Latest news with #ManitobaConservation
Winnipeg Free Press
15 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Missing Norwegian hiker likely swept away in river: RCMP
Manitoba RCMP are operating under the assumption a Norwegian hiker who went missing in a remote part of the province's northeast was swept away in a river. Steffen Skjottelvik, 29, set out on foot from Fort Severn, Ont., on July 25 with his two dogs and a plan to trek roughly 300 kilometres northwest to York Factory, along the Hayes River. Skjottelvik's last known contact came Aug. 14, about 20 kilometres outside of York Factory. He never reached his destination. In a Facebook update on July 18, Skjottelvik said he had come across beluga whales and polar bears during his journey. RCMP spokesman Sgt. Paul Manaigre said Mounties have received co-ordinates from the manufacturer of Skjottelvik's GPS device. (The co-ordinates) are believed to be the last contact his GPS had with a satellite, which was directly on the shore of the Hayes River, located just to the northeast of York Factory,' Manaigre said Wednesday. 'I would like to hope for a positive outcome but I have to be realistic as well to suggest it's almost been a week without contact with him, we have to assume he was swept away in the river when he attempted to cross it.' Manaigre said the RCMP dive team has been contacted about potentially assisting, but he hadn't heard back on whether the team has agreed. 'Due to the large area that would have to be searched and the dangers associated with this river, I don't see it being feasible to conduct a water search at this time,' he said. RCMP, Manitoba Conservation officials and local volunteers began small-scale searches for the hiker over the weekend, as the rugged and isolated terrain prevented a larger operation. The searches included the use of a drone. Wednesdays A weekly dispatch from the head of the Free Press newsroom. In a Facebook update on July 18, Skjottelvik said he had come across beluga whales and polar bears during his journey. Skjottelvik called the trek 'intense' and said he had to scare off several bears that got too close. Another Facebook page entitled Steffen's Great Canadian Journey indicated Skjottelvik intended to cross some of the country's most demanding northern landscapes, travelling from James Bay to Nome, Alaska, over a period of three to five years beginning in 2023. Skjottelvik was described as an experienced wilderness traveller, according to information Mounties received. fpcity@
Winnipeg Free Press
2 days ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Search on for missing Norwegian hiker last seen near York Factory
Search efforts are underway in a remote part of northern Manitoba for a missing Norwegian hiker who failed to arrive in York Factory on Friday. Steffen Skjottelvik, 29, set out on foot from Fort Severn, Ont., on July 25 with his two dogs, RCMP Sgt. Paul Manaigre confirmed Monday. Skjottelvik planned to trek roughly 300 kilometres northwest to York Factory along the Hayes River. Skjottelvik's last known contact came Thursday, about 20 kilometres outside of York Factory, but he never reached his destination. He has not been seen or heard from since. VIJUD KIRUBAKARAN LINCOLN / FACEBOOK Norwegian hiker Steffen Skjottelvik is seen in an Aug. 13 photo near York Factory. Small-scale searches took place over the weekend, as the rugged and isolated terrain prevents a larger operation, Manaigre said. Help was requested from the Canadian Rangers, but the request was declined. Assisting in the search are: a Gillam-based RCMP officer, who deployed a drone with thermal imaging expected to fly Monday night, Manitoba Conservation, and local volunteers —including a guide with extensive knowledge of the area and river. 'Just the logistics behind this is insane,' Manaigre said, citing the remoteness of the region and the inability to find nearby fuel, or even a suitable landing spot for helicopters. Manaigre noted the region is home to both polar bears and wolves, and residents are advised to carry shotguns for protection. Some in the community fear Skjottelvik and his dogs may have been swept away by the Hayes River. 'One person said that the tide up there fluctuates four metres per day, in and out,' Manaigre said. 'That's almost 12 feet of water. According to the sergeant up there, it's the fastest-moving river in Canada. And the terrain is just bog. It's waist-deep.' On Monday, a Facebook post suggested that a thin husky resembling one of Skjottelvik's dogs had surfaced in the area. The animal had previously been thought to have been killed by wolves. 'There's a Facebook post circulating that maybe one of his dogs came (to York Factory), but we're not 100 per cent sure that's the dog,' Manaigre said. In a Facebook update on July 18, Skjottelvik said he had come across polar bears during his journey. Wednesdays What's next in arts, life and pop culture. 'I have seen belugas for the first time and had seven encounters with polar bears. Wonder if I can avoid the bears if I travel more inland?' Skjottelvik called the trek 'intense' and said he had to scare off several bears who got too close. On another Facebook page, Steffen's Great Canadian Journey, it was outlined that Skjottelvik intended to cross some of the country's most demanding northern landscapes, travelling from James Bay to Nome, Alaska, over a period of three to five years beginning in 2023. Skjottelvik is said to be an experienced wilderness traveller, according to information Mounties received. Scott BilleckReporter Scott Billeck is a general assignment reporter for the Free Press. A Creative Communications graduate from Red River College, Scott has more than a decade's worth of experience covering hockey, football and global pandemics. He joined the Free Press in 2024. Read more about Scott. Every piece of reporting Scott 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.
