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Winnipeg Free Press
6 days ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
‘Extremely challenging' start to summer tourism season
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. SUPPLIED 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. Monday Mornings The latest local business news and a lookahead to the coming week. 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.' 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. Every piece of reporting Gabrielle produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
How Kasen Buie put Loretto on brink of a TSSAA boys basketball state championship
MURFREESBORO ― Kasen Buie headed to the bench late in the fourth quarter and plopped into his seat, wrapping his arm around teammate Jaxon Roberson with a smile stretched wide across his face. Loretto was moments away from advancing to the TSSAA boys basketball state championship game for the first time since 2018, after clearing the penultimate hurdle standing between the Mustangs and a perfect season. Loretto defeated Tyner Academy, 59-47, in the Class 2A semifinals on Friday, with a matchup against Alcoa (25-5) awaiting the Mustangs in the state title game at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday. The Mustangs are now 34-0, seeking to become the first public school since Union City in 2008 to finish a TSSAA boys basketball season undefeated and win a state title. TOP PERFORMERS: Ty Cobb drops 28 points to lead Upperman in Nashville area top TSSAA state tournament performers "I was just praying that we'd win," Mr. Basketball finalist Grayson Burleson said. "It was a close game the whole time but we had the guys that step up ... we got one more and hopefully we can go get it (Saturday)." The Mustangs were led by senior Kasen Buie who dropped a game-high 22 points on 10-of-17 shooting while grabbing 10 boards. Last season Buie lost roughly 30 pounds after being plagued with mono for much of the year, which limited the minutes of the 6-foot-8 center, as the team suffered a heartbreaking playoff elimination against Cannon County on a last-second 3-pointer in the region semifinals. That defeat lingers for Buie, and it's made this year's unbeaten run all the more special. "It's a big motivation, not being able to perform like I wanted to last year," Buie said. "And now we've got Grayson in, we just all motivate each other to be better every day." MORE: How Tullahoma basketball coach Jason Welch overcame heart surgery, lead team to TSSAA semifinals WATCH: How to watch TSSAA boys basketball state tournament Buie's performance was indicative of a next man up mentality that's been a defining factor behind the Mustangs' success this season. After leading Loretto with 19 points in Wednesday's state quarterfinal win over Liberty Creek, Burleson had a self-admittedly quiet game on the offensive end, but never once worried about where the production may come from. "I don't worry about who scores, or who scores what, because we've got so many guys," coach Greg Tipps said. "That's what I'm so proud of with these guys, it's not often times you have a team with a 2,600-point scorer, two or three others with over 1,000 points in their career, that have bought into defending and rebounding like we did." While this is the Mustangs' first state championship appearance since 2018, many players have been on this stage before. Mason Tidwell helped bring a state baseball championship to Loretto in 2024 and that experience has only given him further motivation to lift another state title. "Being at that stage kind of helps stay calm for this, it's just another game," Tidwell said. Harrison Campbell covers high school sports for The Daily Herald and The Tennessean. Email him at hcampbell@ and follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @hccamp. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: TSSAA boys basketball state tournament 2025: Loretto to play for 2A title
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Brooklyn Clubhouse helps people with mental health challenges
BED-STUY, BROOKLYN (PIX11) – Most of the time, this first sentence of a news story involving someone experiencing a serious mental health crisis details something horrible that has spilled out onto the streets and subways. This is not that story– It is the one that prevents that story from happening. More Local News PIX11 News was given behind-the-scenes access to the 'Brooklyn Clubhouse,' one of several locations around the city aiming to help people in crisis. Clubhouses offer people with serious mental health challenges a mission to go along with the free meals they serve. The Bed-Stuy location has a business center where people can learn basic job skills— a learning center. But it is the sense of community and belonging that changes the lives of New Yorkers like Christina Buie who felt so alone for so long. 'Sometimes when we cry, we cry of joy, not of sorrow,' said Buie. 'I am so blessed to be here, you know. Knowing where I came from, I am glad that I am a member of the clubhouse.' Buie gave a teary-eyed testimonial directly to Mayor Eric Adams during a visit to the clubhouse Wednesday. The city is one of the primary funders of places like this, and it is operated by the organization Services for the Underserved. Adams even helped out with the lunch rush during his tour. Although there were some smiles and lighter moments, the Mayor acknowledged the seriousness of taking care of so many who are so close to the edge. 'The clubhouse is preventing those incidents that we hear about of shoving someone to the tracks,' Adams said. 'This is the upstream. Downstream is what you see in the subway, with people believing they can only live on the street. So this is the preventive step.' The Brooklyn Clubhouse serves roughly 250 people. There is currently a plan to expand it to serve up to 600 people. NYC is allocating tens of millions of dollars to clubhouse programs. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Yahoo
Clay-Chalkville teachers spreading word about Teen Violence Dating Month
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month. Clay-Chalkville High School teachers Emily Florence and Caitlyn Buie are starting the conversation about teen dating violence in hopes to prevent it with the 'Girl Talk' organization. 'Girls they just really don't know where to start their relationship. They're looking to each other, and that's not really great guidelines, looking at different teenagers with relationship advice, so getting the conversation started with an adult is very important for them,' said Florence. Florence and Buie addressed the topic among students during a school assembly, inviting former Birmingham Police Chief Annetta Nunn to also be a part of the conversation as she has worked alongside victims. 'This was formerly what I did when I worked with a domestic violence organization, and it's important because we know that this type of behavior, it begins usually between the age of 12 and 18, and as we ask those young people at the beginning of class, we asked them, 'How do you learn about what is involved in dating, what do you look for in dating,' and often there is no instruction,' said Nunn. Nunn said that instruction starts with awareness. According to research from the Love and Respect Organization, one in three teens will experience abuse of some kind in a relationship. Knowing the signs is the first step of getting help. 'Someone who does not respect you, you're afraid of them, it's like you're walking on eggshells,' said Nunn. With teens as the target audience, Florence and Buie said they hope to keep the conversation going, not just at Clay-Chalkville, but also at other schools. They say they're already hearing the discussions in the hallways. 'As a female teacher here, you see a lot of needs here within our girls, so we just thought that a Girl Talk organization would be super beneficial for our girls here,' said Buie. 'It definitely makes me feel good. It makes me feel good that the students are now more knowledgeable and can now look for those signs when they're in those types of relationships.' If you or anyone you know is in an abusive relationship, call the Birmingham YWCA's 24-Hour Crisis Line at 205-322-4878. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
31-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
United Way of Smith County honors local man for giving back at 5th annual Leadership Dinner
TYLER, Texas (KETK) – The United Way of Smith County held their 5th annual Leadership Dinner on Thursday night at Willow Brook Country Club. The dinner was the perfect opportunity to highlight East Texans who have given back to the community. Tyler Gives raises nearly $290,000 for local nonprofits KETK's Tyler Henderson was there tonight and had the opportunity to speak with 94-year-old honoree Herbert Buie. Buie, a Tyler-native, who served as CEO of the Tyler Packing Corporation meat-processing firm from 1955 to 2020. Buie has served on the boards of many East Texas organizations like the United Way and the East Texas Food Bank. He told KETK that he's been fortunate enough to give more than 60 different organizations across East Texas. 'I was blessed and it's not how high you stack the stack of resources, it's how broad you scatter it. You brought nothing into this world and you will take nothing out but you can do a lot of good things while your here,' said Buie. To learn more about the United Way's charitable work, visit the United Way of Smith County online. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
