Latest news with #LisaNaylor
CTV News
10 hours ago
- Climate
- CTV News
Manitoba to close wildfire evacuation centres as communities return home
A reception centre for evacuees of the wildfires in northern Manitoba is being staffed by provincial Emergency Social Services, and the Canadian Red Cross at the Billy Mosienko Arena in Winnipeg, Thursday, May 29, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/David Lipnowski WINNIPEG -- Some wildfire evacuees staying in a shelter in northern Manitoba may be moved elsewhere in the province as more communities return home and the government closes temporary evacuations centres. The province says congregate shelters in Winnipeg and Portage la Prairie are closing as space has opened up in hotel rooms. The shelter at the Leila Soccer Complex will remain open in case additional evacuations are needed. Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Lisa Naylor says roughly 114 people are still displaced at the shelter in Thompson due to a lack of available hotel spaces. She says some evacuees staying in the city may be close to returning home and others may be moved to hotels elsewhere in Manitoba within the next day or two. The fires forced more than 22,000 from their homes, although many began returning home over the weekend. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 19, 2025.
Toronto Sun
12 hours ago
- Climate
- Toronto Sun
Manitoba to close wildfire evacuation centres as some communities return home
Published Jun 19, 2025 • 2 minute read Fire crews near the northern community of Weyakwin, Sask., were doing their best to control wildfires in the area on Saturday, May 31, 2025. Photo by Kayle Neis / Regina Leader-Post WINNIPEG — Some wildfire evacuees staying at a shelter in northern Manitoba may be moved elsewhere as more communities return home and the government closes temporary evacuation centres. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Lisa Naylor said roughly 114 people have been staying at the shelter in Thompson for the past three weeks due to a shortage of hotel spaces. 'Folks have been there a really long time, and that was never the intention,' Naylor told a wildfire briefing Thursday. 'We have worked really hard, but because we can't find rooms in the area, we are looking at moving people to a different location in Manitoba, and that's going to be sorted out over the next probably 24 to 48 hours.' As more communities return home, the province is looking to decommission congregate shelters that were set up to accommodate the more than 22,000 people displaced during the latest set of wildfires. While most shelters in Winnipeg and Portage la Prairie will close as space has opened up in hotel rooms, the shelter at the Leila Soccer Complex is to stay open in the event of future evacuations. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Manitoba has 21 active wildfires, with seven considered out-of-control. Fourteen communities remain evacuated, including the city of Flin Flon, home to 5,000 people. Officials said there are many considerations when determining whether a community is safe to return, such as the presence of medical staff and law enforcement, working hydro and cleaned schools. Kristin Hayward, with the province's wildfire service, said crews have made steady progress on the 3,700-square-kilometre blaze near Flin Flon, but weather continues to hinder efforts. 'There has been active open flame on the fire in a number of spots. The precipitation that we received is really all dried up now.' Long-term forecasts suggest the province is expected to see prolonged periods of warmer-than-average temperatures, with a potential for lower-than-normal precipitation. Manitoba also is heading into a season that typically sees a lot of thunderstorms and lightning. 'Things could get worse from here. I won't sugar coat it, but hopefully they don't,' said Hayward. MMA NHL Canada Toronto & GTA NHL
Global News
13 hours ago
- Climate
- Global News
Manitoba to close wildfire evacuation centres as communities return home
Some wildfire evacuees staying in a shelter in northern Manitoba may be moved elsewhere in the province as more communities return home and the government closes temporary evacuation centres. The province says congregate shelters in Winnipeg and Portage la Prairie are closing as space has opened up in hotel rooms. The shelter at the Leila Soccer Complex will remain open in case additional evacuations are needed. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Lisa Naylor says roughly 114 people are still displaced at the shelter in Thompson due to a lack of available hotel spaces. She says some evacuees staying in the city may be close to returning home and others may be moved to hotels elsewhere in Manitoba within the next day or two. The fires forced more than 22,000 from their homes, although many began returning home over the weekend.