Winnipeg Free Press
3 days ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Man recorded in ‘free-for-all' area illegally spear-fishing for largemouth bass
An apparent poaching incident in which a man was recorded spear-fishing multiple largemouth bass — a must-release species — is the latest example of trouble at a popular fishing spot described by one angler as a 'free-for-all.' Colten Single was at Reynolds Ponds, located about 60 kilometres east of Winnipeg, on Friday morning when he spotted a man snorkelling and spearing largemouth bass. 'It was definitely frustrating to see that,' Single, 36, said in a phone interview Monday. SUPPLIED Colten Single recorded a man spear-fishing multiple largemouth bass — a must-release species — at Reynolds Ponds Friday morning. 'That is blatant poaching…. No way in heck is that pond going to be able to sustain a harvest like that.' Provincial regulations prohibit anglers from keeping largemouth bass, which are prized as sporting fish and can be found in only a handful of Manitoba fisheries. The 2024 Manitoba Angler's Guide states spear-fishing is legal for certain species but prohibited for others, including largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, lake sturgeon and several types of trout. Single said the man had four largemouth bass, two of which appeared to be more than 45 centimetres long, meaning they would qualify as master anglers and could likely be up to 10 years old. Single said he spoke with the man, who admitted he had largemouth bass but indicated he did not realize spearing them, and keeping them, was illegal in Manitoba. Videos of the incident, shared with the Free Press, showed Single confronting the man, who was dressed in a wetsuit and standing beside several fish lying on the shore. 'I asked him if he had a fishing licence… and he said 'yes.' I was like, 'Oh, well, you should know the rules,'' Single said. 'As soon as you go and get that fishing licence, you are supposed to go and read up on the handbook and know all your rights and wrongs, so you don't get yourself in trouble.' The man told him he was going to release the fish, but Single said he scoffed at that answer. 'I let him know that you can't really release these fish because you put a spear through them.' Single reported the incident to the Manitoba Conservation tip line, and a conservation officer phoned him minutes later to launch an investigation, he said. He provided the officer with the video and information he collected, including the man's licence-plate number, Single said. The Free Press reached out to Manitoba Conservation, which confirmed it had investigated the incident. It did not say whether the man faced any fines or other penalties. 'A single spear-fisher let loose in the Reynolds Ponds areas could completely devastate largemouth bass fishing in those ponds in a single season.'–David Abbott 'The role of the Conservation Officer Service is to ensure compliance with the Conservation Act. In some cases, education can be the most effective tool to do that,' a spokesperson said in an email. David Abbott, a fishing guide with Whiteshell-based Shield Outfitters, called the alleged poaching incident an 'egregious act.' 'For someone to take out top-end, largemouth bass out of Reynolds Ponds is sickening,' he said. 'It's really an incredibly self-centred act at best, and a shame.' Abbott said spear fishing for largemouth and smallmouth bass is prohibited because the fish usually reside in shallow water and are territorial, making them vulnerable to spearing. 'A single spear-fisher let loose in the Reynolds Ponds areas could completely devastate largemouth bass fishing in those ponds in a single season,' Abbott said. 'Not only is it against the law, but it's against every aspect of how you look at the sport of fishing.' Abbott described Reynolds Ponds as the provincial 'mecca' for shore anglers because of its small size and the diversity of fish available there. Single said he would like to see stronger oversight at the ponds and greater willingness from the public to proactively report poachers. Reynolds Ponds are popular among locals but have limited road access. Single, who has been fishing in the area for more than a decade, said he has only been stopped by conservation officers there once. 'There are a lot of people who see poaching like this going on, but they just turn a blind eye because it doesn't affect them,' he said. 'Especially for a place like Reynolds, because it's back in the bush, it's kind of a free-for-all. It's got so much activity, but there is no management out there.' The ponds, which are stocked with fish and feature opalescent waters, have been the site of several tragedies in recent years. SUPPLIED The 2024 Manitoba Angler's Guide states spear-fishing is legal for certain species but prohibited for others, including largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, lake sturgeon and several types of trout. A 70-year-old Ontario man drowned in the pond while swimming earlier this month. In June 2021, 24-year-old Sandeep Bandaru drowned while swimming there. The previous year, a woman died in a head-on collision with a concrete barrier while riding an ATV. Weeks later, multiple assaults, one involving a firearm, were reported to RCMP. The ponds sit on Crown land, but officials from the Rural Municipality of Reynolds mulled the idea of privatizing the ponds or converting the area to a provincial park in 2022. They hoped doing so might regulate visitors and compel them to be more responsible. It is unclear whether officials are still pursuing those plans. Efforts to reach Reeve Russ Gawluk were unsuccessful Monday. The latest Manitoba fishing guide lists several proposed regulation changes that would be implemented for the 2026-2027 season. One proposed change would allow fishers to possess as many as four largemouth bass, as long as none are longer than 45 centimetres, except at Mary Jane Reservoir. Weekday Mornings A quick glance at the news for the upcoming day. Tyler SearleReporter Tyler Searle is a multimedia producer who writes for the Free Press's city desk. A graduate of Red River College Polytechnic's creative communications program, he wrote for the Stonewall Teulon Tribune, Selkirk Record and Express Weekly News before joining the paper in 2022. Read more about Tyler. Every piece of reporting Tyler 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.
