Manitoba officials say rain, cooler weather won't be enough to knock down wildfires
Five major wildfires in Manitoba are being fed by high heat and strong winds, say fire officials, but cooler temperatures and rain in the weather forecast won't be enough to quell them.
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Globe and Mail
an hour ago
- Globe and Mail
How a hot Italian saved my son's wedding day
More Weddings | Why are couples opting for two weddings? | Wedding guest wardrobe guide | The rise of the social-media wedding The night before our eldest son's wedding, I was in our cottage trying not to hyperventilate. The wind was howling, torrential rain was falling, and the bride-to-be was sobbing in the bedroom directly below ours. It was – to say the least – an inauspicious start to what was supposed to be a joyful, beautiful celebration last August in Lake of Bays, a popular summer spot about two hours north of Toronto. We had thought we had all our bases covered – venue, caterer, booze, transportation, accommodation for the 54 guests – until Hurricane Debby touched down in Florida and started making her way up the East Coast, causing misery and mayhem every step of the way. Readers: Tell us about the best wedding you ever attended Our situation was further complicated by the fact that the wedding was on an island, in the middle of a lake, which meant guests had to be ferried over by boat. I pictured women in lovely summer dresses and men in linen suits, drenched to the skin, and seasick from being tossed about in the choppy water. A hurricane is something you just don't plan for, and we were all momentarily paralyzed. All of us, except for a girl from Derbyshire, England (our youngest son's girlfriend) who said she knew exactly what we needed to do: Plant a sausage. 'We have a tradition at home of burying a sausage the day before a special event to bring good luck and great weather,' she told us cheerfully. I looked at my husband, he looked at me with an eyebrow raised, and I ran to the freezer, pulled out a hot Italian sausage from Costco, and put it in a Ziploc bag. Then the wedding party – who were spending that night on the island – headed out. I later saw photographs of the ceremonial sausage planting, with eight bedraggled young people, cocktails in hand, digging a hole. The bride reverently placed the sausage into the dirt. The hole was refilled. A prayer was said. And everyone went to bed hoping for a miracle. The wedding day dawned. Sadly, it didn't look good. Rain was still falling. The sky was an ugly grey. Resigned, my husband and I packed up our wedding outfits and took our boat to the island to start getting ready. It was time to put our game face on and make the best of it. Then, about noon, the hot Italian began to work its magic. Blue patches appeared in the sky. The cold north wind was replaced with a warm, gentle breeze. We all looked at each other in disbelief. Not a word was said. No one wanted to jinx whatever weirdness was happening. Two hours later, as the first guests stepped off the boat, the sun was beaming down, the sky was clear, and spirits were high. All everyone could talk about was the bizarre turn of the weather. That night as the speeches were happening, and the sun sank into the water leaving the sky a glorious display of red, pink and yellow, I gave thanks to the humble sausage and to the Brits, or the Scots (it's unclear who invented this wacky tradition) for saving our kids' special day. My advice to anyone with a wedding, or other special event on the horizon? Hope for the best, but prepare for the 'wurst.' And if you're still skeptical, don't just take my word for it. TikTok is full of testimonials – and hilarious videos – from grateful brides who have buried bratwurst, knackwurst, weisswurst, chorizo, breakfast sausages and even salami – and seen their rainy wedding days turn sunny, too.
CBC
an hour ago
- CBC
With heat waves more frequent, P.E.I. public health officials are preparing an alert system
With Prince Edward Island slowly but surely getting hotter, the province's Chief Public Health Office is developing a plan to keep people safe during the heat waves that have become increasingly more common. P.E.I. saw three heat waves in 2024, with the first warning issued on the last day of spring. Environment Canada issues heat warnings when the temperature is forecast to exceed 28 C for two or more days with overnight temperatures not dropping below 18 C. Despite the increased frequency of these events, this province is one of the last in the country to develop what's known as a heat alert and response system, or HARS. That's about to change. The Chief Public Health Office recently secured funding from Health Canada to hire a co-ordinator to develop such a program in P.E.I. "When we look at extreme heat events, particularly in other provinces, then we know that there's an increase in daily mortality rates when temperatures rise above certain levels," said Dr. Heather Morrison, the province's chief public health officer. "We want to prevent these kinds of tragedies from happening here." Hundreds have died in Canada In 2021, a heat dome killed at least 619 people in British Columbia over a five-day span. High temperatures in Quebec in 2010 claimed the lives of 280. A heat dome occurs when a high-pressure system traps heat near the earth's surface, and it gets held in place by a blocked jet stream. Heat waves are projected to become more intense, frequent and longer in duration across the country, and they're becoming a bigger public health concern for P.E.I. officials too. "I remember saying to other people in other parts of the country, 'Oh, we don't need air conditioning,'" Morrison said. "That has changed, and we really do want to make sure that we look after Islanders as we recognize the impacts of these extreme heat events that are occurring and will continue to occur with more frequency." How HARS could work Heat alert and response systems have been implemented at community and provincial levels across the country. They typically