Ottawa, Manitoba decided jointly to send evacuees to Niagara Falls
The Manitoba government confirmed Friday the decision to send some of the 18,000 wildfire evacuees to southern Ontario was made jointly with the federal government.
'Manitoba, in partnership with Indigenous Services Canada, worked quickly to ensure evacuees secured shelter and lodging in Ontario, much like Manitoba housed over 1,000 evacuees from Wabaseemoong Independent Nations (in northwestern Ontario) in May,' a spokesperson said in an email.
The province said it requested assistance from Ottawa — via Public Safety Canada's Government Operations Centre — that emphasized the need for federal help to ensure a successful emergency response, including evacuation logistics.
MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS FILES
Lisa Naylor, the minister responsible for Emergency Management Operations, said the Ontario hotel rooms were offered 'before we were able to mobilize as many rooms here in Manitoba.'
'Support measures remain in place for affected on-reserve and eligible First Nation communities, with resources available for both immediate and long-term recovery,' ISC said in an emailed statement.
When a First Nation is evacuated, ISC's Emergency Management Assistance Program covers eligible expenses, including accommodation, transportation, food, clothing, security, emergency social supports, mental health services, and culturally relevant care.
Until Friday, there was confusion about which entity decided to send evacuees to Ontario.
'Decisions are made based on what is available at the time. But as noted, the Red Cross is the lead organization on evacuations, so you'll need to reach out to them,' a statement from the province said.
The Red Cross offered a similar reply.
'Please direct those questions to the province and Indigenous Services Canada,' a spokesperson said in an email.
On Thursday, Lisa Naylor, the minister responsible for Emergency Management Operations, said the Ontario hotel rooms were offered 'before we were able to mobilize as many rooms here in Manitoba' early in the response.
The evacuation orders were issued in a short time frame, forcing thousands to drive south or be airlifted to Winnipeg.
Naylor said the province secured 1,500 hotel rooms in Ontario, and about 800 of them were occupied by evacuees from northern communities such as Flin Flon, Pukatawagan, Cross Lake and Split Lake.
Hundreds of evacuees are staying in congregate settings in cities across the porvince, including a handful of sites in Winnipeg, which have less privacy and are not comfortable for a long period of time.
On Friday, Premier Wab Kinew said approximately 100 hotel rooms become available daily in Manitoba.
'For those folks who are still in shelters, it's just a matter of matching them with rooms as they come online,' the premier said.
'We just have to do a balancing act as new medical patients come in from northern Manitoba, because some communities continue to evacuate due to smoke. We have to preserve some (hotel) rooms for people who have accessibility issues or really intense medical needs, while continuing to move people out of the congregate shelters.
Kinew added the issue of a hotel room shortage 'has largely been addressed.'
That doesn't satisfy Sheryl Matheson, deputy mayor of the northern town of Sherridon, 900 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg.
'Our premier has to intervene and make hotel rooms accessible,' she told the Free Press Friday
On the same day, Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak posted on social media that about 150 evacuees from Pimicikamak, Tataskweyak, and Mathias Colomb Cree Nations were en route to Hamilton.
'We know that travelling from home to a city is a big step, but taking a trip to Hamilton for the evacuations is a huge leap,' the post said. 'Safe travels and remember to stay together while abroad.'
Manitoba hasn't invoked the Emergency Measures Act, which would allow for hotel guests to be told to leave to make room for evacuees. The province declared a state of emergency due to the wildfires on May 28.
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Naylor said Thursday evacuees had been put up in 1,732 hotel rooms in Manitoba, and 200 more were available. Another 200 would be open soon. The evacuation list grew on Friday: Snow Lake — roughly 700 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg — issued a mandatory evacuation order as a massive wildfire bore down on the town.
'You must leave because of the danger to your health and safety,' a post on the town's Facebook page said.
The same fire, which has grown to more than 3,000 square kilometres has displaced 6,000 people from Flin Flon and the surrounding area.
— with files from Chris Kitching and Gabrielle Piche
scott.billeck@freepress.mb.ca
Scott BilleckReporter
Scott Billeck is a general assignment reporter for the Free Press. A Creative Communications graduate from Red River College, Scott has more than a decade's worth of experience covering hockey, football and global pandemics. He joined the Free Press in 2024. Read more about Scott.
Every piece of reporting Scott produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.
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