Business owners stay behind to help people fleeing, fighting Manitoba wildfire
As Cranberry Portage residents fled from a raging wildfire with whatever they were able to grab, owners of a gas station in Cranberry Portage stayed behind to help the people who were trying to save the community from going up in flames.
Melissa and Blair Lundie have owned MnB’s Gas Bar for the past four years. When the order to evacuate was given, the owners made sure they kept a generator running so they could continue pumping gas.
“It was an essential need to get the gas going,” Blair said. “Otherwise it was an hour to get gas.”
Blair said their parking lot was full of people trying to escape the fire.
After things settled down, the couple, who were still at the gas station, realized those left behind fighting the fire hadn’t been fed.
“Everybody was looking pretty slow and sluggish by that time,” Melissa said. “So I started cooking because we’ve got to feed them to keep them going.”
Blair and Melissa Lundie talking about staying behind in Cranberry Portage at their gas station MnB's Gas Bar to help save the community on May 17, 2024. (CTV News Winnipeg)
“It was right up my alley. I enjoy cooking for big groups. My granny taught me well.”
Melissa has been cooking roasts, meatballs, moose soup and other meals for the firefighters, who she said have been grateful for their assistance
“They’re eating and getting out, but they’re very appreciative of the food they’re getting,” she said. “So that makes me happy.”
The couple has been getting words of encouragement from people in the community, and outside of it.
“The school in Lac du Bonnet made me a poster that said stay strong,” Blair said. “That was very sweet of them.”
With residents from the community allowed to come back Sunday, Melissa and Blair are looking forward to seeing some of their regular customers.
“We can't wait to open up the slush machine and start giving free slushes to all the kids that come back to the town,” Blair said. “That’s how excited we are.”
-With files from CTV's Daniel Halmarson.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6936072.1718986689!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
Job losses and killer robots: The 'Godfather of AI' describes plenty to fear, but there may be room for hope
University of Toronto computer scientist Geoffrey Hinton describes plenty to fear with AI, but with visions of combat drones, mass surveillance and robot overlords ahead, there may be space for hope.
'I'm sorry, I'm just frustrated': Video appears to show man spit on MP
A video circulating online appears to show MP and former cabinet minister Marco Mendicino get spat on while on his way into a government building in Ottawa.
4 people found dead in southwestern Ontario town of Harrow
Ontario Provincial Police are investigating after four people were found dead in the town of Harrow, just south of Windsor. Officers were called to a residence on County Road 13 at approximately 1:30 p.m. on Thursday.
More than 100 stolen vehicles recovered in auto theft probe involving ServiceOntario employee: Toronto police
Toronto police say they have arrested four suspects and recovered more than 100 stolen vehicles as part of a months-long auto theft probe that involved a former ServiceOntario employee.
EXCLUSIVE ‘We were in danger’: Timmins, Ont., manhunt prompts questions from cottagers near shootout
Cottagers who live near the area where murder suspect Lucas MacDonald was captured say they didn't realize how much danger they were in.
Car dealerships in Canada, U.S. disrupted by multi-day outage after cyberattacks
CDK Global, a company that provides software for thousands of auto dealers in the U.S. and Canada, was hit by back-to-back cyberattacks on Wednesday. That led to an outage that continued to impact many of their operations on Friday.
Shiny monolith removed from mountains outside Las Vegas. How it got there is still a mystery
A strange monolith found jutting out of the rocks in a remote mountain range near Las Vegas has been taken down by authorities.
It's the longest bridge ever built in Peru, and so far, it goes nowhere
It is the longest bridge ever built in Peru, a massive structure of cement and iron spanning the Nanay River as it connects to untouched areas of the Peruvian Amazon. So far, it goes nowhere.
Skin cancer signs: How can you tell if a suspicious spot is serious?
Doctors say changes in the skin are normal as you age, from spots of various colours to dark streaks in nails. But sometimes, they're not innocuous.