outline when to activate and deactivate HARS according to Environment Canada's heat warning criteria, and outline a communication plan for the public on what they can do to prevent heat-related illnesses. That's followed by an evaluation of the program, which will look at how many people experienced heat illnesses, in order to focus on prevention during future events. Peter Berry, a senior policy analyst who advises Health Canada's director on climate issues, said the systems could involve helping people identify their nearest cooling centre and mandating extended hours for things like pools and splash pads. "These interventions really work in terms of cooling yourself down and protecting yourself and the people that you love that perhaps need more assistance than you do," Berry said. "You really need to be broad in terms of engaging partners when you develop the HARS to understand… some of the barriers that people with disabilities might face in terms of getting to cooling centres, and you need to hear from people with diverse voices and lived experiences that can also provide that type of information." Tips for summer campers, pet owners and construction crews trying to beat the heat on P.E.I. 11 months ago Duration 3:21 Amid P.E.I.'s most recent heat wave, everyone is doing their best to stay cool. Two summer camps for kids both have measures in place to keep participants from overheating. CBC P.E.I. also spoke with the Department of Transportation about how crews are doing while working outside, and with a dog trainer about how animals cope with the hot weather. The funding for P.E.I.'s co-ordinator will extend over two years, and the CPHO will aim to have a heat alert and response system up and running within that time, Morrison said. The ultimate goal is to spread awareness about extreme heat events, educate Islanders about how to stay cool, and keep them out of emergency departments and hospitals. "If we can put some of these mitigation measures in place when P.E.I.'s HARS system is activated, that will hopefully reduce the number of people who get really sick or end up in hospital or have severe outcomes," Morrison said.
CBC
2 hours ago
- CBC
Candle Lake prepares for imminent fire threat; restaurant closes to serve firefighters only
The massive Shoe fire could reach the Resort Village of Candle Lake within the next three to 10 days, depending on the weather, the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency says. The fire is less than 12 kilometres from the village, Mayor Colleen Lavoie said in an interview Friday. Emergency services workers have been going door to door, removing flammable materials such as propane tanks and gas cans. A mandatory evacuation order has not been issued yet. However, there is a state of emergency and a voluntary evacuation request, with the village encouraging anyone who is not an essential worker to leave. The Shoe fire, first reported a month ago on May 7, has burned almost 500,000 hectares of land. "It's advancing slowly, so I'm hoping we have up to three to five days, maybe a little longer depending on if we have favourable winds," Lavoie said. "Everybody, please, fire smart your homes. So make sure there's nothing combustible around your home, even if you have to move it out by the road, by the driveway, where it's away from your house. That would be helpful," she said. Firebreaks have been completed in several areas surrounding the community, with more nearing completion. Additional firebreaks and backburns are also being worked on. Rain on the way, but winds add uncertainty Weather may offer a reprieve as rain is in the forecast starting Saturday in areas of northern Saskatchewan, bringing 10 to 20 millimetres of precipitation, but there is also a chance of thunderstorms, said Christy Climenhaga, a scientist at Environment and Climate Change Canada. She said winds will be strong, gusting up to 50 to 60 kilometres per hour in the south on Saturday and then coming from the northwest. "Rain is beneficial when you are dealing with such dry conditions and active fire activity, so that will reduce the risk with cooler temperatures and a rainy day. But on the other hand, wind is something that we look at with wildfires because it can cause those fires to spread very quickly," Climenhaga said. She said much of Saskatchewan has had the driest spring on record this year, including in La Ronge, Prince Albert and North Battleford. "June forecast has a drier note at least for parts of west-central and southwestern Saskatchewan and a slightly wetter note for northeastern Saskatchewan," she said. Climenhaga said that climate change increases the intensity and risk of wildfires. "What we know about climate change and our fire behaviour is that as the climate changes, we're expecting longer fire seasons and an increased frequency of intense seasons," she said. WATCH | 'Memories just burned up': Wildfires in the Prairies: 'Memories just burned up': Wildfires in the Prairies 15 hours ago Duration 1:32 Saskatchewan and Manitoba have been grappling with raging wildfires, forcing thousands of people to flee their homes. CBC News spoke to Canadians from some of the hardest-hit communities in the Prairies. Restaurant closes doors to serve firefighters Wayne and Jennifer Tucker, owners of Emma's Kitchen in Candle Lake, have temporarily closed their restaurant to the public to serve meals to wildfire crews. They're serving breakfast, packed lunches and evening meals to support those working long hours on the front lines. From bacon and eggs to meatballs and stew, they're cooking it up to serve the fire crews. "We really wanted to support the firefighters. We know that they're they're out there, they're working hard, long days, and they need a really good meal," Jennifer said in an interview Friday on CBC Radio's The 306. With donations pouring in from local residents and even high schools in Saskatoon, Emma's Kitchen is making a difference during these tough times. They're feeding about 55 people in a day and packing up around 80 lunch bags to go out.
