Latest news with #SandyLake
CTV News
14-07-2025
- CTV News
Brandon man dead after drowning at Sandy Lake Beach
A man from Brandon drowned Saturday while swimming with others at Sandy Lake Beach, according to RCMP. At approximately 11:05 p.m., Yellowhead RCMP received a report of a possible drowning at Sandy Lake Beach in Sandy Lake—about 225 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg. According to an initial investigation, RCMP said a 32-year-old man along with three others were swimming in the lake when they noticed he was missing. The man was located shortly after in the water and brought to a nearby dock where he received medical assistance. RCMP said when they arrived on scene, emergency medical services were performing CPR on the man. He was later pronounced deceased. Yellowhead RCMP continue to investigate, though no criminality is suspected.
CBC
14-07-2025
- CBC
Brandon man drowns at Sandy Lake Beach in southwestern Manitoba
A 32-year-old man from Brandon drowned on Saturday evening while swimming with others at Sandy Lake Beach in Manitoba, police say. The man was swimming in Sandy Lake, about 225 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg, with three other people who noticed he was missing, RCMP said in a news release on Monday. He was found in the water shortly after and taken to a nearby dock, where he was given medical assistance, police said. Police were notified shortly after 11 p.m. and when they arrived, emergency medical services personnel were doing CPR on the man. He was later pronounced dead.
Globe and Mail
20-06-2025
- General
- Globe and Mail
Northern Ontario wildfire evacuees get used to life – and the food
Claudia Linklater sits at the stovetop range in the kitchenette of her west Toronto hotel room, opening and pouring cans of tomato soup into a big stockpot full of rice and ground beef soup. 'It has to be Campbell's,' she says about the specific brand of soup that her fellow community members prefer. The mother and grandmother from Sandy Lake First Nation is one of about 2,000 wildfire evacuees forced out of the fly-in community over 1,000 kilometres away in the remote dense boreal forest of Northern Ontario. About 400 evacuees from Sandy Lake have been displaced in a cluster of four Mississauga hotels since June 7. And approximately 800 evacuees from nearby Deer Lake First Nation are in a different cluster of hotels in the GTA. Ms. Linklater's room is one of the few equipped with a kitchenette. She's taking advantage by preparing home cooked meals palatable to the homesick tastebuds of the remote north. Two large plastic bins full of prepared bannock dough – one plain and one raisin – made by another Sandy Laker get delivered to Ms. Linklater's room for frying. The bannock and soup is a taste of home, a welcome distraction from the uncertainty of when Ms. Linklater and thousands of others can return. The mother of four will continue to prepare homemade meals for her fellow evacuees using donations to get the groceries needed, inspired by her late grandmother who used to cook for others. 'She would try to feed as many people with what she had,' Ms. Linklater said. Deer Lake First Nation was fully evacuated about a week before Sandy Lake, by the same fire that threatened Deer Lake's airport, the wind spreading it at rapid speeds toward Sandy Lake about 70 kilometres away. The fire, measuring 183,000 hectares, is still considered out of control by the fire officials. It's destroyed traditional hunting camps and electric infrastructure but has spared major damage to the communities or homes. In a makeshift 'band office' on the second floor of another hotel, Deer Lake First Nation Chief Leonard Mamakeesic sits at a large table with his band councillors for their regular evacuation update call with joint emergency management partners of about 80 people. According to the Joint Emergency Management Steering Committee evacuation standards manual obtained by The Globe, 'when a First Nation community notifies the Provincial Emergency Operations Centre (PEOC) of their emergency situation and requests an evacuation due to an emergency, the PEOC in partnership with the requesting community, involved tribal council, other Indigenous partners, provincial ministries, and federal departments will coordinate the preparation for and conduct of a safe evacuation.' On this particular morning, however, the call is cut short before an update could be provided when those on the other end learn that MPP Sol Mamakwa and Ontario legislature speaker Donna Skelly are present, as invited guests of Deer Lake. Moments prior, The Globe and Mail was also asked to leave the virtual meeting after being invited by Mr. Mamakeesic. Ms. Skelly said in an interview she was disappointed about the dropped call and would be speaking with the ministers of emergency preparedness and response and natural resources. 'I think they have a right to hear the latest on the fire in their community, and whether or not there's a plan moving forward to get them back home, or whether they still have to wait to get the fire under control.' The Conservative MPP, who removed Mr. Mamakwa from the legislature earlier this month for unparliamentary language, said her visit with the Deer Lake leadership and evacuees is part of her efforts to connect with the north. '[Sol and I] have, I think, a common goal to do as much as we can for people, not just in Toronto. That's my problem with politics in Ontario, it's so Toronto focused,' she told The Globe. Ms. Skelly said she was glad to see the evacuees settling in but empathized with the challenges of being so far from home. 