
Law courts cancel Winnipeg event amid ‘pressing need to make hotel spaces available'
Smoke from a wildfire near Sherridon, Man. is seen on May 28, 2025. (Michelle Reimer)
The Manitoba Court of King's Bench, along with the Saskatchewan Court of King's Bench, have cancelled a joint event amid 'the pressing need to make hotel spaces available.'
In a statement made Sunday, the event was described as a 'joint education session' that was to be held in Winnipeg the week of June 2.
Premier Wab Kinew previously stated that 'the hotels are already full across Manitoba,' prompting the provincial government to set up congregate shelters for wildfire evacuees.
Roughly 17,000 people in the province are being evacuated in northern Manitoba, with many evacuees anticipated to come to Winnipeg.
The statement also cites the state of emergency in both provinces as a reason behind the cancellation.
'The courts are mindful of the serious and devastating impact these fires are having on communities in both provinces and of the institutional need to provide support to the efforts already underway,' reads the statement.
Correction: An earlier version of this story included the number of conferences coming to Winnipeg in June. We are updating that number and regret the error.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


CTV News
34 minutes ago
- CTV News
Favourable conditions for funnel clouds: Environment Canada
Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement for much of Manitoba, saying that conditions will be favourable for the development of funnel clouds. The statement says funnel clouds are generated by weak rotation, which 'is normally not a danger near the ground,' but says that there is a chance that it could intensify and become a weak landspout tornado. The special weather statement is currently in effect for over 50 locations, including Winnipeg, with conditions expected to last until the evening hours. Environment Canada advises residents to report severe weather by email, calling 1-800-239-0484 or posting reports on X using #MBStorm.

CTV News
40 minutes ago
- CTV News
Rainfall dampens wildfire expansion in northern Saskatchewan, some evacuees returning home
An orange-coloured haze, resulting from a nearby wildfire, is seen outside the Forest Fire Management Centre in La Ronge, Sask., in an undated handout photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency, *MANDATORY CREDIT* Officials with the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) say widespread rainfall has allowed a short reprieve for those fighting fires across the province's north. In its daily briefing on Sunday, the SPSA reported minimal growth across its wildfires of note. 'This rain was very much appreciated and needed. But we cannot slow down, and we're not going to slow down,' SPSA President Marlo Pritchard explained. 'This is the time where we can take advantage of this small window of opportunity. Gives us and our firefighter partners a small window of taking the fight directly to these fires while their intensity is lower.' As of Sunday afternoon, 24 wildfires in Saskatchewan were considered active. Of that total, three are considered contained, 12 are ongoing assessment, protecting values are the priority of three fires and six are considered not contained. The largest wildfire in the province, the Shoe Fire, remains just shy of 500,000 hectares – having received 22 millimetres of rain over the weekend. Crews continue to work ahead of the southern flank of the fire. However, the priority, according to land operations Executive Director Brian Chartrand, continues to be working northward on the fire's west flank – so it no longer threatens the communities of Candle Lake and White Swan. Echoing a call made by Premier Scott Moe when the province's state of emergency was declared – Pritchard reiterated that the province is in need of Type 3 firefighters and called on community leaders to take stock of qualified personnel. 'Start getting names of those that have [qualifications], those have been trained, so that when we reach out over the next number of days, that we can quickly access those trained firefighters to supplement our type ones and type twos,' he explained. 'Right now, we're working on setting up camps and those support logistics supports that we need to take on type threes.' According to the SPSA, around 290 structures have been confirmed destroyed – with the provincial total estimates hovering around 400. The communities of Denare Beach and East Trout Lake remain the hardest hit. Teams travelling to those areas to confirm damages are scheduled to head out Monday. Regardless of the temporary reprieve, Pritchard warned that much more rain is needed to turn the tide in Saskatchewan's already devastating fire season. 'I can say that although we had a 24-hour period of rain, that will not be a substantive impact long term,' he said. 'We need more rain to reduce future risks.' Some evacuees returning home Between 10,000 and 15,000 residents have been forced to evacuate in northern Saskatchewan since the beginning of the fire season. On Sunday, Pritchard confirmed that some residents of the Weyakwin area have been repatriated - noting that the agency is constantly assessing risk for the communities affected. 'The evacuation is always community led. We continually assess the risk,' he explained. 'We're also looking at other risks, making sure that the critical infrastructure, whether that be water, sewer power, are on. Whether there is any safety concerns around fallen trees or access, [or] smoke.' In a post to social media, Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation announced that due to improved weather, some evacuees would be allowed to return to Pelican Narrows beginning 7 p.m. Sunday.


CTV News
41 minutes ago
- CTV News
Bike Week Winnipeg kicks off with Reconciliation Ride
The Bike Week Winnipeg launch ride ended at the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation at the U of M on June 8, 2025. (Zachary Kitchen/CTV News Winnipeg) Bike Week has officially launched in Winnipeg, with members of the public and organizers partaking in a special ride Sunday to mark the occasion. Termed Reconciliation Ride, cyclists gathered at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights and peddled to the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation at the University of Manitoba. Bike Week Winnipeg grew out of Bike to Work Day Winnipeg, first held in 2007, and is described as a 'weeklong celebration of the bicycle and everyone that rides,' according to their website. The week-long celebration from June 8 to June 14 aims to helps change the culture of riding bikes and make it more accepted as a form of transportation. Bike to Work Day will be held on June 10. Adrian Alphonso, ride leader, said the week-long event has been the 'best way' to engage with the Winnipeg cycling community, providing different educational experiences and opportunities to learn more about cycling in the city. Alphonso said the group was able to make the roughly 10-kilometre journey entirely on infrastructure dedicated to cyclists. For more information, including the events and activities offered during Bike Week Winnipeg, visit their website.