Some Whiteshell cottagers allowed to return home

A small part of Whiteshell Provincial Park reopened to some users Wednesday as crews made progress against some fires in eastern Manitoba.

The Manitoba government said parts of the Whiteshell that remain under a mandatory evacuation order will be reopened in a phased approach when it is safe to do so.

“We recognize provincial park residents and cottagers, campers and commercial operators are keen to return to normal activities in our parks,” Natural Resources Minister Ian Bushie told the legislature.

“The restrictions and closures are still in place for everyone’s safety. This will allow fire crews and emergency responders space to do their work.”

The wildfire risk remains high despite rain and cool temperatures over the May long weekend, he said.

A complete fire ban for Manitoba’s entire burn permit area will begin at 8 a.m. Thursday, due to the wildfire danger and ongoing blazes caused by humans.

No burning or campfires, even in approved pits, will be allowed, the province said. Many municipalities have full or partial bans.

The Manitoba Wildfire Service reported 12 active wildfires, with 85 fires so far this season.

Five fires were listed as out of control, including one on the Manitoba-Ontario boundary. The fire has spread to about 1,600 hectares in the Whiteshell since it was detected on May 12.

A local state of emergency remained in place for all of the Whiteshell. Most of the park was still subject to a mandatory evacuation order.

Blair Mahaffy, a permanent resident at West Hawk Lake, was among those not yet allowed to return to their homes or cottages.

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“We were hoping we would be able to go home, but we can’t, and that’s OK,” he said, noting the most important thing is that his family is safe. They are staying with a relative in Winnipeg.

Mahaffy, a past candidate for the Green Party, is concerned about the effect of climate change on wildfires.

“We need to be prepared for more extremes,” he said.

The province has said wildfires are increasing in frequency and severity across Canada because of climate change.

Sacha Harder, who co-owns Tallpine Lodges at West Hawk Lake, is also waiting for good news, while her business takes a financial hit.

“We have lost a lot of money right now.”–Sacha Harder, co-owner of Tallpine Lodges at West Hawk Lake

“I’m getting no answers on timelines and if I need to cancel all this weekend’s bookings,” she wrote in an email. “We have lost a lot of money right now.”

Permanent residents, commercial operators and cottage owners were allowed to return to the following areas after a mandatory evacuation order was lifted at 9 a.m. Wednesday: Falcon and Barren lakes in south Whiteshell; and the northern areas of Sylvia, Eleanor, Dorothy, Nutimik and Betula lakes, Otter Falls and Barrier Bay. Roads to those areas were open to local traffic only.

Even though the fire was out of control, Manitoba Parks determined enough progress was made to permit the reopening of “select” areas that were a safe distance from the blaze, the province said.

All of the Whiteshell’s campgrounds, trails and backcountry areas will stay closed. A full fire ban remains in effect.

The initial evacuation order was issued May 13. The decision was made, in part, because the park has limited routes in and out.

The park has 239 permanent residences and about 3,500 cottages, plus lodges, restaurants and other businesses.

“There is a lot of area that is still restricted,” Whiteshell Cottagers Association president Ken Pickering said. “This (partial reopening), hopefully, will kind of show there’s a light at the end of the tunnel.”

Pickering said he was one of the fortunate ones. His cottage is located at Falcon Lake.

“I do have a lot of sympathy for people who can’t get back yet,” he said.

RCMP spokesman Sgt. Paul Manaigre said a fire that gutted a cottage in Block 11 at Falcon Lake on Tuesday is unrelated to wildfires. Arson was being investigated as a possible cause. The cottage was once owned by convicted sex offender Peter Nygard.

Manigotagan River, Nopiming, Pinawa Dam, Poplar Bay, South Atikaki, Wallace Lake and Woodridge provincial parks were still closed due to wildfires.

The largest active wildfire in Manitoba was still out of control and still more than 100,000 hectares in size near Nopiming and Bird River. The blaze was detected on May 12.

In Nopiming, up to 20 properties, including cottages, sheds and outbuildings, were damaged around Beresford Lake, while 19 structures, including trailers and boats, were damaged on seasonal sites at Black Lake, a provincial spokesperson said.

The Tanco Mine, which produces lithium, cesium and tantalum, remained evacuated.

Some areas near the boundary of the rural municipalities of Alexander and Lac du Bonnet were still under a mandatory evacuation order as of Wednesday afternoon, after more permanent residents or cottagers were allowed to return Tuesday night.

They were required to sign up for an emergency notification system, pack a “go kit” and be on a two-hour evacuation notice in case fire threatens the area again.

Dozens of people were still displaced.

“The fire is still out of control, but they are making progress with it,” said Alexander Mayor Jack Brisco.

In the RM of Lac du Bonnet, people whose properties were destroyed in the Grausdin Point area by a separate wildfire were escorted into the secure area to look at the devastation.

“They will take the time they need on their properties. I think it’s going to be a difficult time for them,” Schinkel said.

The fire, now being held by crews and measuring about 4,000 hectares, killed a married couple, Sue and Richard Nowell, after it started in the RM on May 13. About 28 properties were destroyed.

Firefighters continued to tackle hot spots and stubborn peat moss fires, Schinkel said.

Officials in both RMs urged people to comply with the current fire bans and backcountry travel restrictions. Brisco urged people not to fly drones into fire areas. Doing so could ground water bombers, he warned.

Three fires in northern Manitoba were out of control, including a flare-up about six kilometres north of Lynn Lake. In a Facebook post, the town said it advised Berge Lake residents they should be prepared to leave on short notice if the situation escalates.

The flare-up occurred at an Alamos Gold mine site, the town said. The fire covered about 1,220 hectares since it was discovered May 7, the province said.

A separate Facebook post by the Town of Lynn Lake said it had a “widespread” Bell MTS service outage, which interrupted long-distance phone calls.

“Due to routing of calls, this means that 911 is not currently working for emergency dispatch,” the post said.

A Bell MTS spokesperson said a network equipment issue, which affected landline service in a few northern communities, including Lynn Lake, was being investigated.

They said 911 P25 radio service was working in the communities.

The outage was not related to wildfires or an earlier disruption in Ontario and Quebec, the spokesperson said.

The two other uncontrolled fires in northern Manitoba were west of Cranberry Portage (40 hectares) and north of Grass River Provincial Park (five hectares).

Bushie thanked front-line firefighters from Manitoba, B.C. and Alberta who are working “tirelessly” to control and extinguish wildfires. He also acknowledged reeves, mayors, local emergency management staff and volunteers for getting Manitoba “through this disaster situation.”

Fire-hit municipalities have started calculating damage estimates and preparing for the recovery phase.

Schinkel said damage will be in the millions of dollars in the RM of Lac du Bonnet, which will have to repair or replace infrastructure.

“We can’t wait. We’ve got to do what we need to get that area safe,” he said.

Schinkel said he discussed disaster financial assistance with Municipal and Northern Relations Minister Glen Simard on Wednesday.

The province has not yet announced a program to help municipalities recover from wildfires. Premier Wab Kinew said last week financial assistance was being discussed within his government.

If required, Manitoba can request financial aid from the federal government. Provinces and territories can request assistance within six months of the end date of the eligible disaster, a Public Safety Canada spokesperson said.

chris.kitching@freepress.mb.ca

Chris Kitching
Reporter

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.

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