Latest news with #McDougall
Winnipeg Free Press
a day ago
- Health
- Winnipeg Free Press
Clinic helping wildfire evacuees with addiction issues
An urban First Nations health clinic has ramped up its addictions and wraparound support services for northern Manitoba wildfire evacuees struggling with substance use while staying in Winnipeg. 'There's been a lot of issues with it … we put in a hybrid addictions-treatment program in Winnipeg here that I think would be an excellent resource for evacuees,' Alex McDougall, the interim grand chief of Anisininew Okimawin, said. The Anishininew Minoyawigumik Health and Healing Centre at 1880 Ellice Ave. opened in 2021 to provide health-care for members of the four Island Lake communities of Garden Hill, Red Sucker Lake, St. Theresa Point and Wasagamack. KATLYN STREILEIN / FREE PRESS FILES A rapid access to addictions medicine clinic opened at the Anishininew Minoyawigumik Health and Healing Centre in April. Anisininew Okimawin opened a rapid access to addictions medicine clinic this April and began offering addictions counselling at the health centre to get ahead of an expected busy wildfire season. 'It's something we see and experience every summer during evacuations, and we're only now trying to provide some services so that we can mitigate any serious incidents and be able to provide some services and continuity of services for members even after returning home,' McDougall said. Garden Hill is under a full wildfire evacuation, while St. Theresa Point and Wasagamack are under partial evacuations. A massive wildfire moved within a kilometre of Wasagamack in 2017, forcing Island Lakes residents to evacuate to Winnipeg. McDougall said city drug dealers targeted evacuees, and some residents went home with addictions. Last week, Winnipeg police charged two men who allegedly sold cocaine outside hotels where wildfire evacuees are staying, highlighting concerns displaced Manitobans could be exploited or targeted. 'It's always in the back of our minds, when we have to evacuate, that there are predators in these large urban centres that are targeting our people,' McDougall said. There were about 1,200 evacuees staying in congregate shelters as of Thursday morning, a provincial spokesperson said. Staff members at the clinic are visiting evacuation centres in Winnipeg to promote their services to community members and volunteers working at the hubs. McDougall said it's working, and people are going to the clinic to receive supports. Christine Stevens, assistant deputy minister of the Manitoba Emergency Management Organization, said the justice department is providing wraparound support services in congregate shelters. Social services and mental health supports are available day and night, Stevens said at a news conference Thursday. Wednesdays Columnist Jen Zoratti looks at what's next in arts, life and pop culture. 'Everyone has got to be safe, you know, when they're staying there,' she said. Stevens said the EMO receives daily reports on what is happening within shelters, but wouldn't say whether the reports include substance use. 'We have good situational awareness of what's happening,' she said. Nearly 13,000 residents are currently evacuated from wildfire-threatened communities. They are staying with friends and families, at hotels, and at evacuation centres. Nicole BuffieMultimedia producer Nicole Buffie is a multimedia producer who reports for the Free Press city desk. Born and bred in Winnipeg, Nicole graduated from Red River College's Creative Communications program in 2020 and worked as a reporter throughout Manitoba before joining the Free Press newsroom in 2023. Read more about Nicole. Every piece of reporting Nicole produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Winnipeg Free Press
4 days ago
- Climate
- Winnipeg Free Press
Firefighters in Garden Hill protect lumberyard from flames
A wildfire threatens to burn construction material on the Garden Hill First Nation that is needed to build homes in the surrounding region in northeastern Manitoba. Alex McDougall, interim grand chief of Anisininew Okimawin, which represents four Island Lake First Nations, estimates there's a shortage of 400 homes. If the fire consumes the material, it could take years to re-build inventory, partly due to the remoteness of the area that requires supplies be trucked in on winter roads. Alex McDougall photo Heavy smoke is seen in Garden Hill First Nation on Saturday. The blaze that threatens the community has burned 2,865 hectares thus far. 'If the materials do go up, that means that they'll probably have to go through the process of filing a claim for the material, trying to get that resupplied, and again, falling behind trying to respond to the chronic backlog of housing that our communities experience,' McDougall said Tuesday. The blaze that threatens Garden Hill, which has burned 2,865 hectares thus far, started on the south side of the community, where the bulk lumberyard is located. Fire crews are stationed at the yard day and night and have installed sprinklers to protect the supplies. 'It would be a devastating loss to the community if that material was to burn,' McDougall said. 