Pimicikamak Cree Nation struggles with evacuations as people return out of frustration

Darren Bernhardt · CBC News

· Posted: May 30, 2025 2:33 PM EDT | Last Updated: 6 hours ago

One time aft  Pimicikamak Cree Nation Chief David Monias said 767 radical successful the bluish Manitoba assemblage needed to evacuate, determination are present adjacent to 1,000 waiting to leave.

That's portion of the frustration Monias says he's facing with exits being blocked by wildfires, airlifts unavailable and agelong waits for ferries.

"Some person someway made it back," helium said of evacuees who near connected Wednesday and headed southbound toward Norway House Cree Nation, aft Monias ordered a mandatory evacuation.

Hundreds of vehicles and buses took radical to the ferry for the crossing to that community, but the bottleneck meant immoderate waited up to 9 hours without nutrient oregon water, Monias said. It appears galore got fed up with waiting and returned to Pimicikamak. 

Some residents were flown retired earlier this week from the airdrome successful Pimicikamak, astir 530 kilometres northbound of Winnipeg connected the shores of Cross Lake, but precocious winds and adust conditions worsened the concern this week. Flights were grounded.

The remaining 6,500 residents were told to head to Norway House, adjacent though that assemblage was lone expecting 1,000 evacuees.

Since Thursday, the Canadian Armed Forces has been flying four Hercules craft into Norway House to prime up Pimicikamak evacuees and get them to Brandon oregon Winnipeg. The level past heads backmost to Norway House for different load.

Monias said each circular travel takes astir 3 hours, truthful it's a dilatory process.

Just implicit 3,000 Pimicikamak residents were inactive connected the database to beryllium evacuated from Norway House arsenic of Friday morning.

The heavy fume successful Pimicikamak cleared retired by precocious day Thursday, as the upwind changed absorption and the entity cleared, Monias said.

"We were truthful happy. [It was] easier to breathe, easier connected the throat."

But the airdrome has remained quiet. Monias was making calls Friday to spot if immoderate privately tally airlines could assistance out, but helium wasn't definite however agelong that window of wide skies would stay open.

"[The fire] is continuing to determination towards our absorption contempt the upwind blowing against it. The upwind is slowing it down," helium said.

"But the upwind changes frequently, and past it'll beryllium coming towards our mode again astir apt astatine the extremity of the time oregon evening. So that means much fume and much occurrence coming again. It's precise concerning."

He was besides connected the telephone with national government officials, requesting water bombers to wide immoderate of the flames from the highways.

"It would springiness america the accidental to spot if we tin get radical retired that way," helium said.

By Friday afternoon, an RCMP authoritative told CBC News the road has been temporarily reopened and evacuations were taking spot that way. The spokesperson did not cognize however galore were capable to leave.

More evacuations ordered

Meanwhile, mandatory evacuations were also ordered Friday for Schist Lake and Big Island Lake, portion the campground astatine adjacent Bakers Narrows Provincial Park was evacuated and unopen down Thursday night.

All 3 locations are conscionable southeast of Flin Flon, a metropolis of 5,000 near the Saskatchewan borderline successful northwestern Manitoba that faces a dire concern owed to an approaching wildfire.

Cranberry Portage, astir 35 kilometres southeast of Flin Flon, is besides nether a voluntary evacuation due to the fact that it's moving retired of state and supplies. The assemblage is along Highway 10, which has been closed owed to fires. The closest state proviso is successful Grand Rapids, astir a 350-kilometre thrust away.

On the eastbound broadside of the province, the assemblage of Bissett has besides been ordered to evacuate owed to the out-of-control Nopiming/Bird River fire, which is astir 125,000 hectares successful size, according to the province.

Everyone was told to beryllium out Friday morning.

As of Thursday, the astir caller update from the province, determination were 22 progressive wildfires successful Manitoba. There person been a full of 103 already this season, far above the province's 20-year yearly mean of 80 at this clip of year.

More than 17,000 radical are being evacuated from northern, western and eastbound regions of Manitoba, and a provincewide authorities of exigency has been declared.

The communities being cleared retired see Lynn Lake, Pukatawagan Cree Nation (also known arsenic Mathias Colomb First Nation), Marcel Colomb First Nation and Sherridon.

Norway House and Chemawawin Cree Nation (Easterville) are nether evacuation notices, with radical ordered to beryllium acceptable to leave.

The Manitoba FireView map includes locations, sizes and different accusation astir the wildfires.

Are you an evacuee who needs assistance? Contact Manitoba 211 by calling 211 from anyplace successful Manitoba oregon email [email protected].