1,000 wildfire evacuees now in Brandon

Connor McDowell, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Brandon Sun

The number of wildfire evacuees in Brandon has reached about 1,000 people, according to Mayor Jeff Fawcett.

That’s about five times the last figure provided by the Red Cross, which told the Sun on Aug. 7 that around 200 evacuees were staying in Brandon.

At that time, there were evacuees in Brandon from Manto Sipi Cree Nation, St. Theresa Point First Nation and Red Sucker Lake Anisininew Nation.

The band office at St. Theresa Point said no one was available to provide an interview on Friday, but that evacuees from the community have since returned home. The office at Red Sucker Lake said evacuees have also returned home, while the Manto Sipi office did not respond to multiple calls.

In a Thursday phone interview, Fawcett told the Sun that local emergency services are working more overtime.

In recent weeks, releases issued by the Brandon Police Service have shown a large number of incidents at local hotels.

By email, Canadian Red Cross spokesperson Jason Small confirmed that there are around 1,000 people currently in Brandon.

“The Canadian Red Cross is currently supporting more than 2,300 people from Bunibonibee Cree Nation, who were forced to leave their homes due to wildfires,” Small said. “Support includes lodging, food, transportation, and personal items.

“The Red Cross is also supporting individuals from additional Manitoba First Nations who had to leave their communities due to wildfires over the past month. The leadership of those First Nations has determined it is safe for their community members and Red Cross is working closely with community leadership and Indigenous Services Canada to support their return home.”

On Facebook, a councillor from Bunibonibee posted earlier this week that an emergency meeting had been held where community leaders requested additional security presence at hotels where evacuees are staying in both Winnipeg and Brandon.

After that meeting, the councillor said the Red Cross had dispatched additional security personnel to the Victoria Inn and Clarion Inn & Suites in Brandon.

Small did not confirm or deny the post, instead saying that “every operation includes security on-site at all facilities that Red Cross is asked to support.”

The Sun went to Victoria Inn on Friday to speak with evacuees. In a group of 10 on benches outside the hotel, one said he witnessed fellow evacuees struggling to adjust to the city.

The middle-aged man from Oxford House declined to give his name.

“It’s hard to watch here community members what they’re doing,” he said. “It’s not often they see this kind of civilization.”

He said he was worried about seeing others’ alcohol intoxication. Their fly-in community up north does not have a liquor store, he said, and it has been a difficult change for some to come to Brandon.

“We were just told to pack up one morning,” he said. “One morning … that was all the news we got.”

Another woman, declining to give her name, added: “It’s been very tiring. Frustrating. Because we miss our home.”

On Wednesday, police investigated reports of a 24-year-old with bear spray at the Victoria Inn. They did not find evidence of the bear spray but arrested the man and lodged him until he was sober.

Security staff on Friday told the Sun the area has been quiet for several days.

The hotel is currently housing about 300 evacuees. Two communities, Split Lake and Nelson House, went home this week, several evacuees told the Sun.

Members from Oxford House do not know when they will return home. They’ve heard reports that the fire is being held, but could still spring up and expand.

“We pray every day for that not to happen. If that happens, we have nothing to go home to.”

Another member at the hotel, who would only share his first name, Rex, told the Sun the people are grateful for the support they’re receiving.

“The Red Cross is doing an awesome job,” he said. “To me, I salute the Red Cross.”

Earlier this week, BPS interim chief Randy Lewis said in an email that his organization is “working with the Red Cross right now to ensure that the visitors to our city are properly taken care of while displaced from their homes.”

“Please rest assured the citizens of Brandon continue to receive the high quality of policing that they have become accustomed to,” Lewis said.

“We appreciate your patience and support as we work together to maintain peace and order in our community. If you should see an event or person requiring assistance, please contact Brandon Police Service at 729-2345 or if it’s an emergency dial 911.”

He said BPS was unable to provide statistics regarding the apparent increase in incidents at local hotels at the current time and recommended that a freedom of information request be filed to obtain them.

The last fire bulletin published by the Manitoba Wildfire Service was on Aug. 16. At the time, there were 64 active wildfires in Manitoba.

In an email sent Friday, a provincial spokesperson sent the following statement on the progress made fighting fires:

“Northern Manitoba wildfires continue to respond well to suppression activities by fire crews, who have been aided by favourable weather conditions in recent days. Further wildfire updates will be made available through subsequent fire bulletins, if necessary.”

In an email, a spokesperson for Prairie Mountain Health said there has been a surge in patient volumes at the Brandon Regional Health Centre’s emergency department in the last couple of weeks, but did not attribute it to any specific cause.

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