Winnipeg Free Press
06-06-2025
- Climate
- Winnipeg Free Press
Snow Lake residents get mandatory evacuation order; premier expresses ‘tremendous gratitude' to firefighters
Snow Lake residents have been ordered to leave the northern Manitoba community by noon Saturday due to an out-of-control wildfire that is burning in the region. The town of about 1,100 residents announced a mandatory evacuation order Friday. 'You must leave because of the danger to your health and safety,' a notice published on the town's Facebook page said. At least three fires have merged to become a massive blaze in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Flin Flon, Sherridon and several other communities in both provinces were previously evacuated. (Manitoba Conservation) A state of local emergency and a 48-hour evacuation notice were previously declared. Mayor Ron Scott previously said a mandatory evacuation would be ordered if the fire moved closer to town. At least three fires have merged to become a massive blaze in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Flin Flon, Sherridon and several other communities in both provinces were previously evacuated. In a Facebook post, the City of Flin Flon said the fire is about 140 kilometres long and five kilometres wide. The province said the fire was more than 307,000 hectares in Manitoba as of Thursday. A team of 260 people is trying to keep the fire out of Flin Flon and Creighton, just across the border in Saskatchewan. No structures had been destroyed in Flin Flon or Creighton as of Thursday night. 'Winds in the area are now blowing from the south, resulting in heavy smoke and fire moving towards the south side of Flin Flon,' the city said. Premier Wab Kinew saluted crews who are protecting communities, including Flin Flon and Sherridon, where teams have been holding flames back for more than a week. 'Hats off, and our tremendous gratitude to the firefighters — the local firefighters, Office of the Fire Commissioner, Wildfire Service — who've been battling these blazes,' he said at an unrelated event Friday. 'Just amazing work happening across the board, and it's happening because people are working together.' About 175 firefighters from across Canada and the U.S. have joined the fight. Mandatory evacuation orders are in place for at least 27 communities in Manitoba, resulting in the displacement of more than 18,000 residents. Many are staying with family or friends, or in hotel rooms. Hundreds of evacuees were flown to southern Ontario to stay in hotels there. Mandatory evacuation orders are in place for at least 27 communities in Manitoba, resulting in the displacement of more than 18,000 residents. More than 350 people were in congregate shelters as of Thursday. Provincial policy aims to get evacuees into hotel rooms rather than shelters, if they have nowhere else to stay. 'For those folks who are still in shelters, it's just a matter of matching them with rooms as they come online,' Kinew said. 'We're seeing about, over the past few days, maybe a couple hundred rooms become available per day.' Wednesdays Sent weekly from the heart of Turtle Island, an exploration of Indigenous voices, perspectives and experiences. A handful of northern communities have moved seniors and people with breathing or medical conditions to Winnipeg due to poor air quality. 'We just have to do a balancing act as new medical patients come in from northern Manitoba, because some communities continue to evacuate due to smoke,' Kinew said. 'We have to preserve some (hotel) rooms for people who have accessibility issues or really intense medical needs, while continuing to move people out of the congregate shelters. 'At this point, the big-picture challenge around rooms has largely been addressed, and it's now just about the daily balancing act of triaging people coming in and people who are already in shelters and matching them up with rooms.' — With files from Gabrielle Piché Chris KitchingReporter Chris Kitching is a general assignment reporter at the Free Press. He began his newspaper career in 2001, with stops in Winnipeg, Toronto and London, England, along the way. After returning to Winnipeg, he joined the Free Press in 2021, and now covers a little bit of everything for the newspaper. Read more about Chris. Every piece of reporting Chris 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.
