Hotel spaces in Winnipeg being freed up for wildfire evacuees

Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew says hotels in Winnipeg are opening up to thousands of evacuees who have fled their homes due to raging wildfires.

More than 17,000 people have been displaced in the past week, including all 5,000 residents of Flin Flon. People are seeking shelter in Brandon, The Pas and the province's capital.

Manitoba is currently under a state of emergency due to the fires.

Emergency centres have been set up to provide additional space as hotel rooms in cities have become scarce, but First Nations leaders have called on provincial and federal leaders to direct hotels to prioritize evacuees.

Speaking ahead of the First Ministers' conference, Kinew said Monday some 1,000 hotel rooms would be made available for evacuees.

"Nobody wants to sleep on a cot for more than a day or two, even in an emergency situation," Kinew told a news conference in Saskatoon.

"So we're connecting folks who need those enhanced accessibility supports first and then broadening it out to everybody else who needs help, too."

Some residents from Pimicikamak Cree Nation were sent Sunday to a hotel in Niagara Falls, Ont.

Staff of higher courts in Manitoba and Saskatchewan were to meet this week in Winnipeg for a conference, but it was cancelled to make hotel spaces available for evacuees.

Manitoba had 25 active wildfires as of Sunday, including eight considered out of control.

Cooler temperatures are expected and rain is possible, which will aid firefighters in battling wildfires, including the blaze burning quite close to Flin Flon. Fire crews have said the fire has been kept outside the city's perimeter highway.

City officials said Monday that the area experienced strong winds overnight, but there have been no structure losses in the city.

Manitoba can use 'every water bomber we can get our hands on,' Kinew says

3 days ago

Duration 1:09

Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew says the province has received 'amazing' assistance in its fight against wildfires, adding Canada will have to contend with future fire seasons being more like this, 'which means scaling up our firefighting capability.’

Kinew said the support Manitoba has received from other jurisdictions is appreciated, but Canada needs to scale up its firefighting capabilities as wildfire seasons look increasingly different each year.

"As a nation, we're going to have to contend with future fire seasons being more and more like this, which means scaling up our firefighting capability," he said.

"We could use every water bomber we can get our hands on. We're going to need more water bombers in the future."

The Manitoba government has ordered new water bombers, but it will be another five years before the province gets them, Kinew said.

Thousands of others have been affected by wildfires in Saskatchewan and Alberta, ignited by hot, dry weather that has allowed some fires to grow and threaten communities.

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe said all of Confederation has come together to help the three Prairie provinces.

"Many others around this table are consistently reaching out to the three of us to offer resources," he said. "And for that, we're very grateful."

As of Monday, 18 fires are burning in Saskatchewan. Evacuation orders have been issued for many areas in the north, including Pelican Narrows, East Trout Lake and the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation.

Moe has said there will likely be many more evacuation orders over the next week.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said her province is experiencing shifting wind conditions — similar to Saskatchewan and Manitoba — and some Alberta fire crews sent to other provinces have been called back home.

Smith said her province has seen nearly 5,000 people evacuated. There are 26 out-of-control fires in Alberta.

"We are about to restart our emergency management committee of cabinet, because this is an indicator, with so many communities facing evacuation, that we've got to be able to respond in a way that is going to be rapid," she said.

Smith also pointed to her government's awareness campaign aimed at reducing human-caused wildfires, saying it brought them down to 57 per cent of fires from 67 per cent last year.

She said she hopes the federal government will help other provinces to follow suit.

Are you an evacuee who needs assistance? Contact Manitoba 211 by calling 211 from anywhere in Manitoba or email 211mb@findhelp.ca.