'We need to get our people in hotels,' says Garden Hill vice-chief as 1,000 evacuees to arrive Saturday
CBC
Garden Hill Anisininew Nation leaders are calling on all levels of government to help secure hotel rooms for hundreds of wildfire evacuees as a congregate shelter in Winnipeg became crowded on Saturday and northern Manitoba wildfires threatened their homes and the health of those still waiting to get out.
Garden Hill's Vice-Chief Craig Munroe says 1,800 people have been moved to Winnipeg since the remote First Nation issued a mandatory evacuation order on Thursday — the same day the province declared another state of emergency due to wildfires.
"It's sad because we are being displaced from our homes and we're being moved to the city. We do not want to be here, but we have to do what we have to do for the safety of our people," Munroe said.
Another 1,000 Garden Hill evacuees were expected to arrive on Saturday, with the help of Hercules military aircraft from the Canadian Armed Forces.
More than 4,000 people live in the remote, fly-in First Nation in northeastern Manitoba.
Charles Knott, who left the First Nation with his wife about two weeks ago due to medical concerns from the wildfire smoke, said they were able to find a hotel room.
But he's been running supplies to the congregate shelter on Leila Avenue, where his grandchildren are staying until rooms become available.
"They're still there waiting for a room. That's the thing, they can't find any rooms because it's all booked everywhere," Knott said outside the Winnipeg hotel he's been staying at.
He said it's sad to see so many of his community members crowded together in the Garden City soccer complex, sleeping on cots in the open.
"It was just chaos, people just lining up, waiting," he said, adding that children and youth are getting restless while waiting to find out where they will be sent next.
"I'm just trying to help my community out, whatever I can. There's a lot of people that need help here," Knott said.
A donation centre has been set up on Arlington Street, where the First Nation is collecting necessities like baby formula and diapers for infants being evacuated.
Vice-Chief Munroe said Garden Hill has set up a command centre at a Winnipeg hotel and community leaders are working to move their most vulnerable residents, particularly Elders and children, from the Leila shelter into hotel rooms.
"I want to urge all governments to continue to try and help us because these complexes, they're not ideal for our people. I've heard reports, even yesterday, that people could not sleep on these cots, it was loud," he said.
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