‘Extremely challenging' start to summer tourism season

Winnipeg Free Press

2 days ago

Manitoba entrepreneurs fleeing wildfires share a similar question: will my business be standing when I return?
Evacuations are occurring as the summer tourism season ramps up. For some, it's their largest or only money-making period. At least 80 tourism assets have been affected by wildfires, per Travel Manitoba tracking data.
'Flin Flon, we rely on tourism all summer long,' said Dawn Hlady, speaking by phone while driving to a hotel in Saskatoon.
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Wildfires burn this week near Wanless, north of The Pas, in western Manitoba. According to the Manitoba Lodges and Outfitters Association, eight of its members have been affected by fires, but none 'have been lost.'
Hlady owns Big Island Drive-In, an outdoor cinema in the city of Flin Flon, some 800 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg. The attraction typically opens in May and closes in October.
The first two weekends this year were hits, Hlady relayed. Roughly 700 people came out — Manitobans from all corners — to watch A Minecraft Movie on the May holiday long weekend.
Flin Flon residents have since been ordered to evacuate; they're among more than 17,000 Manitobans told to leave their northern communities. Hlady, like her neighbours, is unsure when she'll return or what she'll return to.
Big Island Drive-In sits within a forest.
'There's a big risk of losing it,' Hlady said, voice heavy with emotion. 'We hope that it's still standing in some sort of way or another.'
It's a hope Joe Buie shares as he thinks of the Flin Flon Station Museum. He's chairman of the hub, which was converted from the city's original train station.
'We're at the edge of town. The forest is just right there,' Buie said, describing the location.
The museum opens in the summer and welcomes locals and international visitors. It shares a campground with the Blueberry Jam music festival.
'A lot of our history is located in this museum,' Buie said. 'A lot of it can't be replaced.'
Board members plan to open the doors upon their return home. But that's a later concern; for now, Buie has been focused on his family, ensuring everyone arrives safely in Brandon.
Hlady, too, was separated from loved ones — her husband stayed in Flin Flon on Friday afternoon to feed first responders. The couple owns a Chicken Chef franchise.
'The situation is obviously extremely challenging,' said Chuck Davidson, president of the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce.
'It's challenging for residents that have to leave their homes and hopefully they're coming home to a house — and it's the same for business owners.'
From a private-sector perspective, there's lost revenue to grapple with and employees temporarily without jobs, Davidson noted. He mentioned Jasper, Alta.: many entrepreneurs lost their businesses, or faced new debt, following a 2024 blaze.
Travel Manitoba has reviewed its social media pages and marketing to ensure it isn't directing people to wildfire-ravaged areas, said Linda Whitfield, vice-president of communications and stakeholder engagement.
She's talked with a tourism operator who's lost 'tens of thousands' of dollars in business as unsafe conditions led to cancelled bookings.
'Think of those areas once this has been dealt with and we're back to a safe situation,' Whitfield said. 'Those tourism operators will definitely need the help and need the support.'
The Manitoba Lodges and Outfitters Association has been keeping tabs on its membership. Around eight companies have been affected by wildfires — largely in the Whiteshell and Nopiming regions, executive director Don Lamont said.
'As far as we know, none (of the lodges) have been lost, none have been burnt down,' he said. 'It's an ongoing situation, very fluid.'
He's checked on entrepreneurs in Flin Flon, Cranberry Portage and Clearwater Lake. Anglers have booked fishing trips; following the province's state of emergency declaration Wednesday, many reservations were cancelled.
'It's a very scary situation and a lot of our outfitters are at risk,' Lamont said. '(And) it's a big loss. This is on top of what happened for two years of COVID (pandemic).'
Owners are keeping customers updated about their lodges' status. There's still plenty of demand from American tourists, Lamont and Whitfield noted.
And there's a need to remind tourists Manitoba is safe for travel in many areas, Whitfield said. 'Oftentimes, what happens is there's … this general perception that, 'Well, all of Manitoba is on fire.''
She's heard such comments when other provinces, like British Columbia, have faced wildfire emergencies.
'We don't want people to forget about places like Riding Mountain National Park, for example, or Spruce Woods,' Whitfield said.
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Several businesses outside wildfire zones have been supporting evacuees, including providing free activities and space for camper vans.
The Lakeview Inn in Lac du Bonnet collected donations — such as clothes and cases of bottled water — for local evacuees earlier this month. Nearby organizations did the same, according to Lakewood Inn manager Julianna Abdilla.
The Lakeview Inn ran out of space for donations. It's forwarding hand-outs to women's shelters and non-profits.
'I've just seen the community come together so fast,' Abdilla said. 'I'm very proud to live here and work here.'
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Gabrielle PichéReporter
Gabrielle Piché reports on business for the Free Press. She interned at the Free Press and worked for its sister outlet, Canstar Community News, before entering the business beat in 2021. Read more about Gabrielle.
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