Latest news with #Pimicikamak
CBC
24-06-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Manitoba must cancel moose hunt licensing lottery as wildfires scorch habitats, chief says
The chief of a First Nation in northern Manitoba says the province must cancel this year's moose hunting licence lottery as wildfires continue to scorch the region. Wildfires have torched an estimated 909,000 hectares of the province as of Monday. Pimicikamak Cree Nation Chief David Monias said that includes much of the natural moose habitat where his community's hunters go to harvest. "A lot of those moose would either have migrated somewhere else, run away somewhere else, or they would have perished within the fire," Monias told CBC News on Monday. "Most of [their habitat] has been destroyed by fire, so even more so now, the province of Manitoba should not issue any licences or permits for moose hunting in our territory." Last year, the NDP government made a controversial cut of 75 per cent to the number of moose licences for Manitoba residents — to a total of 100 from 400 — across four of Manitoba's 62 game hunting areas. Pimicikamak's traditional territory spans nearly 1.5 million hectares and includes portions of four of Manitoba's game hunting areas, including two of four areas that were subject to the 75 per cent licence reduction. The cut sparked legal challenges from Pimicikamak and the Manitoba Wildlife Federation. Manitoba Court of King's Bench Justice Brian Bowman heard from lawyers representing Pimicikamak, the wildlife federation and the province last November. Pimicikamak's lawyers argued the province's licensing decision infringed on its rights under provincial laws, Treaty 5 and the 1977 Northern Flood Agreement. The wildlife federation argued the cut in licences was not based on scientific data. Bowman has yet to deliver a decision in the case. Monias said Pimicikamak could pursue further legal action against the province if this year's moose licence lottery is not cancelled. No plans to scrap lottery: Bushie In May, Natural Resources Minister Ian Bushie announced that the province would approve a total of 350 moose hunting licences across the four hunting areas this year. That number was up from the 100 offered in 2024, but still short of the 400 granted prior to the reduction. The province also said portions of the two areas that intersect with Pimicikamak— 15 per cent of GHA 9A and 12 per cent of GHA 10 — have also been set aside for exclusive use by Indigenous hunters. Aerial surveys focused on moose were conducted in GHAs 9A and 10 over the winter, and Bushie said they revealed "very positive" preliminary results. "I think it's more than justified the tags that we've issued to this day," he told CBC News on Monday. Bushie said the province does not plan to suspend the 350 moose licences, but is willing to discuss a path forward with Pimicikamak and other leadership. But the northern First Nations advocacy organization representing Pimicikamak and more than two dozen other communities said it has concerns about the reliability of the data that the province used to make its licensing decision in May, given the current wildfire situation. Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak Grand Chief Garrison Settee said the province's licensing decision was not an example of reconciliation or consultation with First Nations communities. "Manitoba's decision to proceed with a moose licence draw in the face of wildfire devastation and without transparency and without accountability is a direct violation of our rights and a betrayal of the treaties," Settee said in a Friday news release. "Our people are watching their food sources vanish while the province hands out hunting tags like prizes. Enough is enough." Bushie said the province will continue to evaluate moose populations in the region following this year's wildfire season. "As an Indigenous person myself, I know that the priority for us too is the sustenance and the viability and long-term sustainability of the moose population," he said. Bushie also refuted MKO's claim that the province was "tone deaf" and "deeply disrespectful" to its member nations for scheduling this year's moose licence lottery notifications on Saturday, which was also National Indigenous Peoples Day. While Bushie wouldn't comment on the legal cases currently before the courts, he said the issue has led the province to increase its investments in aerial surveys in game hunting areas across the province. "As we go forward, it's important for us to be able to have as accurate a number as we could," he said. "Our preliminary results so far have shown that those numbers are bouncing back in a very positive way, so that's why we felt very confident in going forward with what we did."
