Ontario wildfire smoke upends campers, shifts into Winnipeg

Wildfires in northwestern Ontario forced the evacuation and rerouting of wilderness trips for Camp Stephens campers.

The YMCA-YWCA of Winnipeg said Friday all campers attending the Lake of the Woods overnight camp were safe. The release did not say where they had been evacuated to.

Camp Stephens and YMCA-YWCA staff continue to monitor the fires and adjust routes as needed.

In 2024, the YMCA-YWCA of Winnipeg developed a climate plan to review all processes and procedures related to climate impact on programs. The review found climate change will continue to escalate, with less reliable seasonal patterns and increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather.

As a result, several protocols were developed, including a wildfire emergency preparedness and evaluation plan, annually updated safety plan, and weather communications plan.

“A key aspect of wilderness programs is learning to adapt to the environment. Experiences like these – including evacuations, planning new routes, recognizing risks and ensuring team safety – help equip all campers with knowledge, skills and adaptability to confidently navigate our changing climate,” the release said.

Smoke from the Ontario fires blanketed southern Manitoba Thursday night and Friday morning. While the wind pushed the smoke eastward, a meteorologist warned it could return.

“There are a ton of very large out-of-control fires in northern Saskatchewan and in Ontario… So any time the wind really shifts from those directions, we should expect that there’ll be some smoke that’ll move in,” Environment Canada meteorologist Robyn Dyck said Friday.

Wildfires in northern Manitoba and Idaho also contributed to the smoky conditions.

“These fires are not going anywhere quickly,” Dyck said.

Environment Canada issued an air quality warning for Winnipeg Friday morning as southeasterly winds brought smoke from Ontario into the region. The warning advised the smoke was expected to cause poor air quality and reduced visibility. By 8 a.m., the air quality index for Winnipeg was 10-plus, or very high risk.

The alert was no longer in effect by the afternoon, when the air quality index dropped to two, or low risk.

Dyck warned the smoke could return with any slight change of wind.

Chris Pascoe, an associate professor of physiology and pathophysiology at the University of Manitoba, said people should stay indoors when the air quality index is 10. He compared a day’s worth of exposure to wildfire smoke of such as magnitude to smoking seven to 10 cigarettes.

The Manitoba government’s fire map showed five fires burning out of control as of Friday. Three of those are near Thompson, with the biggest having consumed more than 47,000 acres.

O-Pipon-Na-Piwin Cree Nation on South Indian Lake started evacuating residents late last month owing to nearby wildfires.

At last count, 141 fires were burning across Manitoba, with 266 blazes recorded to date.

Pisew Falls Provincial Park and the Kwasitchewan Falls trail near Thompson closed July 14 due to wildfires. Backcountry travel in the area is prohibited, the province said.

nicole.buffie@freepress.mb.ca