As forest fires burn control near their communities, hundreds of residents of Manitoba’s first nations have been placed in hotels in the Niagara, Ontario cataracts. – For some about 1,800 kilometers from their homes.
For the resident of Pimicikamak believes Nation Stevie Muskego, who “never left the reservation” before, traveling so far has been “something strange” and “very stressful.”
Speaking in the Niagara cataracts on Monday, Muskego told Radio-Canada that he is not sure how long he will have to stay in Ontario and take things day by day.
“What can you do?” He said, he added that he is grateful for the support he has received so far.
“I am very scared by my community,” Muskego said, also mentioning the three dogs and two cats he had to leave behind.
But staying at home was not safe. Niagara arrived on Sunday, a trip that involved several days of traveling to some communities along the way.
More than 17,000 people are forced from their homes in parts of Manitoba due to fires, with mandatory evacuations for communities such as Flin Flon, Cranberry Portage and Pukatawagan. The Manitoba government declared a provincial state of emergency last week.
Kurtis Ferland, an evacuo from Pukatawagan, told CBC News that he could only bring a bag of his belongings when he left his house with a thick smoke in the air.
“Everything else can be replaced,” he said. “Just live. That’s the only thing. The family can’t be replaced. So I hope everyone gets out of there. There are still many people out there.”
Sheena Garrick, a volunteer who supports the evacuees of Pimicikamak, told Radio-Canada that, due to the number of displaced people, there is no more space in Manitoba, hence the need to go to Ontario to take refuge.
Garrick is from Pimicikamak herself. She said that many evacuated were skeptical about coming to Niagara cataracts because things were chaotic in Winnipeg, but believes they will be better served in Ontario.
About 90 people from Pimicikamak, also called Cross Lake, Traveled to Niagara Falls SundayGarrick said.
In general, 250 evacuated in the Niagara cataracts area were established on Sunday, and several more hundreds will fly on Monday, Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak (MKO), which represents the north of the first Nations of Manitoba, said on his Facebook page on Sunday.
Niagara Falls, which has a population of approximately 94,000 according to the 2021 census, is a popular tourist destination. Its tourism website says that the city has 12,000 rooms.
In recent years, their hotels were home to another group of displaced people. In 2023, immigration, refugees and citizenship of Canada housed thousands of asylum seekers in Niagara cataracts, using 1,500 to 2,000 rooms In March 2023, more 3,500 throughout Canada.
On Monday, the mayor of the Niagara cataracts, Jim Diodati, told CBC News, help the evacuees, “how Canadian do.”
“Due to our great inventory of hotel rooms, you know, we are happy to be able to play our role and play in the Canada team,” he said, adding that the city is preparing to accommodate thousands of people.
Diodati said the evacuation is financed by the federal government, but the municipality will do everything possible so that the evacuees feel welcome. “We will do our part by making sure that they have some excellent attractions, passes and access to the comforts they need.”
In a statement, the great chief of Garrison Settee of MKO praised the evacuation efforts in Ontario, saying “this is the level of coordination for which we fight in Manitoba” and “the level of respect that our members deserve while facing a very traumatic experience.”
First nations and provincial governments that work with the Risk Management Company
Indigenous leaders in Manitoba have accused federal and provincial governments of bad communication and slow responses to resources requests.
MKO is associating with the Xpera Risk Management Company, which specializes in evacuations. Xpera’s vice president, Robert Garland, told CBC News that his company has contracts with Ontario and Manitoba.
He said they came to Niagara because he has the ability to handle an influx of people and “a strong indigenous support history.”
Evacuo Danner Francois told Radio-channel that having to evacuate quickly was scary and worried that his house was burned. But now that he is in Niagara cataracts, he said he feels better. “Now it’s quiet. I feel much safer, without fire, without smoke.”
Manitoba Prime Minister Wab Kinew says that the province has received “surprising” assistance in its fight against forest fires, adding that Canada will have to deal with future fire seasons most similar to it, which means expanding our fire fighting capacity. “
Speaking to journalists on Monday, Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew said that approximately 1,000 hotel rooms will open in Winnipeg to house evacuated.
The province had 25 active forest fires until Sunday, including eight considered out of control.
Kinew said that fighting multiple forest fires in Western provinces is a tension in shared resources, so Canada will have to “deal with future fire seasons that are increasingly like this, which means expanding our fire fighting capacity.”
“We could use all the water bombers that we can have in our hands,” he said, noting that Manitoba ordered some, but will have to wait five years to get them.
