As the wildfire crisis in Manitoba continues, Portage la Prairie is stepping up in a big way. The Portage Curling Rink has become a temporary home for more than 230 evacuees from the north, with more expected to arrive in the coming days.
The province-wide state of emergency declared earlier this week has led to mass evacuations, with Premier Wab Kinew calling it “the largest evacuation Manitoba will have seen in most people’s living memory.”
Flin Flon, Pimicikamak Cree Nation, Cross Lake and Pukatawagan Cree Nation (also known as Mathias Colomb First Nation) are just some of the communities affected, with evacuees now scattered across the province in makeshift shelters, hotels and community centres.
Here in Portage, the response has been swift. The curling rink has been transformed into an evacuation centre. With the assistance of the Manitoba Emergency Measures Organization and the Canadian Red Cross, the centre is providing displaced families with beds, meals and a warm welcome. More information will be released soon from the City of Portage la Prairie and other groups involved with the relocation.
“It was utterly terrifying,” one Flin Flon evacuee shared, describing the moment the fires came dangerously close to his home city. “A lot of us were either in shock or freaking out in tears. We heard they’re bringing in some of the retired firefighters to help now.”
He was one of the lucky ones who managed to bring his therapy cat with him.
“They’ve been really understanding. There are a few people here with dogs, too, but if you didn’t have your own vehicle, you couldn’t bring them. So a lot of people had to leave their pets behind.”
For now, anyone looking to help is encouraged to contact the Canadian Red Cross directly, as donations of physical items are currently being paused.
As the community pulls together in the face of uncertainty, one thing is clear: Portage la Prairie is proving once again that when it matters most, we show up for each other.