'All of us want to go home': Leaf Rapids wildfire evacuees pull together, need help in time of crisis

Some wildfire evacuees from Leaf Rapids, Man., say they feel they've been hung out to dry without much information or support in their time of crisis. 

The town of Leaf Rapids declared a state of emergency June 26 after a wildfire more than 10,500 hectares in size was just eight kilometres east of the community.

Nearly 400 residents of Leaf Rapids were transported out and registered as evacuees in Thompson, according to the province, where they've been put up in hotels and given cheques — with amounts varying depending on the size of the family— for food and necessities. But some evacuees say they're feeling frustrated, forgotten and need more support.

"It's hectic. Very hectic," said evacuee Meagan Lepage, a mother of seven whose family is staying between two rooms at the Burntwood Hotel in Thompson. "No one was telling us anything. Nobody at all."

She said the province sent her and her husband a $1,800 cheque to buy food and other necessities — but with their children all between nine months and 10 years old, it's going fast.

"We're supposed to live off of that for a week," she said. "We can't feed nine people in a restaurant three times a day."

She said the kids have also needed new sets of clothes, since they left most of their things at home, and she's been spending a lot of money washing and drying clothes every day.

Her kids are also feeling cooped up.

"If we're at home, my kids can be out running around. I feel safe with them being outside," Lepage said. "Here they can't go anywhere without us."

While Lepage was able to cash her cheque, she said many evacuees can't because they forgot their IDs after being rushed out of their homes, or simply don't have ID, as it's not needed in their small community. 

"It's just horrible," she said. "It was so last minute."

Evacuees create committee 

The Manitoba Emergency Management Organization has been working with Leaf Rapids and Thompson to coordinate the evacuation and communicate with evacuees, according to a provincial spokesperson, and has been holding daily calls to share information. 

In addition to providing cheques and accommodations, the spokesperson added a working group of representatives from Leaf Rapids, Thompson and Emergency Social Services was created to manage the evacuation. Provincial staff are at a reception centre to give information to evacuees and arrangements were made for those on EIA to pick up payments in Thompson.

It also engaged 211 as a 24/7 "point of contact" for evacuees and families seeking information and direct people to the Town of Leaf Rapids Facebook page for updates.

An after-hours phone line was established for people to connect with Emergency Social Services, which the province says is working with people who don't have ID to cash cheques.

But Hilda Anderson-Pyrz, whose family fled the community, says the support is not adequate.

"It's causing a lot of fear, anxiety, stress," she said. "I can't begin to imagine, you know, the stress that they're going through with no one really communicating with them on what's going on."

Because of this, evacuees created their own committee to keep each other updated about the state of the fire, their homes — something  Anderson-Pyrz believes shouldn't have to happen. She added most evacuees are Indigenous and she believes the crisis highlights how Northerners are often ignored. 

"People who are in crisis should not, you know, be forced to coordinate the situation," she said. "It's really shameful to witness this."

The committee meets every second day at the hotel and shares information among people from Leaf Rapids about the fire and their concerns arising from being away from home.

She said the province should coordinate an adequate food supply throughout the day, especially for elders, people with diabetes and kids, and have professionals available to address any medical, emotional or cultural supports the community might be need.

WATCH | Wildfire pushes toward Leaf Rapids:

Wildfire pushes toward Leaf Rapids

1 year ago

Duration 2:10

The fire is about eight kilometres northeast of Leaf Rapids. A mandatory evacuation order went out Monday night, forcing the town's residents to head to Thompson, a little over 150 kilometres to the southeast.

She has been collecting donations for the evacuees herself, and believes the province should call in the Canadian Red Cross.

"It's morally wrong. It's ethically wrong. And the province of Manitoba should be ashamed of themselves," she said. "This is a crisis situation. It's a dire situation."

Ed Charrier, who used to be mayor of Leaf Rapids, said he feels the province has left them to fend for themselves. The 64-year-old evacuee is grateful to community members who formed the committee and for the dinners each night, which are provided by Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak.

He said he would have stayed behind in Leaf Rapids if he could, but had to come in to Thompson for medical reasons. He was able to cash his cheque but getting around for provisions has proven difficult in a wheelchair. 

"They've just totally abandoned us. The only way this is working is that the whole town has pulled together and made it happen," he added. 

Leaf Rapids is currently without a mayor and is being run by a provincial administrator — an arrangement that Charrier and other evacuees have found frustrating. A new mayor could be elected in the town's fall election.

Fire not grown in size: province

The fire is still eight kilometres away from Leaf Rapids, the province said Friday. It hasn't grown in size, but it is unclear when residents can return.

Jessica Didychuk, who's staying in the Burntwood Hotel with her common-law partner and two young children, hopes that day comes soon.

"We're all on edge about our own homes, what's happening in our community. It's very unsettling," she said.

Didychuk has lived in Leaf Rapids for most of her life. While it's nice to see her community coming together, she said they all just want to go home.

"It's not fun knowing that you have to worry about your house and your community that you grew up with," she said.

"We hope this nightmare is over soon."