CTV News
16-06-2025
- General
- CTV News
Evacuees begin return to Pimicikamak Cree Nation
Clouds of smoke rise from the Cross Lake community in northern Manitoba. (Raymond Robinson) Evacuees have begun their return to Pimicikamak Cree Nation. According to a Monday morning Facebook post from Chief David Monias, the evacuation order is lifted and Pimicikamak has begun the 'safe and gradual repatriation' of its residents. Monias said that the fire threatening the community is mostly contained, though some areas are still being closely monitored. He added essential services are being restored, community infrastructure is intact, and water systems have been tested and cleared. Returning evacuees will have access to food vouchers, cleaning supplies, basic medical services and transportation. 'We thank our evacuees for their patience and courage. We also thank our firefighters, emergency workers, and all those who helped,' Monias said. 'Healing begins now. This repatriation is not just about returning home – it's about recovery, unity and community care. Pimicikamak will rise again – together.' Monias said large families, women and children are being given flight priority back to the community. More information on travel and registration, including who to contact, can be found on the chief's Facebook page. Essential businesses returning to Flin Flon In a Facebook update, Flin Flon's Deputy Mayor Allison Dallas-Funk said essential workers and critical businesses have started to re-enter the community in order to clean, re-stock and ensure everything is in place. Guidelines are in place for those returning, including a curfew, restricted travel and a mandatory daily check-in with their assigned team leader. Dallas-Funk added discussions are underway to determine logistics of how to welcome back the entire community. 'We are trying to push forward,' Dallas-Funk said. 'We recognize the mental, physical and emotional toll this is taking on community members, and we are committed to getting the community home safely.' As of Sunday night, firefighters are still working to extinguish active hotspots and flames around the community. The active fire line near Flin Flon is 82 kilometres long, with the community receiving less rain over the weekend than originally forecasted.
CBC
16-06-2025
- Climate
- CBC
Pimicikamak Cree Nation lifting evacuation order, community members to start going home Monday
Social Sharing Residents of Pimicikamak Cree Nation can start heading home on Monday, more than three weeks after a nearby wildfire forced the First Nation to start precautionary evacuations for its most vulnerable citizens. On Sunday afternoon, Chief David Monias announced in a statement posted to Facebook that the First Nation, located about 530 kilometres north of Winnipeg, was lifting its evacuation order. The community is still under a state of emergency. The wildfire nearest to the First Nation is still burning and there is still smoke, Monias said. According to provincial wildfire data, that fire is about 2,300 hectares in size and is now being held as of Saturday. Another wildfire south of Pimicikamak is more than 64,000 hectares in size and it is still out of control, according to the province. Monias said it may take a few weeks until the fires have fully burned out, but he was hopeful that heavy rain and hail in the area on Sunday will help firefighters on the ground. No structures have been damaged by the wildfires, Monias said. Evacuees who are able to drive back, can start heading home, and the First Nation has been setting up accounts with gas stations along multiple routes back to the community. About 500 community members are expected to return on Monday, he said. "I was excited to tell them. I couldn't wait to tell them," Monias told CBC News on Sunday. Officials assessed wildfire risks and air quality to ensure it was safe to return and that enough resources, like food and gas, would be available when people arrive. Monias said the approximately 7,800 people that live in the First Nation community will return home in a phased re-entry. Officials are working to arrange buses and flights for thousands of evacuees that have sheltered across two provinces, from Thompson to Winnipeg to Niagara Falls, Ont. Vulnerable residents, including the elderly and people with respiratory issues, who left Pimicikamak in priority evacuations, will be the last to return home. Those vulnerable evacuees may be able to come home by the end of the week, depending on air quality both inside and outside the homes, he said. "As much as we like Winnipeg, it's not our home," said Monias.
