Latest news with #GardenHill
CBC
12 hours ago
- CBC
Wildfire evacuees face new threats in Winnipeg, including drug dealers: grand chief
While evacuees flee the dangers of wildfires near their communities, many are now being forced to deal with a whole new set of threats in Winnipeg, including drug dealers and the fear of going hungry, a First Nations leader says. "They're running to escape one threat, but they're running into other threats in the evacuation areas," said Alex McDougall, interim grand chief of Anisininew Okimawin, which represents four nations in the Island Lake region, including Garden Hill Anisininew Nation. Last Wednesday, a full evacuation was ordered for Garden Hill due to a wildfire that continues to threaten the community of more than 4,500 people, located on the north shore of Island Lake. Many evacuees who were flown to Winnipeg, about 475 kilometres southwest of Garden Hill, are now living at temporary emergency shelters, including one at a soccer complex on Leila Avenue and another at a field house at the University of Winnipeg. McDougall said Tuesday he has heard from those in shelters about the threats they have been facing, including drug traffickers targeting community members at shelters. "We have predators that start targeting our young people," he said. Winnipeg police said last Wednesday that two men had been charged with trafficking cocaine outside hotels near Winnipeg's airport, where evacuees from the province's northern wildfires are currently staying. Along with fears of drugs and trafficking, McDougall said there are also real fears of evacuees going hungry or not eating properly while in shelters in the city. "We need to make sure children and elders are fed with an appropriate diet," he said. "That's a real concern." He is also worried about the boredom that could set in for many evacuees while in Winnipeg. "We have challenges with thousands of people that have been evacuated, trying to keep them busy with activities." 'Stressful for everybody': evacuee Winnie Harper, who has been staying at the temporary U of W shelter in downtown Winnipeg since being evacuated from Garden Hill, said staying there has been challenging for many, and most are hoping to get home as soon as possible. "It's very difficult. It's very stressful for everybody, being separated from their homes and being crammed into one spot," he said. He added he hopes more hotel rooms can be freed up in the city, so that more evacuees can get out of the makeshift shelters. "It would be more comfortable if everyone here had an available room to go to," Harper said. "There's kids and elderly people, and people are awake quite late. "It would be nice to have more privacy for everybody." While Garden Hill remains under a full evacuation order, the neighbouring communities of St. Theresa Point and Wasagamack First Nations have also declared local states of emergencies in the last 24 hours. Those communities started evacuating vulnerable residents, including elderly people, children and people with underlying medical conditions on Monday, but as of Tuesday, a full evacuation of those two communities has not gone into effect, while officials continue to monitor the threat from wildfires. McDougall acknowledged that because of some of the threats and challenges that evacuees are facing in Winnipeg, leaders in those communities are doing everything they can to avoid full evacuations if possible. "I've heard directly from leadership that if they don't have to evacuate, they're not going to evacuate," he said. Progress in fighting fires near Thompson Meanwhile, officials in Thompson continue to monitor two out of control wildfires burning near the city that is home to 13,000 residents who now remain on standby, and have been preparing for the possibility of an evacuation of the city. In a Tuesday morning update, the city said firefighting efforts have been bolstered by the arrival of 20 firefighters from Mexico who are joining Manitoba Wildfire Service firefighters. The city said Monday that cloud cover, light winds and some rain have helped Manitoba's firefighters make some progress in battling the two blazes growing closer to Thompson, which is the largest city in northern Manitoba. The City of Thompson said it will also be getting two new helicopters from Quebec to assist firefighters, which will add to an aircraft already in use. According to the province's latest fire bulletin, issued Tuesday, the Manitoba Wildfire Service was responding to 122 active wildfires across the province, and has responded to a total of 305 wildfires to date, well above the average for this time of year of 221 fires.
CBC
a day ago
- General
- CBC
Organizations reboot donation requests for Manitoba wildfire evacuees
More than 1,500 people were evacuated from Garden Hill Anisininew Nation due to wildfires over the weekend. Evacuees can only bring the essentials when they leave, so there's a high demand for donations.