CBC
13 hours ago
- Climate
- CBC
Manitoba looks to move Thompson evacuees elsewhere amid struggle for hotel space, minister says
Manitoba is looking at moving more than 100 wildfire evacuees from the northern city of Thompson to another part of the province, as it struggles to find enough hotel space for everyone forced out of their homes this spring. As of Thursday, about 114 people were still living in the evacuation centre in that city, including some who had been there for close to three weeks, Lisa Naylor, the minister responsible for Manitoba's Emergency Management Organization, said at a news conference. "It is provincial policy for people not to stay in congregate shelters. And we have worked really hard, but because we can't find rooms in the area we are looking at moving people to a different location in Manitoba," Naylor said. "That's going to be sorted out over the next probably 24 to 48 hours. Folks have been there a really long time, and that was never the intention." Those evacuees are among more than 22,000 people forced out of their homes this spring by wildfires, in what Naylor described as one of the largest evacuations in the province's history. People from 14 Manitoba communities are still evacuated from their homes as wildfires continue to burn across the province, said Christine Stevens, assistant deputy minister of the Manitoba Emergency Management Organization. While evacuees from some areas have started to go home, Stevens said there are a number of elements local officials have to make sure are in place before that happens everywhere, including the return of medical staff and law enforcement, and the reopening of schools, grocery stores and gas stations. As of Thursday, there are 21 wildfires burning across Manitoba, including seven deemed out of control, said Kristin Hayward, assistant deputy minister of the Conservation Officer Service and the Manitoba Wildfire Service. The province overall is at a moderate to high fire danger — and while there are pockets where rain has helped, officials are also anticipating more possible fire starts caused by recent and forecast thunderstorms, Hayward said. Updates on out-of-control fires Hayward also gave updates on a number of out-of-control fires burning near communities across Manitoba, including two in northwestern Manitoba near the city of Flin Flon. One of those fires is now about 7,200 hectares on the Manitoba side of the border, while the other is over 370,000 hectares and still very active after recent rain dried up — though Hayward said crews are still making steady progress in the area immediately around Flin Flon. Another out-of-control fire in eastern Manitoba, in the area of Nopiming Provincial Park, is over 218,000 hectares. Hayward said while that blaze continues to burn actively on its north and west sides, residents in some other areas nearby were able to return home recently, as crews have gotten good control on those sections of the fire. Good progress is being made on an out-of-control fire that's now over 21,500 hectares in the Split Lake area, northeast of Thompson, while another in the Lynn lake region is over 71,000 hectares, with the north half actively burning but the south part, closer to the community, looking better, she said. Another blaze in the Cross Lake area that's about 64,000 hectares has been stable, meaning it's not growing significantly over time, Hayward said. Meanwhile, two other fires in western Manitoba have had their status change, with one near Wanless deemed under control and another close to Grand Rapids being held, she said. 'Could get worse from here, I won't sugarcoat it' As for what the rest of the summer may hold for wildfires in Manitoba, that's more difficult to predict, Hayward said. "I wish I had a crystal ball, as I usually say," she said, adding what's clear is the long-term forecast shows prolonged periods of warmer than average temperatures and a possibility of lower than normal precipitation. "We're coming into a season where we see a lot of thunderstorms and a lot of lighting passing through. So, you know, things could get worse from here, I won't sugarcoat it — but hopefully they don't." WATCH | Thursday's Manitoba wildfire update: Manitoba wildfire update 43 minutes ago Duration 22:47 Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Lisa Naylor gives an update on the wildfires burning across Manitoba, alongside Kristin Hayward, assistant deputy minister of the Conservation Officer Service and the Manitoba Wildfire Service, and Christine Stevens, assistant deputy minister of the Manitoba Emergency Management Organization. To date, the province has recorded 124 fires this spring — above the 20-year average of 118 for this time of year, she said. The total area burned in Manitoba this year is now over 902,000 hectares. The province now has 297 people from outside Manitoba helping with the wildfire effort, including some from Newfoundland and Labrador and from Parks Canada. Most are from U.S. federal and state agencies, including firefighters from Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan, Hayward said.
CTV News
16 hours ago
- Climate
- CTV News
Manitoba government to provide update on wildfire situation
Tour of the wildfire conditions around Flin Flon by helicopter. Premier Wab Kinew takes a tour of the wildfires in northern Manitoba, making stops in Flin Flon and Thompson. Thursday, June 12, 2025. (MIKE DEAL/FREE PRESS) The Manitoba government will provide an update Thursday afternoon about the wildfire situation in the province. Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Lisa Naylor, Kristin Hayward, assistant deputy minister of the Conservation Officer Service and Manitoba Wildfire Service and Christine Stevens, assistant deputy minister of the Manitoba Emergency Management Organization, will give the update at the Manitoba legislature. On Wednesday, the province reduced travel and fire restrictions to Level 2, which allows people to have campfires between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m. The latest update issued Wednesday said there are 21 active wildfires. There have been 124 total in 2025. CTV News will live stream the update. This is a developing story. More details to come.
