The Manitoba RCMP says that long weekend travellers can expect delays late Friday afternoon on two Manitoba highways. 

The Southern Chiefs’ Organization (SCO) says in a release that they will be holding two special ceremonies today between 5:30 and 7:00 p.m.

The SCO stresses that the events are not protests, "but a blessing of the grounds we travel and an attempt to educate the people who come through about important issues to Manitobans."

Participants will be conducting round dances for 10 minutes at a time, and then allow traffic to flow again in 15-minute intervals. Volunteers will also be handing out information cards, the SCO says.

The locations of the protests are:

· Highway 75 near the Emerson Port of Entry· Highway 59 near the South Beach Casino & Resort

Chief Deborah Smith of Brokenhead Ojibway Nation says "as we head into the next Provincial election on September 10, I am reminded of how First Nation people in the Province of Manitoba are overlooked. Provincial policies and laws invade our communities and are purely to the advantage of the Province. From tobacco and cannabis taxation regimes to the overwhelming number of Indigenous children in care, our economies are suffering, and our children are being commodified. I would challenge any candidate who is running in the Provincial election to step up and start really implementing the Path to Reconciliation Act that was passed in the Manitoba Legislature in 2016. I also want to encourage all First Nation people to get out and vote and make your voice heard. We are the original peoples of this territory and our lives matter."

As Friday is the beginning of the long weekend, the RCMP says that they expect traffic will slow down considerably at the planned sites on both Highway 75 and Highway 59 for the duration of the ceremonies.

“We will have a number of officers on scene at both locations to ensure the safety and security of everyone involved,” says Sgt. Paul Manaigre of the Manitoba RCMP. “We know people want to get to their destinations but we ask the public to be patient, to slow down when approaching police vehicles, and follow the instructions of the officers.”