'We take care of each other': Pimicikamak residents pitch in as road opens for wildfire evacuees

Arturo Chang · CBC News

· Posted: May 31, 2025 7:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 14 minutes ago

The intersection of Highway 6 and PR 373 is astir a six-hour thrust from Winnipeg, connected a conception of the large roadworthy that runs parallel to the Hudson Bay Railway successful Manitoba's north.

A motion advising travellers the provincial roadworthy was closed could beryllium seen on 1 broadside of the obstruction tracks crossing it Friday afternoon. On the other, a achromatic pickup motortruck greeted vehicles with its ain sign: "Food and h2o for evacuees."

"The roadworthy is unfastened and we figured the radical would beryllium hungry, stressed out," said Darryl McIvor. He and his household were handing retired sandwiches and chips to radical coming retired of Pimicikamak Cree Nation, besides known arsenic Cross Lake.

"It's our radical and we person to look aft each other."

Around 1,000 Pimicikamak residents were inactive successful the bluish Manitoba First Nation arsenic of Friday morning, 3 days aft the community was ordered to evacuate due to the fact that of a adjacent wildfire.

PR 373 — the lone roadworthy connecting Pimicikamak and adjacent Norway House to the remainder of Manitoba — was temporarily opened to drivers exiting those communities aboriginal that day.

Brenda Monias was connected her mode from Pimicikamak to Thompson, wherever her girl lives.

The thrust "was smoky," Monias said. "There's inactive immoderate blistery spots. Still a spot of occurrence present and determination connected the broadside of the road."

The blaze adjacent Pimicikamak was astir 3,290 hectares and retired of power arsenic of the province's latest occurrence bulletin Friday afternoon.

More than 6,000 residents were told to caput to Norway House adjacent though that community was lone expecting 1,000 evacuees

'Very chaotic'

Pimicikamak Chief David Monias told CBC News Friday day 3,332 radical had been waiting successful Norway House to beryllium flown retired that morning.

"We had astir 11 to 12 Hercules [flights] that were picking up the people," Monias said, though helium added helium was inactive waiting for accusation from the Canadian Forces arsenic to however galore residents had been flown out.

"We person a co-ordinator determination and she doesn't adjacent person clip to speech to america due to the fact that it's precise chaotic, due to the fact that they're trying to get everybody out."

Monias had told CBC that morning residents decided to instrumentality to the assemblage successful spite of the evacuation bid retired of frustration, amid agelong waits for ferries and unavailable airlifts.

PR 373 was unfastened to evacuees until 8 p.m. Those leaving from Norway House had to beryllium crossed the ferry that crosses the Nelson River astatine the community's entranceway by work cutoff astatine 7 p.m.

Thelma Muskego was astatine the junction with Highway 6 to prime up her son, who was coming down the road from Norway House with Muskego's brother.

She said she'd been stranded successful Thompson since Sunday, aft Pimicikamak began moving aged and different susceptible residents retired of the assemblage due to the fact that of the dense smoke.

"My lad didn't privation to leave … due to the fact that we had different occurrence 2 years agone and he's benignant of similar traumatized and frightened to spell done that again, to thrust through," she said. "We had to guarantee him that was OK."

Hanson Richard was heading for Winnipeg.

"That's the acquisition from our incidental team," helium said. "Thompson is full. There's evacuations each over, right? Lynn Lake. Now I hear Split Lake."

'One mode in, 1 mode out'

Premier Wab Kinew said successful a quality league Friday the authorities expected to scope astir 17,000 wildfire evacuees successful full aboriginal that day.

"I'm conscionable gladsome that everybody is doing a large occupation for us," Richard said. "Our incidental squad backmost home. Firefighters,  of course, doing an awesome occupation … and a peculiar shout-out to Norway House."

Richard said erstwhile thing similar the wildfire happens, they're each "one large family."

"We instrumentality attraction of each other," helium said. "We lone person 1 road to share. Only 1 mode in, 1 mode out."

Darryl McIvor said helium figured he'd travel to the junction to spot people, including family, arsenic they travelled by portion besides helping out.

McIvor said helium whitethorn beryllium backmost retired determination different clip to lend different evacuees a manus — adjacent aft they're fixed the go-ahead to instrumentality home.

"It'll beryllium a alleviation to travel backmost but, you know, radical inactive get stressed retired erstwhile they permission home," helium said.

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