
“This project takes farmland and its related tax revenue out of our RM coffers and offers us nothing in return,” said a spokesperson for the citizens who created the petition. “So basically they want to build a lagoon over a large drinking water aquifer, pipe human waste through our local watershed, remove farmland from our RM (and its tax revenue with no offer of compensation and all the while they would benefit financially), and bring literal human waste and its related smell to their neighbouring RM.”
Bezan is uncertain whether the final decision regarding the lagoon will be made at the municipal or provincial level. The project does not currently appear on any Manitoba government webpages or in discussions, but he noted that the province will conduct public hearings on any environmental matters before any decisions are made.
The petition is available for signing at the Roland General Store and will remain there for the next two weeks. After that, it will be sent to the provincial government and the local council.
