Helping hands reach out to guide evacuees through the smoke, fear, confusion

Wildfires in the northern reaches of the province have displaced more than 17,000 Manitobans over the past day, as flames threaten the City of Flin Flon, the Town of Lynn Lake and the Pimicikamak Cree Nation and Mathias Colomb First Nation.

The Free Press spoke with several businesses and organizations about how they’re helping in a time of need after a provincewide state of emergency was declared Wednesday.

OCN opens arena for evacuees from Flin Flon

Opaskwayak Cree Nation has opened its hockey arena to busloads of evacuees from Flin Flon.

Laverne Constant, the First Nation’s public safety manager, was working for nearly 24 hours straight helping evacuees get settled and registered at the Gordon Lathlin Memorial Centre.

“Everyone is opening their doors because they know what it’s like to be displaced,” Constant said. “We are not alone in this.”

At least six buses arrived carrying evacuees, Constant lost count after the first 200 people showed up at the arena.

Volunteers set up cots and cleared the bread off grocery store shelves to make sandwiches for evacuees.

Constant housed an 81-year-old woman in her camper trailer because the woman needed a quiet place to stay.

The community expected to open its campground and RV park to evacuees but more space was needed, so the arena was transformed.

Opaskwayak fought its own wildfires earlier this month, which were successfully extinguished. Constant said her team has started using the supplies donated to the community to help the new evacuees.

“When we had our fires, automatically Flin Flon and everybody came to help us,” she said.

The First Nation has sent its fighters and truckloads of food to help the crews battling the blazes in Flin Flon.

Churches offer assistance

Winnipeg places of worship are responding to the call to help host wildfire evacuees.

The Mennonite Brethren Church of Manitoba has reached out to its Winnipeg churches to see what they can do, provincial director John Neufeld said.

“Many of our churches have indicated their availability to respond to whatever the provincial Emergency Management Organization needs,” he said, adding there are some churches in the denomination that have gyms and larger kitchens.

The denomination has also contacted its churches in the northern part of the province, along with its Simonhouse Bible Camp near Cranberry-Portage.

“One of the essential instructions of the Bible is to ‘do justice and love mercy,’” said Neufeld. “Mobilizing our resources to serve others like this is a natural expression of our faith.”

The Prairie to Pine Regional Council of the United Church of Canada also published a notice asking its churches to monitor local news and prepare to offer assistance.

The council is also in touch with Indigenous United Church congregations in the North as they assess threats to the communities they serve, a spokesperson said.

Mennonite Church Manitoba has asked pastors to consider preparing their churches to receive evacuees if called upon.

In Otterburne, Providence University College has informed the government it can use dormitory space for evacuees.

Pet rescue groups in need of fosters for dogs

Pet rescue groups are scrambling to get food into evacuated communities and get critters clear of the wildfires.

Katie Powell, president of Save A Dog Network Canada, said it’s impossible to get all the dogs out of the multiple communities in the path of wildfires because there isn’t enough infrastructure, such as kennels or foster homes.

Her organization has shifted to bringing dog food up to the affected communities for the animals left behind.

“When there’s no infrastructure to accommodate the pets, it’s the grassroots that have to step in,” said Powell. “Until leaders and our government include the pets in its plan, sadly they suffer, and the people that love their pets suffer when leaving their pet.”

The non-profit is shipping the bags of dog food to Thompson by Thursday night, said Powell.

Powell wants to see more stockpiles of kennels, collars and dog food prepared so it can be deployed during evacuations.

Jackie Hanna, a board member for K9 Advocacy Manitoba, called for more people to offer their homes to foster dogs because of the “desperate and dire” state of evacuations.

She said some dogs had been flown to Winnipeg throughout the day Thursday and a truck is driving to Thompson to collect more pets.

MMF puts out call for donations

Over 400 Métis citizens have been evacuated from Flin Flon says a Manitoba Métis Federation spokesperson

Sites in Winnipegosis, Mafeking and Treherne have been prepared for the evacuees to stay.

A command centre has been set up at 406 McGregor St. in Winnipeg to collect any clothing or food donations, provide hot meals and welcome Métis evacuees.

The spokesperson said she was overwhelmed by the support of the Métis community after the federation put out a call for donations late Wednesday evening following the Flin Flon evacuation notice.

Hundreds of people responded immediately to the message and offered rooms in their homes, board games, food hampers and clothing, the spokesperson said.

Winnipeg YMCAs open their doors to evacuees

Wildfire evacuees relocated to Winnipeg will have free access to the city’s YMCAs.

The organization is opening its community hubs, including access to showers and children’s and recreation programs.

“Wildfires are devastating our communities across the province and Y Winnipeg is a part of that response,” president and CEO Cordella Friesen said in a release.

“We want to make sure all families have a place to go during this emergency in our province and do what we can to support our community.”

Y Winnipeg will be working directly with the Canadian Red Cross and the city to co-ordinate available services at four hubs:

• South Community Hub, 5 Fermor Ave., Monday to Friday 6 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., Sunday and Saturday 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• Downtown Community Hub, 301 Vaughan St., Monday to Friday 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Elmwood-Kildonan Community Hub, 454 Kimberly Ave., Monday to Friday 6 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• West Portage Community Hub, 3550 Portage Ave., Monday to Friday 6 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

RV park offers space for 20 campers, free of charge

Darin Hubscher operates Sweet Acres, a farm in Swan River that grows sweet corn, strawberries and pumpkins.

The farm is also affiliated with Harvest Hosts, a membership program for RV campers that connects travellers with over 9,500 locations across North America, offering no-fee overnight stays.

Hubscher’s daughter, after hearing about the mass evacuation of Flin Flon residents, had an idea, he said.

“She thought, ‘Why don’t we open up our place (for the people) that are coming down from Flin Flon?’”

Hubscher offered space for 20 campers free of charge in a post on the Sweet Acres Facebook page late Wednesday night.

“I’ve had a few texts from people who said they’re on their way,” he said.

Hubscher also recalled how, a couple of years ago, his son had to evacuate from Kelowna, B.C., when wildfires approached that area — an experience that left a lasting impression.

“It’s another inspiration for us,” Hubscher said. “It’s just something we could do for people that have a camper and even a pet or two, that they can run around a little bit.”

Insurance Bureau of Canada provides trained industry personnel to answer policy questions

The Insurance Bureau of Canada is deploying its virtual community assistance mobile pavilion — V-CAMP — to help ease the burden for people affected by the wildfires who will be navigating unfamiliar home-insurance waters.

Insurers serve as “second responders” in the recovery period after catastrophe strikes, IBC said in a release Thursday.

IBC’s V-CAMP is staffed with trained insurance industry personnel at IBC’s Consumer Information Centre (1-844-227-5422 and AskIBCWest@ibc.ca) to help address consumers’ general questions about their home, business or vehicle insurance policies.

“Our hearts go out to the individuals and families whose lives have been disrupted by these fires. We thank all the first responders and emergency officials who have been working so diligently to protect lives and property,” IBC’s Pacific and Western vice-president Aaron Sutherland, said.

“The situation is extremely concerning, and we want to make sure those being evacuated from their homes can easily access the insurance supports they need at this difficult time. Manitoba’s insurers are committed to protecting your tomorrow, by standing with you today.”

V-CAMP can also assist evacuees with additional living expenses incurred after being evacuated, the release said.

— Compiled by Scott Billeck, Matthew Frank and John Longhurst

fpcity@freepress.mb.ca