'All too often as a very quick fix within our northern communities, what we see is portable homes and mobile homes being brought in, which aren't suitable to the environment and don't last long.' The chief said no homes or material had been lost as of Tuesday. About 90 per cent of Garden Hill residents had been evacuated as of Tuesday, but about 1,000 priority residents in St. Theresa Point and Wasagamack need to be evacuated. McDougall was told late Monday that Stevenson Island, another community in the region, may also have to evacuate. The only airstrip that's big enough to accommodate the Hercules aircraft, which the military is using to evacuate the area, is on Stevenson Island, which has 400 residents. On Tuesday, the Manitoba Wildfire Service said 122 wildfires were burning. This season, there have been 305 wildfires to date, well above the average of 221 fires for this date. In total, 12,000 Manitoba residents remained evacuated from eight communities. More than 6,000 were being housed in more than 2,100 Manitoba hotel rooms, while about 1,300 were staying in Ontario hotel rooms. The province has room for more than 7,000 evacuees at shelters, Christine Stevens, assistant deputy minister of the Manitoba Emergency Management Organization, said Monday. The northern city of Thompson continues to be under an evacuation notice owing to a nearby fire which has burned 163,000 hectares. Thompson Mayor Colleen Smook said in a daily radio update that firefighters continue to remove vegetation to reduce the fire risk in and around the city of 13,000 people. Twenty firefighters from Mexico are helping to prevent the spread of the fire toward Thompson, Smook said. Wednesdays A weekly dispatch from the head of the Free Press newsroom. Thompson residents were asked to fill out pre-evacuation forms. The city has said an evacuation would be called if the nearby fire cuts off Highway 6, the vital link to the south. The province remains at a moderate to high fire danger level, the bulletin said. Much of Central Canada and Manitoba were placed under special air quality statements or warnings early Monday morning amid smoke from wildfires. Environment Canada advised residents to limit time outdoors and watch for smoke exposure symptoms. Nicole BuffieMultimedia producer Nicole Buffie is a multimedia producer who reports for the Free Press city desk. Born and bred in Winnipeg, Nicole graduated from Red River College's Creative Communications program in 2020 and worked as a reporter throughout Manitoba before joining the Free Press newsroom in 2023. Read more about Nicole. Every piece of reporting Nicole produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Winnipeg Free Press
13-07-2025
- Climate
- Winnipeg Free Press
‘Completely surrounded': Garden Hill residents evacuate, some stay behind to guard winter road supplies
Hemmed in by fire and smoke, evacuation airlifts continued Saturday in Garden Hill Anisininew Nation, as communities around Manitoba remained on high alert during the province's worst wildfire season on record in 30 years. As of early Saturday afternoon, 1,750 of Garden Hill's roughly 4,000 on-reserve members had been evacuated, said Alex McDougall, interim Grand Chief of Anisininew Okimawin, which represents four Island Lake First Nations. The target was to have an additional 1,000 residents evacuated by end of day. Except for an increasingly brief winter road season, Garden Hill is accessible only by air, and the evacuation airlifts — with support from the Canadian Armed Forces — are taking place amid a provincewide state of emergency declared earlier this week. Alex McDougall photo Heavy smoke is seen in Garden Hill First Nation on Saturday, with the community road on the far right in photo supplied by Alex McDougall, Interim Grand Chief of Anisininew Okimawin. Speaking by phone from Wasagamack First Nation, just before crossing Island Lake to Garden Hill, McDougall said the fire started in the community's south end, but has since 'completely surrounded' it. 'Our winter road supplies are on the north side of the road, so there are actually men watching the winter road supplies that came in so they don't go up in smoke,' McDougall said, adding that while water bombers were deployed to Garden Hill Friday, they were forced to turn back because of poor visibility. A helicopter with buckets is also being used to slow down the fire, he said. Like Garden Hill, nearby St. Theresa Point First Nation has also declared a state of emergency due to a separate fire on the south side of the lake, McDougall noted. He expects St. Theresa Point will be preparing their priority evacuation list and getting those residents out — given not just the fire, but the heavy smoke that is affecting the entire Island Lakes region. The grand chief commended the federal and provincial governments for their quick action in Garden Hill, noting that Premier Wab Kinew and Ian Bushie, the provincial minister of municipal and northern relations, as well as Churchill—Keewatinook Aski MP Rebecca Chartrand have all been in touch. During a video call Thursday, Chartrand received an up close view of the Garden Hill evacuation. The call was not technically about the wildfires, but rather, the recently passed federal legislation known as Bill C-5, which will allow the fast-tracking of major infrastructure projects — which some Indigenous leaders worry will come at the expense of environmental protections and Indigenous rights. With his phone camera, McDougall showed Chartrand Garden Hill's terminal, which he said was 'just packed — children and elders on the floor and not enough seating — and the line extending out to the building with Hercules on the tarmac and other small aircraft.' 'I think it was fitting for the federal government to see that because they were talking about C-5,' he said. 