'Keeping people together is important, but also how anxious it must be and how much you would want to go back. I'd be bored to tears,' Ms. Skelly said. Sitting outside the hotel on a bench with other Deer Lake evacuees on a humid day, Gordy Meekis finishes his cigarette. 'I miss my boat,' he said. 'I'd rather be in the bush than out here.' Life in the hotels isn't a vacation for the evacuees. Many are put to work for their communities and with provincial officials who oversee logistics and planning. Safety and social issues are a priority for leaders like Mr. Mamakeesic and farther distances from home in large urban cities such as the GTA, where many have never been, add to vulnerabilities. The communities implement their own measures such as nightly curfews and prohibiting alcohol and drugs in hotel rooms, with some success. Emergency operations companies are often contracted by Indigenous Services Canada to act as host sites for evacuees, providing 24-hour wraparound services. Paul Syrette, the director of operations for ISN Maskwa, an Indigenous emergency operations, said it's a responsibility they take seriously. 'If there's anything that is the biggest and most important piece of taking care of the folks when they arrive at the host locations, is health,' Mr. Syrette said. Opinion: As northern Canada burns, southern Canada makes climate change worse In some cases the evacuation has been a blessing in disguise. One evacuee from Deer Lake with an already diagnosed brain aneurysm was able to get immediate medical treatment that likely saved his life, Mr. Mamakeesic said. That's a luxury not afforded back home where access to a hospital and doctor can take several hours, sometimes days, and where the only way out is by plane. 'If he was in Deer Lake, I don't think he would've survived,' Mr. Mamakeesic told Mr. Mamakwa and Ms. Skelly in their meeting. Vice-principal of the Sandy Lake elementary school Glenn Soriano and 15 other Filipino educators working in Sandy Lake were among the first to be evacuated. Many of them already had homes in the GTA where they could return. The group cooked and delivered traditional Filipino dishes and 'rez' favourite Kraft Dinner with hot dogs to their fellow community members. 'This is one way of showing our appreciation to how they treat us over there. We are treated as the same as the community members,' Mr. Soriano said about his experience living and working in Sandy Lake for the past five years.
CBC
18-06-2025
- General
- CBC
Pilot lands helicopter in lake after it loses power while fighting northwestern Ontario wildfire
One of the helicopters used in the province's wildfire fighting efforts lost power this week over a lake in northwestern Ontario, forcing the pilot to use another way to land it safely in shallow water. The pilot was uninjured and the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) is gathering more information. The incident occurred shortly before 6 p.m. CT on Monday, a TSB spokesperson told CBC News in an email on Wednesday. "A Guardian Helicopters Inc. Bell 205A-1 helicopter was conducting aerial firefighting activities near Sandy Lake, Ont. Shortly after scooping a load of water from a lake, the engine stopped producing power," Chris Krepski said Wednesday. The pilot, who was the only one in the chopper, released "the water load and conducted an autorotation landing in a shallow part of the lake." Autorotation is a manoeuvre that pilots use to land a helicopter after it loses power. It involves using the upward airflow through the rotor blades to glide the helicopter to safety. Ontario 'thankful the pilot is safe' Wildfire fighting efforts have been underway in different parts of Canada, in one of the country's worst wildfire seasons. Canadian Armed Forces personnel were called to Sandy Lake First Nation — a remote Oji-Cree community about 600 kilometres northwest of Thunder Bay — on June 8 to assist in the evacuation of over 2,000 people due to the region's largest wildfire, Red Lake 12. Red Lake 12, which was discovered May 28 and remains not under control, spans more than 177,000 hectares. It also prompted the evacuation of more than 800 people from Deer Lake First Nation, and a number of people from Keewaywin and North Spirit Lake. Krepski said that in the case of the Monday helicopter incident, an emergency locator transmitter was activated once it started going down and another helicopter in the area responded to the site. The TSB was quickly notified and is collecting information, but isn't currently deploying any investigators as the incident is being assessed, he said. A spokesperson for Ontario's Ministry of Natural Resources said it's aware of what happened and is "thankful the pilot is safe." Alexandra Weber, a ministry spokesperson, said its aviation and safety experts "will fully co-operate" with Transport Canada and the Transportation Safety Board. The province's latest wildfire update, on Tuesday night, said Red Lake 12 had not moved any closer to Sandy Lake First Nation or Deer Lake First Nation, "owing to the firefighting work that has been performed on those sections of perimeter." "Heavy helicopters with buckets and water bombers have been used in recent days to help reduce fire intensity," Ontario Forest Fires said. "Firefighting crews, supported by bucketing helicopters, are making progress in consolidating hose lines and maintaining protective sprinkler systems on buildings and infrastructure in Deer Lake, Sandy Lake and Keewaywin." The wildfire hazard varies across the region. While rainfall has lowered the risks in the Thunder Bay and Fort Frances sectors, as well as the southern half of Nipigon, the far north is seeing moderate to high hazards.