CBC
13-06-2025
- General
- CBC
Pimicikamak Cree Nation says it's stuck footing bill to feed 800 wildfire evacuees in Winnipeg
Edgar Spence keeps a folded bundle of receipts for meal expenses his family has had to cover out-of-pocket since they were forced out of their home community by wildfires in northern Manitoba. Since leaving Pimicikamak Cree Nation, he has moved to three different hotels in Winnipeg, and at each, he has had to cover costs for food most of the time, except for some nights when his accommodations have provided meals. "We've been pretty much feeding ourselves," Spence said. "We come here as a family, and we get together and plan things out so we don't run short of food for our kids and our grandkids." So far, 21,000 people forced from their homes by wildfires in Manitoba in recent weeks have registered with the Canadian Red Cross. Accommodations for evacuees arranged with the Red Cross include meals. But with Winnipeg hotels at capacity, some evacuees are staying in campgrounds or private accommodations in the city, Pimicikamak officials say. Chief David Monias said the Red Cross has started assuming the costs for those who are not staying in hotels arranged with the organization, but that response has been slow, leaving Pimicikamak to cover the costs in the meantime. "We were the ones having to pay for all that stuff," he said. "Having that help from the government and also the organizations is really crucial at this point in time." Ryan Castel, the incident commander for Pimicikamak, said the option for a number of evacuees is to pay out of pocket for their own food, but some are skipping meals because they can't afford them. "Some of our people are starving," he said. In some cases where meals are covered at accommodations, the selection is limited, especially given a number of options contain spices most members of the community are not used to, so they refrain from eating, said Castel. Pimicikamak has been trying to get food to evacuees, footing the bill for a catering company to distribute meals for roughly 800 people, including Spence's family. Some residents of the First Nation, about 530 kilometres north of Winnipeg, have also been taken out of shelters and put into hotel rooms being paid for by the community, Castel said. Even with the catering, Pimicikamak is struggling to ensure everyone has a meal, with evacuees scattered throughout the city, including at 19 hotels. In addition to the logistical challenges of distributing the food, Pimicikamak is running out of money to pay for it, Castel said. "We need more funds," he said. "There are a lot of people who are in dire situations." 'A lot of our people are suffering' Another hurdle for evacuees is not receiving the financial aid the province promised they would have by now, which could be used to help cover food costs, Castel said. Manitoba said late last week a per diem of $34 for each person age 13 or older and $27 for those 12 and under would start rolling out in five days for those who were evacuated amid wildfires. But some say they're still waiting. In an update on the province's wildfire situation on Thursday, Christine Stevens, the assistant deputy minister for the Manitoba Emergency Management Organization, said evacuees are receiving "adequate meals" every day through hotels or shelters that have arrangements with caterers to provide food three times a day. A spokesperson for the Canadian Red Cross said the organization is providing support for evacuated Pimicikamak members that includes registration, reception and information, emergency accommodations, meals and personal services. Spokesperson Heather Hogan said evacuees are encouraged to register with the Red Cross, since "without registration, it can be challenging for support to be provided." People who are registered "are provided with supports and services that have been requested by community leadership and Indigenous Services Canada," she said in an emailed statement. In a Facebook post Wednesday afternoon, Monias said Pimicikamak officials are discussing when it will be safe for evacuees to come home, but no official return date had been set. Castel hopes it will be soon. "This is not a good situation here. I know a lot of our people are suffering. They're lonely," he said. "We need to get our people home as soon as we can."
CTV News
12-06-2025
- Climate
- CTV News
Planning underway for evacuees to return to Pimicikamak Cree Nation
Clouds of smoke rise from the Cross Lake community in northern Manitoba. (Raymond Robinson) Planning is underway for evacuees to return to Pimicikamak Cree Nation, but residents are warned that more evacuations could be coming later this summer. 'All of us are wanting to go home,' said Pimicikamak Chief David Monias in a video posted to his Facebook page. 'All of us are missing home…I understand your frustrations, and I understand that it's difficult being here.' In the video, incident commander Caleb Finch explained crews have several missions planned for the next few days, including burnout operations for Thursday and Friday to clean up vegetation. He added although the recent cool and cloudy weather has been helpful for crews, hotspots remain. 'As the days go on and the weather gets warmer and a little bit drier, people are going to see smoke on these edges out here around the perimeter,' he said. Finch noted the Manitoba Fire Service predicts the fire near Pimicikamak will slow in growth over the next 10 to 12 days, which means the community may soon be able to repopulate. However, he added there's still 'a lot of fire season left' in northern Manitoba and 'down the road there could be a return for possible evacuations…but I would say that under the current weather conditions and the forecast - that's not going to happen in the near term.' According to Manitoba's latest fire bulletin, the wildfire near Pimicikamak is about 58,800 hectares in size and remains out of control. No official return date has been set for evacuees.
