Permits allowing guns, ATVs in backcountry are unfair as the public stays barred: Whiteshell cottager

Lauren Scott · CBC News

· Posted: Jun 11, 2025 6:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 6 hours ago

As each backcountry trails and waterways stay successful Manitoba's provincial parks stay closed to the public, immoderate cottagers accidental it's unfair that outfitters are allowed to hunt successful the backcountry with government-approved permits during a provincewide authorities of emergency.

Barb Robson, who lives successful Winnipeg and has a cottage connected the southbound enactment of Big Whiteshell Lake successful Whiteshell Provincial Park, told CBC News connected Tuesday that her hubby was not allowed to instrumentality to the cottage to cod their vessel and household heirlooms that person been passed down for generations. 

She said it's not just that immoderate outfitters tin spell successful the backcountry portion trails stay closed and immoderate cottagers are inactive being kept retired of the park. 

"If you're going to springiness permits to outfitters, you should springiness permits to cottage owners and seasonal radical who are conscionable going successful there, and retired to retrieve their stuff," she said. 

Environment Minister Mike Moyes, who oversees provincial parks, said backcountry permits are issued to outfitters connected a case-by lawsuit basis, and tin beryllium rescinded if occurrence conditions change.  

He said astir of the human-caused fires presently burning crossed Manitoba were not intentionally set. He said helium understands the frustration, but stressed that keeping the nationalist retired of definite areas helps to bounds further dispersed and support firefighting resources wherever they're needed most. 

"We truly sympathize with those folks. We admit conscionable however important immoderate of those places are, arsenic good arsenic immoderate of those belongings. But we person to marque definite that information comes first," Moyes said, asking for patience.

Robson questioned whether allowing outfitters to bring imaginable occurrence hazards similar guns and all-terrain vehicles in the backcountry during the outpouring carnivore hunt is safe. 

She said it doesn't marque consciousness to o.k. these permits astatine the aforesaid clip provincial officials are urging radical to reconsider non-essential question successful Manitoba to escaped up edifice rooms for wildfire evacuees.

"They're telling radical not to travel to Manitoba and yet they're allowing them to spell retired and bash their hunting. That's precise frustrating. Where is the fairness successful each of this?" she wondered. 

"Just instrumentality the permits distant and past you're not going to person an contented with anyone, including me. Because they can't spell to the backcountry and I can't," Robson said. 

Outfitters not operating successful evacuated areas, relation says

The Manitoba Lodges and Outfitters Association says its members who clasp approved permits are not operating successful areas that person a mandatory evacuation bid successful place.  

Melanie MacCarthy, president of the association, said the permits issued by the provincial authorities travel with information restrictions, similar ensuring ATV riders person occurrence extinguishers with them oregon limiting operations betwixt 7 p.m. and 11 a.m.

MacCarthy said backcountry entree is "critical" for outfitters during carnivore season. 

"Bear hunting happens heavy successful the woods … Without that backcountry access, they fundamentally can't operate," she said. 

"It's a abbreviated model for our operators to marque a surviving and they're lone doing truthful erstwhile it's deemed harmless by conservation and fixed an approved licence to bash so," MacCarthy said. 

Robson said it's unfair for the state to o.k. immoderate permits erstwhile members of the nationalist person been barred from the backcountry.

"If you're not going to fto america in — point blank, if there's nary backcountry travel — take the permits away. Take them away," she said. 

On Wednesday astatine 8 a.m., Robson volition beryllium capable to instrumentality to her cottage connected Big Whiteshell Lake, arsenic that country of the provincial parkland reopens to imperishable residents, cottagers and commercialized operators, the state said successful its Tuesday occurrence bulletin. Crowduck Lake volition besides reopen Wednesday morning. 

At 4 p.m. connected Wednesday, imperishable residents, cottagers and commercialized operators tin caput backmost to Florence Lake, Nora Lake and Ophir Siding. 

On Friday, seasonal campers tin instrumentality to campgrounds astatine Big Whiteshell Lake.