Manitoba again declares provincewide state of emergency due to wildfires

ManitobaManitoba has declared another provincewide state of emergency as wildfires continue to threaten communities, Premier Wab Kinew announced at a news conference on Thursday.Garden Hill, Snow Lake most recent communities under mandatory evacuationDwayne Chornoby, who lives near Garden Hill, took this photo of the nearby wildfire on Wednesday evening. (Submitted by Dwayne Chornoby)Manitoba has declared another provincewide state of emergency as wildfires continue to threaten communities.The state of emergency came into effect at 12:01 p.m. Thursday after a number of communities declared mandatory evacuation orders in response to wildfires, Premier Wab Kinew said at a news conference.The province also declared a state of emergency on May 28 that was lifted on June 23.The state of emergency will allow the province to access more facilities and shelter a growing number of evacuees fleeing from their homes, Kinew said.Garden Hill Anisininew Nation is being evacuated Thursday after a wildfire entered the First Nation, leadership said Thursday morning. Snow Lake, about 590 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg, issued a mandatory evacuation order on Wednesday, with people ordered out by noon Thursday.More than 4,000 people are expected to leave Garden Hill alone, the premier said. Snow Lake has a population of more than 1,000 people.Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew, is joined by by Kristin Hayward, left, and Christine Stevens, right, at the Manitoba Legislature on Thursday. (Gilbert Rowan/Radio-Canada)The Canadian Armed Forces have been assisting with the Garden Hill evacuation. Hercules and commercial flights are helping to take residents out on Thursday, Kinew said.The state of emergency will allow the province to order the RCB Convention Centre in downtown Winnipeg to provide space for wildfire evacuees, the premier said. The province is trying to balance the needs of evacuees and the convention centre by planning around an anime event scheduled for this weekend.An emergency shelter in a soccer complex on Leila Avenue, which was first set up earlier in the wildfire season, has been recreated to accommodate evacuees in the coming days. The City of Winnipeg is also making the Billy Mosienko Arena on Keewatin Street available to host people fleeing wildfires, Kinew said.”This is an unprecedented and devastating time for our community,” Garden Hill Anisininew Nation Chief Dino Flett said in a news release on Thursday.A wildfire entered the remote fly-in First Nation, about 475 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg, prompting the “full-scale” evacuation order on Thursday. “We are taking every possible step to ensure the safety of our residents, especially our elders, children, and those with urgent medical needs. I humbly ask for prayers from all nations and supporters as we face this crisis,” said a Thursday morning news release from the First Nation.The release from Garden Hill says evacuation operations “are being carried out with urgency and care” and urges residents to remain calm, follow all official instructions and assist one another where possible.Eleanor Olszewski, the federal minister of emergency management, posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday morning that Ottawa has sent the Canadian Armed Forces to help with the evacuation.On Thursday morning, Wekusko Falls Provincial Park, about eight kilometres south of Snow Lake, was closed by the Manitoba government due to wildfires.All park users must vacate the area, said a mandatory evacuation order issued Thursday by Manitoba Parks director Rob Nedotiafko.Updates on park closures around the province are listed on the government’s website.Snow Lake had been under a 12-hour evacuation advisory before residents were ordered to leave by Thursday at noon.There are three separate fires burning within 25 kilometres of the town, a provincial wildfire update said Wednesday.CorrectionsWe initially reported that Garden Hill Anisininew Nation is northwest of Winnipeg. In fact, it is northeast of Winnipeg.Jul 10, 2025 10:39 AM EDTABOUT THE AUTHORSantiago Arias Orozco is a journalist with CBC Manitoba currently based in Winnipeg. He previously worked for CBC Toronto and the Toronto Star. You can reach him at santiago.arias.orozco@cbc.ca.With files from Darren Bernhardt