CBC
3 days ago
- Climate
- CBC
'We need to get our people in hotels,' says Garden Hill vice-chief as 1,000 evacuees to arrive Saturday
Social Sharing Garden Hill Anisininew Nation leaders are calling on all levels of government to help secure hotel rooms for hundreds of wildfire evacuees as a congregate shelter in Winnipeg became crowded on Saturday and northern Manitoba wildfires threatened their homes and the health of those still waiting to get out. Garden Hill's Vice-Chief Craig Munroe says 1,800 people have been moved to Winnipeg since the remote First Nation issued a mandatory evacuation order on Thursday — the same day the province declared another state of emergency due to wildfires. "It's sad because we are being displaced from our homes and we're being moved to the city. We do not want to be here, but we have to do what we have to do for the safety of our people," Munroe said. Another 1,000 Garden Hill evacuees were expected to arrive on Saturday, with the help of Hercules military aircraft from the Canadian Armed Forces. More than 4,000 people live in the remote, fly-in First Nation in northeastern Manitoba. Charles Knott, who left the First Nation with his wife about two weeks ago due to medical concerns from the wildfire smoke, said they were able to find a hotel room. But he's been running supplies to the congregate shelter on Leila Avenue, where his grandchildren are staying until rooms become available. "They're still there waiting for a room. That's the thing, they can't find any rooms because it's all booked everywhere," Knott said outside the Winnipeg hotel he's been staying at. He said it's sad to see so many of his community members crowded together in the Garden City soccer complex, sleeping on cots in the open. "It was just chaos, people just lining up, waiting," he said, adding that children and youth are getting restless while waiting to find out where they will be sent next. "I'm just trying to help my community out, whatever I can. There's a lot of people that need help here," Knott said. A donation centre has been set up on Arlington Street, where the First Nation is collecting necessities like baby formula and diapers for infants being evacuated. Vice-Chief Munroe said Garden Hill has set up a command centre at a Winnipeg hotel and community leaders are working to move their most vulnerable residents, particularly Elders and children, from the Leila shelter into hotel rooms. "I want to urge all governments to continue to try and help us because these complexes, they're not ideal for our people. I've heard reports, even yesterday, that people could not sleep on these cots, it was loud," he said. "We need to get our people in hotels, we need to get our kids, our youth in hotels." Fire threatens to corner First Nation on remote peninsula Garden Hill is a remote fly-in community about 475 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg, situated on a triangular peninsula on Island Lake. Munroe said the fire has been spreading rapidly, threatening to encircle the First Nation. "It's coming so close to our houses and it's creeping into our community," he said. "I'm praying that it will not wrap around our whole community." The wildfire burning near Garden Hill is about 2,500 hectares in size and is out of control, the province said in its most recent fire bulletin on Friday. Garden Hill evacuee Timothy Barkman, who has been staying at a Winnipeg hotel with his family for the past three days, said he's worried about the place he's called home for the last 15 years. "The main thing I'm worried about is my house because … they say the fire is coming that way to our community," he said. Knott said he's seen pictures and videos of wildfire smoke getting thicker around the community. Wildfire menaces Garden Hill Anisininew Nation in northern Manitoba 2 days ago Duration 0:19 Video provided by Russell Wood, a councillor at Garden Hill Anisininew Nation in northeastern Manitoba, shows a wall of flames leaping out of the forest on the afternoon of Wednesday, July 9, 2025. The First Nation on Island Lake issued a mandatory evacuation order the next day. The smoke was so thick on Saturday morning that the Hercules military plane couldn't land at Garden Hill's airstrip, according to Munroe. "We are cornered by the looks of it. The fire is behind our home," Knott said. "If the wind blows from the north, it will go straight to our community." Munroe said 1,200 frontline workers — including local firefighters, emergency personnel and council members — will be left in the community after Saturday's evacuation efforts. But those left behind are falling ill, Munroe said. Council is asking all levels of government for more help fighting the fires. "Our frontline workers who are on the ground are getting sick because of the heavy smoke and they're starting to get lung infections," he said. "We need more ground support in Garden Hill."
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Wildfire evacuees in Winnipeg fear how bad things could get back home in Garden Hill
A teenager forced out of his home due to a raging wildfire is now wondering how bad the damage will be to his community, and if he will even have a home to go back to. "I was just thinking, wow, my house is probably gonna go down, and about all the stuff I did as a kid, the games I played," 17-year-old Dashelle Fiddler said on Thursday. "I guess it made me feel sad." Fiddler is one of hundreds of evacuees from Garden Hill Anisininew Nation who was flown to Winnipeg on Thursday, due to a wildfire that continues to threaten the community of more than 4,500 people located on the north shore of Island Lake. Fiddler and many fellow evacuees are now living temporarily at an emergency shelter set up at a soccer complex on Leila Avenue. He said he lives on the south side of the community, and could tell on Wednesday evening how close the fire was getting to his and other homes. "I saw a light, and I could just see the fire from where I was standing," he said. WATCH | Wall of fire seen from Garden Hill: Fiddler said he found out late last night he and others would be flown out of the community. What followed was a chaotic scene, as people grabbed what they could before leaving. "Everything was such a rush, so right now it's just kind of a blur. I had no clue what to bring, no one told me anything," he said. He said he has not heard when and if evacuees will be moved from the shelter into hotel rooms. "I guess we're all trying to find out," Fiddler said. "I've been trying to ask my parents what's going on. "I really want to know what's going on." Fiddler said he was still waiting for his parents to arrive in Winnipeg, as they were scheduled to be on a later plane than the one he was on. Garden Hill Anisininew Nation Chief Dino Flett spoke to CBC Thursday night from the community, where he said the fire continues to threaten homes and property. "The fire is really close, it's just right at the edge of our community," Flett said. "We are so far lucky that we haven't lost any buildings, homes or structures." He said he flew into Garden Hill from Winnipeg on Thursday, and couldn't believe what he saw when he was flying over the community. "You can't even see anything, it's just smoke," he said. "I'm surprised we even landed." He added they are also concerned because the fire is near where bulk fuel tanks are stored, and also near a gas bar. "We are an isolated community, so we bring in about a million-plus litres every year, and that's where we store it," Flett said. "The fire is just hanging around in that area." According to Flett, they flew out 134 people on Wednesday, and were aiming to evacuate another 850 community members the next day. They have also been using barges as part of the evacuation, as Flett said you have to cross water to get to the community's airport. "So we've been transporting people across the lake as well," he said. In total, Flett said approximately 4,500 on-reserve members will have to be evacuated. Evacuee Dino Harper, who was at the shelter in Winnipeg on Thursday, said he is concerned about the thousands who will need to evacuate, and how hard all of this could be on many of them to be so far away from home. "I feel sorry for people here from Garden Hill, people are really homesick right now and people really wanted to stay home," he said. And while Fiddler spends his time in Winnipeg, he said he will likely spend a lot of that time wondering if his house will survive the fire, and what he is going to go home to. "It's kind of hard," he said. "Either my house is still going to be standing, or yeah, it's going to be gone."
CBC
5 days ago
- Climate
- CBC
Wildfire evacuees in Winnipeg fear how bad things could get back home in Garden Hill
A teenager forced out of his home due to a raging wildfire is now wondering how bad the damage will be to his community, and if he will even have a home to go back to. "I was just thinking, wow, my house is probably gonna go down, and about all the stuff I did as a kid, the games I played," 17-year-old Dashelle Fiddler said on Thursday. "I guess it made me feel sad." Fiddler is one of hundreds of evacuees from Garden Hill Anisininew Nation who was flown to Winnipeg on Thursday, due to a wildfire that continues to threaten the community of more than 4,500 people located on the north shore of Island Lake. Fiddler and many fellow evacuees are now living temporarily at an emergency shelter set up at a soccer complex on Leila Avenue. He said he lives on the south side of the community, and could tell on Wednesday evening how close the fire was getting to his and other homes. "I saw a light, and I could just see the fire from where I was standing," he said. WATCH | Wall of fire seen from Garden Hill: Wildfire menaces Garden Hill Anisininew Nation in northern Manitoba 7 hours ago Duration 0:19 Fiddler said he found out late last night he and others would be flown out of the community. What followed was a chaotic scene, as people grabbed what they could before leaving. "Everything was such a rush, so right now it's just kind of a blur. I had no clue what to bring, no one told me anything," he said. He said he has not heard when and if evacuees will be moved from the shelter into hotel rooms. "I guess we're all trying to find out," Fiddler said. "I've been trying to ask my parents what's going on. "I really want to know what's going on." Fiddler said he was still waiting for his parents to arrive in Winnipeg, as they were scheduled to be on a later plane than the one he was on. Garden Hill Anisininew Nation Chief Dino Flett spoke to CBC Thursday night from the community, where he said the fire continues to threaten homes and property. "The fire is really close, it's just right at the edge of our community," Flett said. "We are so far lucky that we haven't lost any buildings, homes or structures." He said he flew into Garden Hill from Winnipeg on Thursday, and couldn't believe what he saw when he was flying over the community. "You can't even see anything, it's just smoke," he said. "I'm surprised we even landed." He added they are also concerned because the fire is near where bulk fuel tanks are stored, and also near a gas bar. "We are an isolated community, so we bring in about a million-plus litres every year, and that's where we store it," Flett said. "The fire is just hanging around in that area." According to Flett, they flew out 134 people on Wednesday, and were aiming to evacuate another 850 community members the next day. They have also been using barges as part of the evacuation, as Flett said you have to cross water to get to the community's airport. "So we've been transporting people across the lake as well," he said. In total, Flett said approximately 4,500 on-reserve members will have to be evacuated. Evacuee Dino Harper, who was at the shelter in Winnipeg on Thursday, said he is concerned about the thousands who will need to evacuate, and how hard all of this could be on many of them to be so far away from home. "I feel sorry for people here from Garden Hill, people are really homesick right now and people really wanted to stay home," he said. And while Fiddler spends his time in Winnipeg, he said he will likely spend a lot of that time wondering if his house will survive the fire, and what he is going to go home to. "It's kind of hard," he said. "Either my house is still going to be standing, or yeah, it's going to be gone."
