Manitoba prepares to house thousands of evacuees as wildfires burn out of control

Globe and Mail

12-07-2025

Smoke alerts and heat warnings are in place across the country this weekend, as thousands of people are fleeing their homes from out-of-control wildfires.
In a rare occurrence, Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew declared a second provincewide state of emergency this week, calling upon the military to airlift residents from northern communities toward safer areas, emphasizing the severity of this year's historically bad wildfire season. The province was under a state of emergency from May until late last month, during which more than 21,000 people had been evacuated.
But blanketed by thick fumes and hazardous smoke – a large portion of which has even drifted beyond the Canadian border, much to the chagrin of some U.S. politicians – Manitoba is now in short supply to provide lodgings and hotels for more than 12,600 newer evacuees.
The situation is so dire that soccer fields, indoor arenas and downtown convention centres in Winnipeg and Portage la Prairie are being emptied to be converted into makeshift shelters with cots, ready to accept a significant number of arrivals. The city of Brandon has also been asked to be prepared in case Manitoba needs more evacuation spaces.
Wildfire smoke map: Track air quality warnings and advisories across the country
'It's a very emotional time for a lot of people who have been displaced from their homes, so many for a second time this year,' said Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham in an interview Friday.
'At moments like this, all the rest of us can do is step up, try to be good and kind neighbours, and help where we can.'
Federal officials have warned people in multiple parts of the country to limit their time outside and to cancel or reschedule outdoor activities, events and sports – with the air quality in several cities and towns expected to be at high-risk levels for Saturday and Sunday, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada.
More than 535 wildfires are burning in Canada, with at least 155 of those deemed out of control. Several provinces have been facing severe fires this summer, earlier and more aggressive than in previous years.
Saskatchewan is now airlifting around 700 people from the northern hamlet of Patuanak to several different towns and cities. About 90 kilometres away, the northern village of Beauval has also been evacuated, as a large fire – burning more than 33,900 hectares, nearly double the size of Regina – is encroaching the area.
Steve Roberts, vice-president of operations at the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency, said crews are fighting 57 active fires.
The province, which until last month was under its own emergency declaration alongside Manitoba, is managing to house evacuees where possible. 'But at any time that we cannot do that, we will approach cabinet to have them reinstate a state of emergency,' Mr. Roberts told reporters at a briefing Friday.
In Alberta, more than 1,500 firefighters are battling at least 50 wildfires. Evacuations have been ordered near Chipewyan Lake, Peerless Lake, Trout Lake, Loon River First Nation and Red Earth Creek. And while warm, windy weather continues, the province says the possibility of showers in some areas this weekend may support firefighting efforts.
Officials in British Columbia, meanwhile, are contending with 68 wildfires. Although some rainfall and cooler temperatures have been helpful to dampen fire activity in the northern region, the BC Wildfire Service is expecting southern parts of the province to see hot and dry weather, creating ripe conditions for flames. Coastal regions, the province said, will also see weather patterns that could drive aggressive fire behaviour.
The brunt of this year's wildfires, however, have been borne by Manitoba, where more than a million hectares of forest has now been burned. In a fire-status bulletin Friday, the province noted that this season has been 'the worst on record in the last 30 years.'
Evacuations will continue this weekend in nearly a dozen Manitoba communities – including for around 4,000 people in Garden Hill First Nation and more than 1,000 near Snow Lake. Precautionary measures have also been put in place for around 13,000 residents in Thompson, the most populated municipality in northern Manitoba.
Grand Chief Garrison Settee of Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak, which represents 26 northern First Nations, said the province could do better at mandating hotels to open more rooms rather than relying on makeshift shelters.
'Right now, most of the newly displaced families are being sent to these congregate shelters,' he said Friday, describing the spaces as 'unsafe and unsuitable for elders, young children and people with health concerns.'
The Premier said that is one of the main reasons the province has declared its latest state of emergency. 'Because we need access to more facilities to be able to shelter this large number of Manitobans,' Mr. Kinew said this week.
Last month, Lisa Naylor, Manitoba's minister in charge of emergency management, implored all travellers within and from outside the province to reconsider any non-essential travel, as the government needed more hotel rooms for wildfire evacuees.
The Manitoba government has not advised against all non-essential travel during this week's emergency declaration.
Louise Waldman, vice-president of communications at Travel Manitoba, a Crown corporation, said more than 100 tourism operators have been affected by the wildfires. She said at least 13 businesses were added to that list this week, with four of them being evacuated for the second time this year.
Don Lamont, executive director of the Manitoba Lodges and Outfitters Association, said the earlier messaging from government 'has been confusing, and it's negatively impacted many lodges, causing some of them to be in danger of losing their businesses entirely.'
He said at least 45 lodges and outfitters have been affected in some capacity by the wildfires, and it will take more than a couple of years to make up for their losses.