Reception centre set up in Winnipeg for wildfire evacuees

A wildfire burns in northern Manitoba near near Flin Flon, as seen from a helicopter surveying the situation, May 14, 2024. DPI/JJF

With thousands of wildfire evacuees expected to arrive in Winnipeg, the province has opened a reception centre in the city for those who are in need of a place to stay.

Those who do not have a spot can head to the Billy Mosienko Arena at 709 Keewatin Street where provincial Emergency Social Services and the Canadian Red Cross are staffing the centre.

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All evacuees are encouraged to register online at www.redcross.ca/2025manitobawildfires or by calling 1-800-863-6582 between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m.

More than 17,000 people from communities like Flin Flon, Pimicikamak Cree Nation, Marcel Colomb First Nation, Mathias Colomb Cree Nation have been ordered to evacuate due to wildfires continuing to spread, and cutting off key access points.