Brandon hotels maxing out as evacuees near 1,000

Hotel capacity is close to maxing out in Brandon as the city deals with the influx of almost 1,000 wildfire evacuees.

Brandon Mayor Jeff Fawcett says the lack of space due to 950 to 1,000 evacuees currently in hotel rooms has created a challenge for upcoming events in the city.

“We’re a community that does large events, and our hotels are (nearly) full in a state of emergency,” Fawcett told the Sun Tuesday. “Trying to accommodate large events has been a bit of a task.”

Fawcett said Red Cross officials have been doing what they can to manage people, so events don’t need to be cancelled.

So far, no major events have been called off because of a lack of hotel rooms.

Fawcett noted hotels don’t set aside rooms for evacuees on a regular basis, which makes things hard when evacuees have nowhere else to go.

“Those places are now booked, they’re potentially double-booked,” he said. “How do we continue on with those things, or do we have to cancel stuff?

“That’s probably the biggest thing, is how do you manage?”

The evacuees in Brandon, who are from several northern communities, say they miss home.

Genevieve Mayham, 44, has spent the last six weeks cramped in a Brandon hotel room with her five kids.

Mayham, who came with her kids from Split Lake, said the first couple of weeks in the city were pretty hard on her children.

“They were very restless at first, but they have devices so that helps,” Mayham said.

She said some of her children, who are aged two to 14 years old, will often play Roblox or Minecraft, which helps them keep their mind off of being in Brandon, instead of at home.

Mayham said the other option would be to stay in a rink in another city and sleep on cots, which is definitely not a better option.

“We’re just ready to go home.”

Another evacuee from the same community said staying at a hotel for six weeks “is silly,” and knowing he won’t be able to go back soon definitely doesn’t help.

“I couldn’t imagine sleeping on a cot for a month,” said 50-year-old Fred Cook, adding that staying in a hotel still isn’t much better.

“It’s stressful for the mind,” he said. “Not being able to cook in your own kitchen.”

Cook said people in the city from Split Lake are preparing to stay for another two weeks, but that number is one that has already been pushed back multiple times.

He and Mayham said they know of evacuees in the city from multiple other communities in northern Manitoba, including Lynn Lake, Snow Lake, Cross Lake, Leaf Rapids and Mathias Colomb Cree Nation (Pukatawagan).

Marvin Colomb has been in Brandon for four days, after spending two months in Thompson. He evacuated from Marcel Colomb First Nation.

Colomb, 46, said staying in Thompson was tough.

“I had to sleep on the street for two days because they had no accommodations for us,” he told the Sun.

He said his first four days in Brandon at the Canad Inns have been great.

“It’s beautiful, it’s good. I love it there. They helped me out a lot.”

Colomb added that his time since being evacuated has been “very stressful,” and other people from his community have been taking it even harder than he has.

“Let’s say if you lost your mom and then you can’t see her anymore. That’s what it feels like when we lost our land.”

It will still be months before he can go back, he guessed. In the meantime, more support would be nice for the people who need it.

Elders and young children are in the highest need of help, especially to get around, Colomb said.

The Red Cross said it has been working around the clock to help people in need.

“This has been a very busy start to the wildfire season in Manitoba and the Canadian Red Cross has been working around the clock to provide support to people impacted by fires,” wrote spokesperson Heather Hogan.

“This is a fast-moving and evolving response, and the Red Cross is working … to provide support to people impacted.”

Other communities the Red Cross is currently helping include Garden Hill Anisininew First Nation, O-Pipon-Na-Piwin Cree Nation (South Indian Lake), Saint Theresa Point First Nation, Wasagamack First Nation and Tataskweyak Cree Nation.

» alambert@brandonsun.com