Nopiming business owners hope province will help shoulder losses from summer season cut short by wildfires
Business owners in an eastern Manitoba provincial park are glad to be reopening following more than a month of wildfire-induced closures, though they're shouldering thousands of dollars in lost revenue and wary their outdoorsy clientele might not rush back this summer.
Earlier this month, the province announced tax deferrals for commercial operators that were impacted by wildfires, but one of the owners of Nopiming Lodge says there's concern that won't be enough to help them rebound right now.
"We've taken quite a hit already," said Jesse Guenther, who owns and operates the lodge with his mother and brother. "It's going to be a lot less busy."
A giant out-of-control wildfire ripped through the park, forcing evacuations in May. As of Friday, that fire remained 218,700 hectares in size — over four times the area of Winnipeg.
"May is normally our busiest time, between the hunters and fishermen and everything, and people coming out camping," said Guenther. "So it's going to be a little tough to come back from that."
Though the fire is still considered out of control, the southern portion of Nopiming Provincial Park was able to be reopened Wednesday for residents, cottagers and businesses. That includes areas along Provincial Road 315, as well as Bird, Booster, Flanders and Davidson lakes.
Closures and mandatory evacuation orders remain in place for the rest of Nopiming, according to the Manitoba government's Friday wildfire update.
Tulabi Falls and Bird Lake campgrounds will stay closed until at least June 26. Tulabi has 41 campsites and six yurts, with on average 3,862 nights stayed each year from May through October, while Bird Lake has 27 campsites and on average over 900 nights reserved, according to a provincial spokesperson.
Beresford and Black Lake campgrounds will stay closed for the rest of the season, as will Shoe Lake, water routes in Nopiming and all backcountry locations hit by wildfires.
'Prime time is short': lodge owner
But as the southern part of the park reopened this week, the Guenthers hurried back to their lodge, to do whatever they could to get back up and running.
"Our amount of prime time is short — it's May to August, or May to September, and we need to get as much business as we can in them," Brenda Guenther, Jesse's mother, told CBC News in Nopiming on Thursday.
The business relies not only on bookings, but also a raft of associated revenue streams, like boat and canoe rentals, which the family fears will suffer a slump due to backcountry closures.
They also anticipate a drop in sales of firewood, bagged ice and other ancillary sources of cash flow due to the overall drop in traffic through the area.
All told, the Guenthers expect to lose at least $60,000 this season.
"It's the living for my boys and me," said Brenda. "This is their home. This is everything they've been doing forever."
The head of the Manitoba Lodges and Outfitters Association thinks the provincial tax deferrals will be helpful down the line, but says the government may need to do more in the short term to keep small businesses afloat.
"Any help is much appreciated, but they're still going to have to pay taxes eventually," said executive director Don Lamont.
"We've got to try and find some financial support in other places for them. Otherwise, there's going to be quite a few people that close their doors."
Jesse Guenther, meanwhile, is hopeful that as the forest regrows, and provincial crews clear out burned brush and deadfall hazards from public-access areas, that the local cottage industry will bounce back.
But he worries it could take a couple of years for visitor levels to return to normal. He welcomes more help from the province for businesses.
"If they're able to in some way, shape or form, that would be something I would be open [to]" he said. "At the end of the day, we're just thankful to be back."
Manitoba 211 by calling 211 from anywhere in Manitoba or email 211mb@findhelp.ca.
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