Churchill’s only waste-storage facility burns to the ground
Churchill’s only waste-storage facility is a total loss after a fire burned it to the ground last week.
Churchill Mayor Michael Spence said the fire broke out last Thursday night at the town’s L5 waste transfer station.
“The roof structure was compromised and at that point, the firefighters had to move into a containment situation. Luckily nobody was injured,” Spence told CTV News Winnipeg by phone.
The building that was originally built in the late 1940s as a military facility was used to store garbage during the winter months while the ground was too frozen to bury it. It was also home to the town’s recycling program.
Spence said the culprit of the fire was likely combustion. The building is a total loss, and was insured, he said.
The facility that once stored Churchill's waste during the winter months is shown in a 2017 photo. (Town of Churchill)
Manitoba’s Environment and Climate Change Minister Tracy Schmidt said members of her team are on the ground in Churchill to offer support.
“We're still working on exactly what those short-term and long-term solutions are going to be but again, we're here to collaborate with them and find the best way forward,” she said.
The mayor said the most pressing issue now is finding a place to store waste. The town’s remote location and its wildlife present challenges. Keeping the waste above ground, for instance, could attract polar bears.
“Churchill is an international destination. The environment and wildlife is pretty close to us, and so these are sensitive issues that we've got to deal with as we find a way to continue to manage our waste properly and effectively," said Spence.
In the long term, the town needs to find a new model for waste management, the mayor says. Work was already underway prior to the fire to potentially bring in a gasification or incineration model.
“We’ve been about two years into this. It takes time, and we need to fast-track this.”
The aftermath of the fire that burned Churchill's waste-storage facility to the ground is shown in an undated photo. (Town of Churchill)
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Work stoppage possible as WestJet issues lockout notice to maintenance engineers' union
A lockout notice issued by WestJet to a union representing aircraft maintenance engineers could result in a work stoppage next week.
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Bodies recovered in Mexico likely 2 Australians, 1 American who went missing: officials
Three bodies recovered in an area of Baja California are likely to be those of the two Australians and an American who went missing last weekend during a camping and surfing trip, the state prosecutor’s office said Saturday.
BREAKING London Drugs begins 'gradual reopening' on 7th day after cyberattack
Almost a week after all London Drugs stores across Western Canada abruptly closed amid a cyberattack, they began a "gradual reopening" on Saturday.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Auston Matthews skates ahead of Game 7, status unclear with season on the line
Auston Matthews was back on the ice with his teammates Saturday.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
Snakes almost on a plane: U.S. TSA discovers a bag with small snakes in passenger's pants
According to an X post by the Transportation Security Administration, officers at the Miami International Airport found the small bag of snakes hidden in a passenger's trousers on April 26 at a checkpoint.