Over the last couple of weeks, wildfires have torn through communities across the Prairie provinces, triggering states of emergency, mass evacuations and unprecedented chaos as smoke and flames close in on homes, highways and cultural landmarks.
Our thoughts are with the people of Manitoba as 28 active wildfires continue to burn across the province, forcing over 17,000 people to flee their homes in what is believed to be the province’s largest evacuation since 1997. Entire communities and cities like Flin Flon, Sherridon, Cross Lake, Pimicikamak Cree Nation and Mathias Colomb Cree Nation have been uprooted, leaving community members uncertain about when they can return or what they'll return to.
Residents in neighbouring Saskatchewan are also navigating evacuation orders, devastating losses and uncertainty. The province has likewise declared its own state of emergency, with over 10,000 people forced to flee and communities like La Ronge and Weyakwin under extreme threat.
While officials in both provinces work to coordinate evacuations, secure shelter space and deploy firefighting crews, the scale of this crisis is immense and growing.
Needless to say, this is an incredibly difficult time. Families are being displaced. First Nations and rural communities are being hit hardest; Lac La Ronge Indian Band and Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation, for instance, have declared their own state of emergency, citing not only evacuation challenges but dangerously inadequate resources for response and recovery.
Amid the smoke and uncertainty, we’re seeing courage and compassion from every corner: emergency responders working tirelessly, shelters and communities opening their doors and evacuees helping one another despite their ow. losses. We stand in deep solidarity with those risking their lives to protect others, from volunteer firefighters and municipal crews to Indigenous guardians, evacuee support workers and even ordinary people demonstrating outstanding courage amid chaos.
We want to honour this strength and recognize the deeper story. These wildfires are not isolated disasters; they’re part of a pattern, one that’s growing more severe with each passing year. Manitoba has seen more than 100 fires this year, which according to officials is significantly more than the average of 77 typically recorded by this point. More and more Canadians are finding themselves on the front lines of a crisis that’s becoming all too familiar.
We know that climate change is creating the conditions that make wildfires more severe and more frequent — hotter, drier springs, unpredictable wind patterns and extended droughts. We also know that climate chance is being driven by burning fossil fuels. This means that in order to protect communities everywhere from worsening wildfire seasons, we must choose a new energy future.
In early May, Laura Cameron of Manitoba’s Climate Action Team, a member of Hubs network, joined CTV News Winnipeg to speak plainly about the link between climate change and wildfires. In the interview, she emphasized how current wildfire patterns are exactly what climate models have predicted, and how urgent action is needed to reduce emissions and invest in adaptation. More recently, in a recent op-ed published in the Winnipeg Press, she and other public health and education advocates called on the province to develop a clear, science-based plan to protect people from worsening wildfires, heat waves and other climate-related threats.
Above all else, this moment calls for hope, solidarity and clarity. The climate crisis can be faced, and overcome, together. It is not too late for bold emissions reductions that limit future warming, massive investments in resilience (including Indigenous-led fire stewardship and land management), stronger support systems for rural and remote communities on the front lines of climate impacts and transparent emergency planning that centres equity and ensures no one is left behind. We can still choose a future where communities are protected and disasters like these become far less frequent.
For now, the priority must be safety and care. If you or someone you know has been evacuated or is currently located in an affected area, here are some key resources:
- Evacuation info & updates: manitoba.ca/wildfire
- Shelters in Winnipeg: Call 211 for info
- Travel conditions: Manitoba 511
- Red Cross evacuation registration & aid: 1-888-800-6493
- Saskatchewan wildfire info line: 1-855-559-5502
To those displaced, grieving or waiting for news, know that you are not alone. We’re holding all affected communities in our hearts, and we stand with you in the days and weeks ahead.