Winnipeg Free Press
13-05-2025
- Winnipeg Free Press
Premier says hunters behind caribou slaughter to be punished
Premier Wab Kinew promised Tuesday that the people who slaughtered dozens of caribou, including pregnant cows, and dumped their carcasses at the doorstep of American-owned lodge properties in a provincial park, would be punished. 'Anybody who participated in this has no respect for animals, has no right to be able to hunt in this province and will be pursued and held accountable to the fullest extent of the law,' Kinew told the legislature in response to questions about the grisly discovery in Nueltin Lake Provincial Park last month. 'We're going to do that by working with non-Indigenous and Indigenous people,' the premier told the house, saying he's spoken to people who live off the land in that part of the province. Nick Scigliano, who owns two lodge properties in the park just south of the border with Nunavut, shared video of the grisly scene, discovered April 11, when he chartered a helicopter to check on his properties. He said he used his phone to record video from the air of people on snowmobiles chasing caribou and of dozens of dead caribou strewn in bloody piles across the snow. The video shows a helicopter door open at ground level and people passing by on snowmobiles. Scigliano said he didn't confront them before flying to Thompson to file a report to RCMP and Manitoba Conservation. He later returned to the site with RCMP. The lodge owner said near-term calves were among the caribou carnage, as well as unharvested meat. Cabins had been stripped and trashed, with furniture used as firewood. The vandals left human waste behind. The Florida resident, who has businesses in Pennsylvania and is an avid outdoorsman, bought the lodge four years ago. He planned to restore the buildings as fishing and eco-tourism hubs. Scigliano said he gave conservation officers and police 8,000 images and video surveillance clips that show several snowmobilers dragging the caribou carcasses behind their machines to the lodge property and hacking at them. 'I feel that it's just critically important for the public and for your leadership to be aware of the magnitude of what has occurred,' he said Tuesday. 'These images in the video, they speak for themselves.' In the legislature Tuesday, Tory natural resources critic Rick Wowchuk demanded to know what the province is doing about the 'senseless waste of caribou and this unsustainable madness.' The member for Swan River said in an interview the video upset him and should upset all Manitobans. 'When cows are returning to the calving grounds to give birth and to bring on the next generation, it's just totally unacceptable to see this type of slaughter occur.' NICK SCIGLIANO PHOTO The grisly scene was discovered on April 11, when lodge owner Nick Scigliano chartered a helicopter to check on his properties. NICK SCIGLIANO PHOTO The grisly scene was discovered on April 11, when lodge owner Nick Scigliano chartered a helicopter to check on his properties. Natural Resources Minister Ian Bushie said RCMP and Manitoba conservation officers are on it. 'I am deeply concerned by these reports of unethical hunting practices and wastage,' Bushie said in a prepared statement. 'We want to ensure that caribou can continue to be harvested for generations to come… it is critical that we hold the people involved to account,' said Bushie who was not available for an interview. The RCMP said Tuesday that no arrests have been made. Manitoba Conservation wouldn't comment on the active investigation or say whether charges are under consideration. Scigliano said he doesn't know the motive, or if it has anything to do with him being American and animosity towards the U.S. over tariffs and rhetoric about making Canada the 51st state. 'I sure hope not. That would be so sad, because I do not agree with the 51st state rhetoric whatsoever.' The Manitoba Wildlife Federation, which advocates for hunters, anglers, trappers and sport shooters, said the slaughter has to stop for the sake of the Qamanirjuaq caribou herd. 'We can't be shooting pregnant cows and expect a population to survive,' said federation policy analyst Chris Heald, who travelled to the site with Scigliano. 'It's hard to process what we witnessed,' Heald said Tuesday. 'The wastage of the meat and the shooting of the cows, it's just beyond words.' In a bulletin Tuesday, the federation said the herd has declined to 253,000 animals in 2022 from 496,000 animals in 1994. 'To ensure caribou are maintained for northern Indigenous communities, as well as for non-Indigenous caribou hunters, it's time for serious conversations that include everybody, to ensure that all hunters embrace sustainable caribou harvesting,' it said. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. The provincial government must take the lead by getting all stakeholders to the table and laying down the law, said Heald, who noted Indigenous hunters are legally allowed to harvest cows right now. 'The province has to sit everybody down to have some difficult discussions,' he said. Justice Minister Matt Wiebe said the government is committed to listening to Indigenous communities, hunters and lodge owners. 'We're always listening to one another and bringing Manitobans together to find solutions.' Carol SandersLegislature reporter Carol Sanders is a reporter at the Free Press legislature bureau. The former general assignment reporter and copy editor joined the paper in 1997. Read more about Carol. Every piece of reporting Carol 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.
