Evacuation order issued, closures expanded in Whiteshell Provincial Park
The province is advising of a mandatory evacuation order and expanding closures in the northern area of Whiteshell Provincial Park, taking effect Tuesday
Affected areas for the evacuation order and expanded closures run from the park's west entrance at the north end, eastward along Provincial Road (PR) 307 to where the road meets PR 309, the province said in a release issued late Sunday night.
Sylvia Lake, Eleanor Lake, Otter Falls, Barrier Bay and Nutimik Lake are all affected by the expanded closure, which includes the existing Betula Lake closure area announced on Friday.
"Rising water levels and rapidly evolving conditions are posing a significant risk to public safety. People are strongly urged to not enter the area or return to their properties, and for those already there, plan to leave at the earliest opportunity," reads the release.
North Whiteshell Park evacuation order
Both the evacuation order and expanded closure apply to all cottages, commercial areas, campgrounds, recreational areas, trails and beaches.
Timelines have been provided for the evacuation order and expanded closure and are as follows:
- Tuesday, May 24, at 12p.m. - Manitoba Parks will finish preparatory activities (e.g. sand bagging operations) at Otter Falls
- Tuesday, May 24, at 5p.m. - the expanded closure area will be implemented and all residents and park users will need to evacuate by this time.
All backcountry campsites in Whiteshell Provincial Park will also be closed immediately by the province.
AREA RESIDENTS DEALING WITH FLOODING
Heather Howie, who lives in the Otter Falls area, said she’s been sandbagging for more than a week now.
“The water has been rising for a week and a half. So we put up our first dike on Saturday [May 14] in our yard and the storm blew it out on Wednesday night,” she said in an interview on Monday, May 23, noting she ended up with trees and docks on her property.
She said if she has to evacuate she will likely go to a hotel in the area.
Howie added she thinks there needs to be effective communication from the province when it comes to the flood response.
“I’m pretty frustrated…they need to put people to work to help people out here,” she said.
Howie said she thinks the army needs to come help respond to the situation.
“The army is needed up here. It would be so fast if we had extra resources up here,” she said.
- With files from CTV’s Danny Halmarson and Kayla Rosen.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs to start for Canucks in Game 1 vs. Oilers
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs will start in net for the Canucks as Vancouver kicks off a second-round series against the Edmonton Oilers Wednesday night.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.