Winnipeg preps convention centre with cots for renewed round of wildfire evacuees

WINNIPEG — The city of Winnipeg is prepping its downtown convention centre to be used as a shelter to handle renewed demand for those fleeing wildfires.

Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew meets with staff from the Manitoba Metis Federation outside the evacuation centre at the Thompson Regional Community Centre in Thompson, Man.  during a tour of wildfires in northern Manitoba on Thursday, June 12, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Mike Deal-Pool<

WINNIPEG — The city of Winnipeg is prepping its downtown convention centre to be used as a shelter to handle renewed demand for those fleeing wildfires.

Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew posted a short video on his social media account setting up cots in the cavernous space.

More than 12,000 residents have been forced to leave their homes after earlier fires saw about 22,000 go out.

Residents in Lynn Lake and Snow Lake are out for the second time in just weeks.

Fires are also creating havoc in Saskatchewan, with smoke and reduced visibility prompting Parks Canada to issue a wildfire emergency alert for Prince Albert National Park.

About a thousand residents are out in various communities in Saskatchewan due to fires.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 14, 2025.

The Canadian Press

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