‘Excellent resource’: Winnipeg clinic helps wildfire evacuees with addiction issues

An urban First Nations health clinic has ramped up its addictions support services for northern Manitoba wildfire evacuees struggling with substance use while staying in Winnipeg.

“There’s been a lot of issues with it … we put in a hybrid addictions-treatment program in Winnipeg here that I think would be an excellent resource for evacuees,” Alex McDougall, the interim grand chief of Anisininew Okimawin, said.

The Anishininew Minoyawigumik Health and Healing Centre at 1880 Ellice Ave., opened in 2021 to provide health care for members of the four Island Lake communities of Garden Hill, Red Sucker Lake, St. Theresa Point and Wasagamack.

Anisininew Okimawin opened a rapid access to addictions medicine clinic in April and began offering addictions counselling at the health centre to get ahead of an expected busy wildfire season.

“It’s something we see and experience every summer during evacuations, and we’re only now trying to provide some services so that we can mitigate any serious incidents and be able to provide some services and continuity of services for members, even after returning home,” McDougall said.

Garden Hill is under a full wildfire evacuation order, while St. Theresa Point and Wasagamack are under partial evacuations.

A massive wildfire moved within a kilometre of Wasagamack in 2017, forcing Island Lake residents to evacuate to Winnipeg. McDougall said city drug dealers targeted evacuees, and some residents went home with addictions.

Two men were charged last week after they sold cocaine outside hotels where wildfire evacuees were staying, Winnipeg police said.

“It’s always in the back of our minds, when we have to evacuate, that there are predators in these large urban centres that are targeting our people,” McDougall said.

There were about 1,030 evacuees staying in congregate shelters in the province and 7,070 in Manitoba hotel rooms as of Thursday night, a provincial spokesperson said.

Congregate shelters in Winnipeg are located at the RBC Convention Centre, Leila Soccer Complex and the University of Winnipeg Axworthy Health and RecPlex.

Clinic staff members are visiting evacuation centres in Winnipeg to promote their services to community members and volunteers working at the hubs. McDougall said it’s working, and people are going to the centre to receive supports.

Christine Stevens, assistant deputy minister of the Manitoba Emergency Management Organization, said the justice department is providing social services and mental health supports at shelters, day and night.

“It’s always in the back of our minds, when we have to evacuate, that there are predators in these large urban centres that are targeting our people.”–Alex McDougall

“Everyone has got to be safe, you know, when they’re staying there,” she said at a news conference Thursday.

Stevens said the emergency management organization receives daily reports on what is happening within shelters, but wouldn’t say whether the reports include substance use.

“We have good situational awareness of what’s happening,” she said.

Nearly 13,000 residents are currently evacuated from wildfire-threatened communities. They are staying with friends, family, at hotels and at evacuation centres.

The Island Lake community of Stevenson Island continued evacuations Friday after ordering the dozen or so people on it out, owing to wildfire.

A skeleton crew will remain on Stevenson Island to maintain the air strip and water treatment plant used for surrounding communities.

Nine other communities have been forced to leave, including Leaf Rapids, which was evacuated on July 7 owing to two blazes burning dangerously close to the community.

In an update to social media, the community said dry conditions, warm temperatures, lower relative humidity and wind are resulting in fires being active.

“A long, soaking rain is so needed and would be very appreciated. Alas, it isn’t in the forecast at this time,” the update said.

“We have good situational awareness of what’s happening.”–Christine Stevens

The blazes threatening the community have burned 9,160 hectares and 15,525 hectares respectively. They are both considered out of control.

Leaf Rapids, located about 155 kilometres northwest of Thompson, has a population of about 350 people.

There are 122 active wildfires across Manitoba, with a total of 317 wildfires to date, well above the average of 231 fires for July 18. More than one million hectares of land has been burned.

On Friday, Environment Canada issued an air quality warning for central regions and parts of northern Manitoba.

Smoke is expected to move southward, covering most of southern Manitoba by Saturday evening, the advisory said.

nicole.buffie@freepress.mb.ca