'Millions of flies': Food spoiling in Manitoba First Nation communities evacuated because of wildfires
First Nation communities evacuated due to wildfires in Manitoba will be coming home to a big mess of spoiled food after power was lost in many areas.
Ainsley Semple is one of the many people displaced from several First Nation communities. A resident of Berens River First Nation, Semple has been living in a Comfort Inn in Winnipeg for more than a week now.
"I was really rattled. Like, I came out last week Wednesday. I was supposed to get evacuated with everyone Monday/Tuesday, but my spouse is [initial attack crew] and works with the fires and I wanted to stay behind as long as I could," said Semple.
Semple said power was lost in the community the night before she left.
"We headed to the city, and I heard there were people going around the reserve emptying out freezers. So I had to phone the forestry, and they got the keys from (my husband) from the fire, they sent a chopper to get the keys, and a family member went to my house and emptied the fridge and the freezers."
When Semple's aunt and another community member went to empty her freezers, they found a large mess of spoiled food and bugs.
"They said when they entered the house, there were millions of flies and blood on the floor," Semple said. "They had to throw away one of my freezers that couldn't be saved."
Semple's aunt and the community member stayed all day to clean the house. Even after their hard work, Semple's floor is stained for good.
"I still want to go home. My home is my home," said Semple.
According to Semple, power has been restored to Berens River First Nation, but she has no idea when she'll be allowed back with several fires still raging near the community.
"I'm just scared for my reserve," she said. "The fire is crawling towards my reserve."
CTV News reached out to Manitoba Hydro on the holiday weekend for more information on the outages. This story will be updated when they respond.
-With files from CTV’s Danton Unger.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Trudeau promises $1B in loans for child-care providers to expand care centres
The federal government is launching a new loan program to help child-care providers in Canada expand their spaces, and will be extending further student loan forgiveness and training options for early childhood educators, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday.
Spring allergy season has begun. Where is it worse in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
N.B. man wins $64 million from Lotto 6/49
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
'Nonsense:' Doug Ford slams lawsuits filed by Ontario school boards against social media platforms
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
King Charles calls for acts of friendship in first public remarks since Kate's cancer diagnosis
King Charles III gave public remarks for Maundy Thursday, addressing the importance of acts of friendship, following his and Catherine, Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnoses.