Latest news with #KenPickering
CTV News
21-05-2025
- Climate
- CTV News
Evacuation orders end for parts of Whiteshell Provincial Park
Officers stationed at the entrance to Falcon Lake assisting with the evacuation. (Danton Unger/CTV News) Manitobans will be able to return to parts of Whiteshell Provincial Park as some evacuation orders have been lifted. According to the Manitoba government's latest fire bulletin, the wildfire along the Ontario border and inside the provincial park remains out of control, however, some progress has been made. Ken Pickering, with the Whiteshell Cottagers Association, said as of Wednesday at 9 a.m., closures have ended for Falcon and Barren lakes in south Whiteshell. Closures have also ended for parts of north Whiteshell including Sylvia Lake, Eleanor Lake, Dorothy Lake, Otter Falls, Barrier Bay, Nutimik Lake and Betula Lake. All other areas, including Pointe du Bois, remain closed. 'There's still some risks that Manitoba Wildfire Services need to get a handle on,' he said. Provincial Road 307 has reopened to local traffic from Seven Sisters east to Betula Lake. Whiteshell campgrounds, including seasonal camping trails and backcountry areas, are still closed. A full fire ban is also in place. Reservations for all campgrounds in the park are being cancelled up to and including May 29. The state of local emergency for Whiteshell Provincial Park remains in effect. - With files from CTV's Rachel Lagacé
CTV News
21-05-2025
- Climate
- CTV News
Some areas of Whiteshell Provincial Park reopen following wildfires
Officers stationed at the entrance to Falcon Lake assisting with the evacuation. (Danton Unger/CTV News) Manitobans will be able to return to parts of Whiteshell Provincial Park as some closures have been lifted. Ken Pickering with the Whiteshell Cottagers Association said as of Wednesday at 9 a.m. closures will end for south Whiteshell, Falcon Lake and Barren Lake, as well as some areas in the north. All other areas, including Pointe du Bois, remain closed. 'There's still some risks that Manitoba Wildfire Services need to get a handle on,' he said. Pickering added Whiteshell campgrounds, including seasonal camping trails and backcountry areas, remain closed. -With files from CTV's Rachel Lagacé
CTV News
21-05-2025
- Climate
- CTV News
Whiteshell wildfires update
Ken Pickering, president of the Whiteshell Cottagers Association, shares the latest updates on the current wildfire situation.
CBC
20-05-2025
- Climate
- CBC
Whiteshell cottagers waiting to hear when provincial park return will be allowed
Whiteshell Provincial Park cottagers say they don't know when they'll be allowed to return to the area after an out-of-control wildfire forced them to evacuate the area nearly a week ago. The province issued an evacuation order on May 13, as the wildfire burning at the Ontario border, near Ingolf, continued to spread. The park is also in close proximity to the out-of-control Nopiming fire and the Lac du Bonnet fire, which is now being held, Manitoba's fire map shows. As of Monday evening, that fire had reached more than 31,000 hectares in size, according to the province of Ontario's fire map. It is still not under control, the map shows. There were 13 active fires across Manitoba as of Monday night, the province's most recent fire bulletin said. Manitoba closed the Whiteshell on May 15, asking all residents, cottagers, campers and visitors to leave by 1 p.m. that day. A state of local emergency will remain in place and the park will stay closed into this week, the province said. An exact return timeline is not known as of Monday at 9 p.m., but the province warned the closure is expected to remain in effect until fire conditions improve. "We're still out of the park and waiting for information as to when we'll return," Ken Pickering, president of the Whiteshell Cottagers Association, told CBC News on Monday. "When you're away from your home for that long … you start to want to get back. And there's a bit of uncertainty in how long this is going to take," Pickering said. But while he and other cottagers are anxious to return to their properties soon, Pickering said it's important to stay patient — and stay out of the park — as firefighters tackle the nearby blaze. "People are understanding that they want to return when it's safe and they want to make sure that the firefighting crews have the ability to do what they need to do without worrying about people in the area," Pickering said. "I think as long as everyone stays out of the park and lets the firefighters do their thing, and we'll wait for updates from both parks and wildfire services to see what [the] next steps are," he said. South of Whiteshell, on the holiday Monday, as the nearly 9,000-hectare fire there is now being contained.