Globe and Mail
13-06-2025
- General
- Globe and Mail
Wildfire evacuees from remote north faced with hard decisions about their pets
Before she had to flee her Sandy Lake First Nation home, Elizabeth Fiddler put a sign in her living-room window: 'CAT INSIDE. His name is Louie!' She took a photo of the sign, with Louie, a black and white cat wearing an orange bow tie with a bell attached, sitting below, and posted it to a Facebook group called 'Sandy Lake Fire 2025 – Pet Rescue.' It's one of dozens of photos posted to the social media group, which was created to help ensure pets like Louie are cared for as the remote community of Sandy Lake First Nation evacuates to safety from an out-of-control wildfire. Louie is one of an estimated 500 pets, including dogs, cats, fish, and birds left behind during the evacuation, which started Saturday. About 2,000 community members are now scattered across Ontario, mostly in the Greater Toronto Area. Given the remote location of Sandy Lake First Nation – a fly-in reserve about 350 kilometres north of Sioux Lookout where the only way in or out is by plane, from a hub like Sioux Lookout or Thunder Bay – co-ordinating evacuation efforts requires extensive planning. The emergency flights aren't able to accommodate pets. Where in Canada are there wildfire smoke warnings? Our map tracks air quality across the country Ms. Fiddler was evacuated to Thunder Bay, where she waited to be transported to another location. 'It was really hard to sleep knowing that he is all by himself at home,' Ms. Fiddler told The Globe and Mail in a Facebook message. The blaze that caused the evacuation of Sandy Lake and Deer Lake covers more than 16,000 hectares and is still not under control. The Sandy Lake community calls it a 'sleeping giant' because the cooler, damp weather has slowed its growth, but the fire remains active. Virginia Head, a band member of Sandy Lake who lives in Sioux Lookout, Ont., is helping organize animal rescue efforts on behalf of those in her community who could not take their pets with them as they evacuated. Those who remain in the community are essential workers and volunteers. 'I see from the posts of these animal owners that they love their animals, that they're part of their family, and to just not think about them is not realistic,' Ms. Head said about the pet-rescue Facebook group, which she is administering. Ms. Head said her focus is getting as many volunteers on the ground as possible to feed the pets, as well as fosters for the smaller, more vulnerable animals, such as puppies. The pets have a range of needs from diet to house training, while others, such as larger dogs, have been left tied up outside or are free-roaming. Sean Linklater is one of several volunteers working in the Centre area of the community. He told The Globe and Mail on Wednesday afternoon he had already checked on 20 houses where pets from hamsters to dogs, 'small to big, young and old, nice and vicious,' have been left behind. 'We're making really good progress right now,' he said, adding that it took some time to get the efforts organized. 'All I saw was orange': Ontario requests military aid to fight wildfires A shipment of dog, cat, hamster, and bird food, sent this week by Northern Reach Network, a Thunder Bay animal rescue group, sits at the local radio station, where volunteers can fill up on their rounds. On Friday, Laura and Cody Pelky will be driving the 1,800 kilometres from their home in Westmeath in the Ottawa Valley to Sioux Lookout, where they hope to get food, crates and medical supplies onto a plane into Sandy Lake. Ms. Pelky, who is friends with a Sandy Lake band member, said she knew she had to do something when she heard of the wildfires threatening the community and forcing an evacuation. 'We're helping [them] however we can…we let them lead,' she told The Globe. As of Tuesday afternoon, Sandy Lake leadership had paused its flights, having completed the first phase of the evacuation, which included the most vulnerable: babies, children, elders and their families. In an update posted to a Facebook group late Tuesday, the band's leadership said they are 'taking time to pause, reflect, and be thankful after some intense days of getting people out to safety.' With only 200 community members left in Sandy Lake, Mr. Linklater said it's like a ghost town, with no vehicles in sight as they drive the dusty gravel roads doing deliveries and checking on pets. With a dog of his own, Mr. Linklater knows how difficult the evacuation has been on families. 'We have to be a community here and out there too and we all have to take care of each other.'
