Whiteshell Provincial Park residents, cottagers frustrated by closure, lack of communication

Some Whiteshell Provincial Park residents are taking issue with the province’s decision to keep most areas off limits while wildfires burn nearby, and are expressing frustration with a lack of communication.

Brereton Lake cottager Ken Wiebe says he has been forced to gather information about the wildfires affecting the area through word-of-mouth and social media.

“The communication is not that frequent, and the communication that we receive, it doesn’t have any goalposts as to when we can return,” he said Monday. “We’ve never been evacuated before, even though there’s been fires that have been much closer than the current one.”

Wiebe last visited his cabin a week before the province shuttered the entire park owing to nearby wildfires at the eastern edge of the park and in Nopiming Provincial Park.

“Right now we haven’t got a clue when we can go in or not, he said, adding he has family planning to visit next week from British Columbia.

Other residents and cabin owners are not happy with the lack of updates from the province on the local Whiteshell Cottagers Association social media page, which Wiebe said has been his primary source of information.

The province shuttered the park May 15, shortly after a couple who were trapped by flames on their property near Lac du Bonnet were killed.

Officials reopened Falcon Lake and Barren Lake in the south end of the park to residents, cottagers and business owners last Thursday.

A provincial spokesperson said fire officials are providing regular updates park residents and cottagers via the local chamber of commerce and the cottager association website.

As soon as information becomes available regarding reopening, it will be shared with residents and media, the spokesperson said.

The wildfire burning at the Manitoba-Ontario border and within Whiteshell Provincial Park had reached a total 31,300 hectares in size, with about 1,650 hectares on the Manitoba side, according to the province’s fire map.

The fire near Bird River and Nopiming Provincial Park grew to more than 121,000 hectares and is still considered out of control.

Brereton Lake Resort co-owner Greg Ftoma lamented the park’s closure during the May long weekend when he would have business lined up out the door, but said he understands the province’s decision.

The fire is currently about 12 kilometres away from Brereton Lake, he estimated Monday.

“If that wind changes directions, this whole place would be gone,” he said. “It would be awful to let people come back, only for the fire to return.”

Ftoma is among the few people left in Brereton Lake, helping to feed emergency personnel.

The resort and restaurant owner says the area is smoky most mornings, and some days he can’t see across the lake.

He has been gathering updates from firefighters when they arrive to eat, and then passes along the information to residents.

The province reopened several roads in and around the Whiteshell Monday, including Highway 307 from Highway 11 at Sevens Sisters to Betula Lake.

Highway 301 from the Trans-Canada Highway at Falcon Lake to the underpass is open to local traffic only.

Highway 44 from the Trans-Canada Highway at West Hawk Lake to Rennie, Highway 301 from the Trans-Canada Highway underpass to Highway 44 at West Hawk Lake and Highway 307 from Betula Lake to Highway 44 at Rennie remain closed.

A Monday fire bulletin showed several fires have sparked in northern Manitoba communities, prompting evacuations.

Two fires, one near the community of Sherridon was about 6,320 hectares in size. Another, about five kilometres from Cross Lake was estimated to be 1,625 hectares. Both are considered out of control.

Sherridon has been evacuated and a local state of emergency has been declared, the bulletin said.

Pimicikamak Cree Nation and Cross Lake evacuated about 300 vulnerable residents over the weekend, fearing smoke from nearby wildfires could cause injury or death.

A separate fire six kilometres from the town of Lynn Lake is approximately 7,064 hectares and considered out of control.

A fire sparked two kilometres from Wabowden is approximately 37 hectares and listed as out of control. Wabowden has declared a state of local emergency.

During question period Monday, Ian Bushie, the Minister of Natural Resources and Indigenous Futures reminded residents that park closures and evacuation orders are a protective measure, and reopening provincial parks will depend on a daily analysis of fire behaviour, suppression efforts and weather conditions.

According to the province’s wildfire map, there are 17 fires burning across the province, six of which are considered out of control.

The Manitoba Wildfire Service said in its bulletin the majority of the province has a high fire danger and the northwest corner of the province’s risk is considered extreme.

Human activity has contributed significantly to the situation, the bulletin said. Of the 92 fires recorded in 2025, 84 have been determined to be human-caused.

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Last week the RM of Lac du Bonnet ended its last evacuation notice related to the 4,000-hectare fire. The blaze is now considered under control.

Environment Canada issued an air-quality warning for parts of southeastern Manitoba due to smoke. Several areas stretching from Manigotagan on the east side of Lake Winnipeg, south to East Braintree and about 40 kilometres east of Winnipeg to the Ontario border are under the warning.

Residents are asked to limit time outdoors.

Within city limits, the City of Winnipeg warned residents on social media to extinguish cigarette butts to avoid igniting land fires.

nicole.buffie@freepress.mb.ca

Nicole Buffie
Multimedia producer

Nicole Buffie is a reporter for the Free Press city desk. Born and bred in Winnipeg, Nicole graduated from Red River College’s Creative Communications program in 2020 and worked as a reporter throughout Manitoba before joining the Free Press newsroom as a multimedia producer in 2023. Read more about Nicole.

Every piece of reporting Nicole 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.