Manitoba town under provincial administration was in midst of leadership turnover during wildfire evacuation

The challenges of evacuating a northwestern Manitoba community may have been made worse by upheaval in the town's leadership, with a new administrator taking over just days before the evacuation order was lifted, a political science expert says.

Leaf Rapids, which was evacuated last week as a wildfire covering more than 10,500 hectares burned nearby, has had a provincially appointed administrator since several council members resigned a few years ago.

The previous town administrator, Twyla Ludwig, issued the evacuation order a few days before her administration contract for Leaf Rapids ended.

A new administrator, from the firm Way To Go Consulting, took over on July 1.

While the leadership changeover was happening, wildfire evacuees from Leaf Rapids said there was a lack of information and support from the provincial government responsible for their community in the absence of a mayor and council.

Nearly 400 evacuees were transported out of Leaf Rapids and registered as evacuees in Thompson, about 155 kilometres to the southeast, according to the province.

The evacuees were accomodated in hotels and given cheques — with amounts varying depending on the size of the family — to cover food and necessities. 

Their week-long plus evacuation order ended on Tuesday, with residents who travelled by bus expected to return home on Wednesday. 

Looking for leaders in an emergency

Aaron Moore, a University of Winnipeg political science professor focused on municipal politics, said it's understandable some evacuees may have felt overlooked when they didn't have an elected official or on-the-ground provincial official nearby.

"In a time of emergency, you want somebody who is embedded and engaged with the community to act as the leader of that community, and without a reeve, a mayor or even a councillor stepping up, that can be a problem," he said.

"I think that is probably part of the issue here."

Ludwig wasn't present in Leaf Rapids during the evacuation.

When reached by phone, she directed CBC News to the provincial government for more information, but said she was "constantly" in contact with the town's chief administrative officer — a role separate from hers as the the provincially appointed administrator — while evaluating the need for an evacuation, along with the Manitoba Wildfire Service.

The province says that throughout the incident, the chief administrative officer for Leaf Rapids was located in the town.

The administrators hired by the province usually work remotely. Ludwig lives in southern Manitoba, as do Way To Go Consulting's Ernie Epp and Dale Lyle. 

Epp and Lyle have a combined 60 years of experience in senior management positions in municipal government, Way to Go's website says, and the firm has worked with more than 90 municipalities in various capacities since it launched in 2011.

Epp deferred media questions to the province.

Moore said a mayor and council are usually better equipped to communicate with the residents of their communities than an administrator focused on ensuring the municipality is functioning. 

"An administrator, particularly one who's just coming in, they aren't probably going to be in a strong position to actually directly reach out, engage and listen to the residents.

"And the reality is, if you're an elected official — that's a big part of your job, right?" said Moore.

"I think the sense that there's a lack of communication would definitely be exacerbated by the absence of a council."

Province says support offered

In addition to providing cheques and accommodations, a government spokesperson said a working group of representatives from Leaf Rapids, Thompson and Emergency Social Services was established to manage the evacuation. 

Provincial staff were at a reception centre to give information to evacuees and make arrangements for those on employment and income assistance to pick up payments in Thompson.

The province also used its 211 phone service as a 24/7 "point of contact" and directed people to the Town of Leaf Rapids Facebook page for regular updates.

There was also an after-hours phone line for people to connect with Emergency Social Services, which also worked with people who didn't have an ID to cash cheques.

A provincial spokesperson said the government also assisted by co-ordinating calls with stakeholders and developing a plan for residents to return home.

However, the Canadian Red Cross — the humanitarian organization that often provides shelter and accommodations after evacuations — was never contacted by the provincial government for help. 

The federal government has an agreement with the Red Cross, which is enlisted to support the evacuations of First Nations communities whenever asked.

In those situations, Jason Small, a Red Cross spokesperson, says the organization usually sets up transportation and provides three meals a day, as well as hygiene kits and gift cards to cover needed expenses.

It has vendor agreements set up with hotels, food suppliers and transportation companies so it can mobilize supports quickly, he added.

Small wouldn't say whether he thinks the Red Cross should have been called into Leaf Rapids, because it is up to the provincial government to make decisions in their jurisdiction. 

Learn lessons for next time: evacuee

Some Leaf Rapids evacuees said the provincial response left them feeling frustrated, forgotten and lacking support while out of their homes.

Some were ordered to leave their homes in an hour. Some could not cash their cheques because they left without identification, or had to deal with banks holding on to their cheques. A number of evacuees have also been without medication and their pets, and some say conditions at the hotels have been poor.

Some evacuees even created a committee to organize support for themselves and neighbours. 

Cecil Sanderson, a member of that committee, said he hopes the province learns lessons from the experience of the Leaf Rapids evacuees.

"It's just the way that they actually approached it — knock on your door and then you gotta be outta here," he said in an interview Tuesday from Thompson.

"I hope they do that differently next time and I hope they put a little bit more care into it."

Sanderson was one of the former councillors whose resignations led to Leaf Rapids being operated by an administrator. That shift was made in January 2020, after the town council could no longer reach quorum.

Sanderson said he stepped aside because he was dealing with too much fighting with administration.