Some northern Manitoba wildfire evacuees still struggling to get financial help from Red Cross

Caitlyn Gowriluk · CBC News

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

People from immoderate bluish Manitoba communities accidental wildfire evacuees are having a hard clip getting expected fiscal assistance from the Canadian Red Cross, and successful immoderate cases are being told they request to question to Winnipeg to verify their identity.

That includes those from the tiny bluish assemblage of Sherridon, wherever Deputy Mayor Sheryl Matheson said nary of the roughly 60 evacuees present staying successful the southwestern metropolis of Dauphin have gotten immoderate money. 

Matheson said evacuees who person been capable to get done to the Red Cross by telephone person been advised to question to Winnipeg to verify their individuality astatine a Red Cross location, told they aren't from a wildfire-affected assemblage oregon assured they'll get a telephone backmost that ne'er comes.

"It is heartbreaking," Matheson said Tuesday, adding galore radical from the assemblage don't person phones. "You're … [calling] on their behalf and you're getting roadblocks."

As well, "a batch of our radical came by a autobus — they didn't person their ain idiosyncratic transport. And astatine this point, you know, the radical that did travel [by vehicle] astir apt bash not person wealth for substance to question to Winnipeg and back," said  Matheson.

The evacuees successful Dauphin are astatine slightest being fixed 3 meals a day, co-ordinated by outreach programs successful the city, but if not for that, "I'm not definite however anyone would beryllium eating close now," she said.

The state said past week wildfire evacuees are eligible for a regular stipend if they're a imperishable nonmigratory of Manitoba, person a superior residence successful a assemblage nether a mandatory evacuation bid issued connected oregon aft May 23, and are registered arsenic an evacuee with the Red Cross.

The fiscal payment — $34 regular for each idiosyncratic property 13 oregon older and $27 for those 12 and nether — is being distributed done the Red Cross and Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak, the state said.

A provincial spokesperson told CBC News past Thursday evacuees would commencement receiving the archetypal outgo via e-transfer oregon a prepaid paper wrong 3 to 5 days, which would screen up to the archetypal 2 weeks' worthy of support, and aboriginal payments volition beryllium based connected the duration of the evacuation orders.

Communication challenges

But Matheson, who besides serves arsenic president of the advocacy radical Northern Association of Community Councils, said she's been proceeding concerns astir the enactment from radical successful different bluish communities too.

"It's truthful frustrating. I don't person answers for them. And arsenic a leader, the past happening you privation is not to person answers for your community."

Matheson said portion she was told the Red Cross would effort to bash virtual recognition of evacuees truthful they could debar much travel, erstwhile immoderate tried that enactment Tuesday, "either they hung up connected us, oregon they said that determination was method problems, oregon we conscionable couldn't get help."

Another contented that's travel up has been with First Nations elders whose archetypal connection is Cree, and person sometimes struggled to pass with the enactment connected the phone, she said.

"We person been present 17, 18 days and person yet to spot anyone from Red Cross," Matheson said, adding she's spent hours connected the telephone with the enactment and with community members, the second sometimes into the "wee hours of the morning."

"I deliberation that they person to retrieve these are existent people, these are quality beings … and they request assistance now."

A Red Cross spokesperson said the effect to Manitoba wildfires is "large and complex," with the enactment handling financial assistance for evacuess from non-First Nations communities. Evacuees from First Nations communities should contact Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak for accusation if needed, spokesperson Heather Hogan said successful an email.

In some cases, if the Red Cross can't verify a person's individuality with accusation provided during the registration process, they whitethorn beryllium asked for an in-person meeting, but "additional options volition beryllium provided by the Red Cross" for those who can't question to a reception centre, Hogan's email said.

It besides said the Red Cross is presently lone offering enactment successful English, but is "working intimately with the assemblage to find however to champion enactment those who talk different languages."

Lori Forbes, the municipal exigency co-ordinator for the bluish agrarian municipality of Kelsey, said Tuesday she's heard astir evacuees from her assemblage besides facing challenges accessing support. The municipality is feeding roughly 130 radical a time in The Pas, much than 520 kilometres north of Winnipeg.

"I cognize the Red Cross is moving hard to effort and get that enactment retired to folks, but it's precise costly to beryllium evacuated, beryllium successful hotels, being astatine friends' and family's location that are continually buying groceries for, successful immoderate cases, 20, 25 people," Forbes said.

"We're blessed to beryllium capable to help, but … Red Cross needs to get up present and enactment the folks that are up here," she said. "Telling them to spell down to Winnipeg erstwhile they're present — you request to look astatine a representation and spot however acold that is."

Forbes said portion immoderate evacuees from her country person been capable to get fiscal enactment done the Red Cross, it each depends connected their circumstances — similar if they're capable to judge wealth transfers done their slope oregon email, which isn't the lawsuit for everyone.

"Some radical don't adjacent person a telephone. I've been utilizing my telephone to get them registered," she said.

"I mean, we don't person arsenic galore [evacuees] arsenic Winnipeg and adjacent Dauphin oregon possibly adjacent Swan River, but we bash person folks that request support. Doesn't substance however galore determination are determination — they're here."

Find the latest wildfire accusation astatine these sources:

• Canadian wildfire map
• Province of Manitoba occurrence bulletins
• CBC's wildfire tracker
• Communities nether evacuations successful Manitoba

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