From strawberry farm to car dealership, Manitobans offer fire evacuees a place to stay
As a wildfire emergency forces thousands of people out of their homes, Manitobans are stepping up to help, with some making space on their properties to offer shelter for those fleeing the fires.
Sweet Acres owner Darin Hubscher is opening up his corn and strawberry picking farm, on the outskirts of Swan River, for evacuees who need a place to park their vehicles and stay, even if it is just a stop on their evacuation route.
Swan River is about 300 kilometres south of Flin Flon — a city of 5,000 that is among several communities ordered evacuated this week — and nearly the same distance north of Brandon, one of the southern locations where some evacuees are heading.
Traffic coming through Swan River has been heavy since Manitoba declared a provincewide state of emergency on Wednesday afternoon, Hubscher said.
"I'd hate to be in that situation myself and not know where to go," he said. "When I see people parked on the side of the road, that's not a place to be camping."
Manitoba declared the state of emergency on Wednesday, as several out-control wildfires around the province are forcing more than 17,000 people out of their homes. Firefighters have already battled 103 blazes this season, the province said in a Thursday update, well above the province's 20-year annual average of 80 at this time of year.
Hubscher's daughter brought up the idea of letting evacuees stay on the farm's property for free, since Sweet Acres has previously opened it up for overseas campers who are road-tripping, and this week's evacuation is bringing back memories for his family.
A few years ago, a wildfire forced Hubscher's son to evacuate from Kelowna, B.C.
"I just know what he went through being displaced, and his feelings," he said. "We can help some people out, for sure."
'The right thing to do'
Hubscher expected the first evacuees at his farm on Thursday.
Greg Ashauer also expected to see evacuees at his Swan River auto dealership, Redline Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram.
He moved a number of cars sitting on the lot of his dealership to make space for evacuees.
"It's the right thing to do. We are not far from Flin Flon, and I know that the Winnipeg hotel situation is pretty much touch and go," Ashauer said.
"We're certainly a lot closer, and we've certainly got the room here, and it doesn't affect our daily operations at all."
The dealership is welcoming everyone to stay — not only those driving RVs or campers, but also families who can set up tents in a grassy area.
The dealership opened up its doors during the COVID-19 pandemic to a group of people who knitted handmade face masks. Ashauer said he's hoping to once again help the community.
"It's just a small thing that we can do to try and help.… We've got electricity, we've got potable water, we've got pretty much everything," he said.
"Just show up and we'll make sure that you're taken care of."
Wiijiiwan, an Indigenous-led volunteer organization in Brandon, is also stepping up to help evacuees.
Natashia Marion, an Indigenous community co-ordinator with Brandon's Urban Aboriginal Peoples Council, is acting as a liaison between the Red Cross and the organization to get donations to evacuees and organize entertainment for them.
The northern First Nations of Pimicikimak Cree Nation, Pukatawagan (also known as Mathias Colomb Cree Nation) and Marcel Colomb First Nation are among the communities under evacuation orders.
"We are striving to fill their needs right at this moment," Marion said. "We understand they are suffering, having been forcibly displaced from their homes, through no fault of their own."
It is unclear how many people will come to Brandon, but Marion said the city expected to receive five new flights with evacuees on Thursday.
The city might need to consider opening up community centres and other open public areas to evacuees, she said.
"This is certainly the largest response we've had, but we are prepared for it. We're here to help."
WATCH | Evacuees arrive in Winnipeg:
Communities band together to support evacuees arriving in Winnipeg
11 hours ago
Duration 2:09
Thousands of people have been forced from their homes due to wildfires in northern Manitoba, many of whom arrived in Winnipeg Thursday. Now, the city, the province and community members are banding together to support the evacuees.
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