13.9°C Vancouver

Jul 14, 2025 11:28 AM - The Canadian Press

Military says over 1,000 people flown from fire-threatened Manitoba community

Share On
military-says-over-1-000-people-flown-from-fire-threatened-manitoba-community
The military began removing people from Garden Hill First Nation on CC-130 Hercules transport airplanes on Friday, and it says that as of Sunday afternoon, over 1,550 have been flown to Winnipeg.(Photo - The Canadian Press)

The Canadian Armed Forces says it's evacuated over a thousand residents of a northern Manitoba community threatened by a wildfire, while towns and villages in the province are welcoming cooler weather they say is helping firefighters. The military began removing people from Garden Hill First Nation on CC-130 Hercules transport airplanes on Friday, and it says that as of Sunday afternoon, over 1,550 have been flown to Winnipeg.

Capt. Wyatt Shorter with Joint Operations Command says there are no more people waiting to leave Garden Hill, but a Hercules is on standby in Winnipeg in case anyone else needs a flight out. The community is about 500 kilometres north of Winnipeg and is not accessible by road.

Manitoba declared its second provincewide state of emergency of the year last week as wildfires continue to rage. Prime Minister Mark Carney says in a social media post that the federal government is working with First Nations and other orders of government to fight the fires, and stands ready to supply additional support.

``Wildfires have been worsening, especially across Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Ontario. On behalf of Canadians, my ongoing gratitude to all the first responders on the front lines of this crisis,'' Carney wrote. But communities like the City of Thompson, where residents are told to be ready to evacuate if conditions deteriorate, posted on social media on Sunday that light winds, low temperatures, rain and higher humidity are giving firefighting crews time to bolster defences.

The community's fire update on Sunday included an aerial photo of a nearby snowmobile shelter and outhouse, which the update said survived a low intensity burn that swept through the area earlier in the week.

The update said Monday's forecast was expected to be cool, and Environment Canada's forecast says to expect a temperature of 16 C. Thompson is set to welcome 20 firefighters from Mexico to help fight nearby wildfires, and the city says an incident management team from Australia is arriving on Wednesday. The Manitoba government said Friday over 12,000 people were out of their homes, and it gave notice that it intended to use Winnipeg's major convention centre to house more evacuees.

The Canadian Red Cross said in a statement Sunday that it is co-ordinating logistics for congregate shelters in Winnipeg. Canada's emergency management minister said in a statement Sunday that over the weekend she approved an additional request for federal assistance from the provincial government.

Eleanor Olszewski noted the most recent assistance would be put toward humanitarian workforce support for emergency evacuation and sheltering activities. ``I am in regular contact with my counterpart in Manitoba.Our government will act fast if more help is needed,'' Olszewski said.

Latest news

b-c-advances-new-mass-timber-demonstration-projects
BCSep 23, 2025

B.C. advances new mass-timber demonstration projects

Four new buildings in B.C. are each receiving $500,000 — totalling $2 million — to demonstrate and showcase the benefits of mass-timber construction. “Mass timber represents a transformative, locally sourced solution that’s generating significant employment opportunities, spurring cutting-edge innovation, and revitalizing rural economies across British Columbia,” said Ravi Kahlon, Minister of Jobs and Economic Growth. “Through our continued strategic investments in projects throughout the province, we’re positioning B.C. as a leader in mass-timber construction, while building the
dera-beas-chief-visits-bikram-majithia-in-nabha-jail
IndiaSep 23, 2025

Dera Beas chief visits Bikram Majithia in Nabha jail

Dera Beas chief Baba Gurinder Singh Dhillon reached Nabha jail today, where he met Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia. The Akali leader (Bikram Majithia) has been kept in judicial custody in the jail by the Punjab government in a case of exceeding income.The two held a closed-door meeting that lasted 35 minutes, jail officials said. Reports quoted a jail official who requested anonymity, “The Dera Beas chief had sought permission to meet Majithia as a family member, and it was granted strictly according to the jail manual.” Dhillon has close family ties with Majithia’s wife
search-for-missing-five-year-old-boy-in-southern-alberta-enters-third-day
AlbertaSep 23, 2025

Search for missing five-year-old boy in southern Alberta enters third day

The search for a five-year-old boy in southwestern Alberta is entering its third day. RCMP say two nights of searches have yielded no results in finding Darius Macdougall. Macdougall went missing Sunday after he didn't return from a walk with six family members to their campsite near Island Lake Campground, south of Crowsnest Pass. Mounties have said people should avoid the area and leave the search to the professionals. Darius is described as four feet tall with short brown hair, and he was last seen wearing a blue-grey hoodie and sweatpants. Police said the boy has autism, w
gary-anandsangri-announces-government-gun-buyback-program
CanadaSep 23, 2025

Gary Anandasangaree announces government gun buyback program

Canada's Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree has announced the launch of the government's gun buyback program. Anandasangaree said that starting Tuesday, the government is launching a voluntary gun buyback program with a pilot project in Nova Scotia and it will be fully implemented after the fall. The minister said that we are serious about removing assault-style weapons from our communities and they have no place in Canada. In May 2020, the Canadian government declared about 2,500 types of guns illegal as part of a strategy to combat gun violence. The Public Safety Minister said that t
frauds-frauds-and-more-frauds
BCSep 23, 2025

Nanaimo RCMP warns about frauds

Frauds are increasingly woven into the fabric of our daily lives, through emails, phone calls and social media. As technology evolves, so do the tactics of deceit and their delivery. By staying informed and skeptical, we can better protect ourselves and our communities. Nanaimo file # 2025-29161 Grandson scam Caller told police she was scammed for $1700 after being led to believe her grandson needed money to get out of jail. Caller that that in September 2025, she received a phone call from a private number who said they were the RCMP and that her grandson had been arrested after being inv

Related News