Fleeing wildfires, hundreds from Manitoba First Nations settle into Niagara Falls, Ont. hotels
CBC
As wildfires burn out of control near their communities, hundreds of Manitoba First Nations residents have been put up in hotels in Niagara Falls, Ont. — for some around 1,800 kilometres away from their homes.
For Pimicikamak Cree Nation resident Stevie Muskego, who "never really left the reserve" before, travelling so far away has been "kind of strange" and "very stressful."
Speaking in Niagara Falls Monday, Muskego told Radio-Canada he's unsure how long he'll have to stay in Ontario and is taking things day by day.
"What can you do?" he said, adding he's grateful for the support he's received thus far.
"I'm very scared for my community," Muskego said, also mentioning the three dogs and two cats he had to leave behind.
But staying home wasn't safe. He arrived in Niagara on Sunday, a journey that involved several days of travelling to a few communities along the way.
More than 17,000 people are being forced from their homes in parts of Manitoba due to the fires, with mandatory evacuations in place for communities including Flin Flon, Cranberry Portage and Pukatawagan. The Manitoba government declared a provincial state of emergency last week.
Kurtis Ferland, an evacuee from Pukatawagan, told CBC News he could only bring one bag of his belongings as he left home with thick smoke in the air.
"Everything else can be replaced," he said. "Just lives. That's the only thing. Family can't be replaced. So hopefully everyone gets out of there. There's still lots of people out there."
Sheena Garrick, a volunteer supporting Pimicikamak evacuees, told Radio-Canada that due to the number of people displaced, there's no more room in Manitoba, hence the need to go to Ontario for shelter.
Garrick is from Pimicikamak herself. She said many evacuees were skeptical about coming to Niagara Falls because things were chaotic in Winnipeg, but she thinks they'll be better served in Ontario.
About 90 people from Pimicikamak, also called Cross Lake, travelled to Niagara Falls Sunday, Garrick said.
Overall 250 evacuees were set to be settled in the Niagara Falls area Sunday, with several hundred more expected to have flown in Monday, Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak (MKO) — which represents northern Manitoba First Nations — said on its Facebook page Sunday.
Niagara Falls, which has a population of about 94,000 per the 2021 census, is a popular tourist destination. Its tourism website says the city has 12,000 guest rooms.
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