Manitoba government announces emergency financial support for wildfire evacuees

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The Manitoba government is providing emergency financial support to residents of Cranberry Portage and surrounding communities who have been evacuated from their homes due to wildfire activity.

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“We know the impact that these wildfires have had on families in Cranberry Portage and surrounding communities,” said Premier Wab Kinew on Monday. “As people begin to return home, we you to know that your government is going to be there for you. We’re providing this financial support to help make sure families don’t have to worry about getting groceries or paying the bills at this challenging time.”

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A wildfire located 1.5 kilometres from Cranberry Portage caused the evacuation of residents from Sourdough Bay, Whitefish Lake, Twin Lakes, Bakers Narrows, Schist Lake North and Cranberry Portage.

There are currently over 800 Manitobans registered with Emergency Social Services (ESS), Kinew said. ESS provides support when evacuations extend beyond three days, including covering direct costs for accommodations, per diem assistance to offset meal and transportation costs.

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This additional supplement is a one-time assistance that is available to those under mandatory evacuation due to wildfires for seven days or more. Through this initiative, eligible adults will receive $200 and eligible children will receive $100.

The supplement will be issued in impacted communities to individuals and families who registered with an ESS reception centre and who meet the eligibility criteria. For additional program details and ESS registration information, impacted citizens can visit www.manitoba.ca/ess/index.html.

Anyone impacted by the wildfire situation in Manitoba and require further assistance are asked to dial 211 or toll-free 1-855-275-1197, or for text-based help, use the chat at https://mb.211.ca/get-help-now/.

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