'We have been telling governments — science has been telling governments — that climate change is affecting the communities here up North, not just through wildfires, but the winter road season that's getting shorter.' On Saturday, a provincial spokesperson said the expansion of congregate shelters continues to match the rate of airlifts out of Garden Hill, though Winnipeg's Leila Avenue shelter is nearing capacity. Alex McDougall photo Garden Hill Anisininew Nation residents are airlifted to Winnipeg on a Canadian Armed Forces Hercules transport plane Thursday night, while the evacuation of the remote, fly-in community continued. The next evacuee shelter to open will be the University of Winnipeg Health & RecPlex, while setup of the RBC Convention Centre will begin Sunday. The spokesperson said a contingent from the American Red Cross is arriving Sunday to assist with the convention centre setup. With an air quality warning in effect in Winnipeg on Saturday, the third day of the Winnipeg Folk Festival went ahead as planned, while other outdoor events, such as Rainbow Stage's matinee performance of Rock of Ages, were cancelled. Meanwhile, in a live update Saturday morning on CHTM Radio, Thompson Mayor Colleen Smook painted a tentatively positive picture of fire NO061, which is burning north of the city. She said the cloudy and smoky conditions were keeping that fire 'fairly inactive.' 'It's actually a great day for the fire season. The wind's not too high,' she said. The city issued a pre-alert notice Friday advising residents to prepare for a potential evacuation. It was prompted by a separate fire south of the city, near Cross Lake. In the broadcast, Smook emphasized an evacuation may not be necessary at all. Rather, the pre-alert was to allow residents time to start getting their things prepared, if it was needed. Smook said firefighters from Mexico, as well as an incident command team from Australia, are scheduled to arrive in Thompson early next week. She asked homeowners not to run their own sprinkler systems in order to conserve water, as well as to remove combustible materials, such as wood, from their yards and get their vehicles fully gassed up, before the need may arise. In an interview Saturday, Chartrand said Ottawa is keeping a 'close eye' on the fires and is ready to step in if the province needs additional support. The minister of northern and Arctic affairs said she was in constant communication with her federal partners, as well as local leaders — both First Nations and municipal. Looking towards the future, one where wildfire seasons are set to intensify, Chartrand said she and Eleanor Olszewski, the federal minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience, are in agreement there's a need to shift from 'crisis response to risk reduction.' Alex McDougall photo Wildfires are seen approaching Garden Hill Anisininew Nation in this aerial photo taken Thursday night. She said they are looking at a number of recommendations to improve wildfire responses, such as developing a fully funded, Indigenous-led emergency management system and the establishment of standards to ensure that the North has more resources to respond to fires, which may mean more training opportunities and emergency preparedness education, like drills. 'But yes, infrastructure is important,' she added. 'We know that we need additional access roads or routes to get people out safely. We saw this in Pukatawagan, for example. So we need to look at fire-smart infrastructure upgrades.' Chartrand also said that when it comes to Bill C-5, history has shown that Indigenous consent is crucial in order to move major infrastructure projects forward, which is a perspective she and other Indigenous ministers are emphasizing in Ottawa. Tuesdays A weekly look at politics close to home and around the world. Marsha McLeodInvestigative reporter Marsha is an investigative reporter. She joined the Free Press in 2023. Read full biography Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
New Paper
03-07-2025
- Sport
- New Paper
Eyes on Price in Malaysia
Another Australian jockey is jumping on the Kuala Lumpur cameo bandwagon - Will Price. After the success gained by Blaike McDougall at his regular hit-and-runs to the Malaysian capital, a Victorian jockeys' room-mate is following suit. And just like McDougall, Price, 25, is coming up mainly for the Buffalo Stable and champion trainer Simon Dunderdale. Licensed only for one day at the Sungai Besi meeting on July 6, the son of former leading Adelaide jockey Simon Price, a regular fixture in both Singapore and Malaysia in the 90s, takes seven rides (Races 5 to 11) on the 12-race programme, including one emergency acceptor. Besides bookending his inaugural Malaysian stint with rides for Lawson Moy (Buffalo's The Star and Thunderstorm in Races 5 and 11 respectively), Price will be aboard Dunderdale's wards for the remaining five bookings. Unless first standby starter So You Fight gets a run in Race 6, the lightweight hoop will jump aboard Lightning Gal, Hypeman, Guru Fight and Valois. A former Melbourne champion apprentice (2020-21) and winner of more than 240 races, Price fired blanks at Singapore's last two meetings. But he is this time sitting atop a clutch of top fancies, such as last-start Buffalo winners Lightning Gal, The Star, debut winners Hypeman and Valois and the fast-improving Guru Fight. Likewise, McDougall had no luck at his one-day visit for the final Singapore race meeting, but has been an instant success across the Causeway. In 42 rides, he has chalked up an impressive strike rate of nine wins. manyan@
Cision Canada
17-06-2025
- General
- Cision Canada
New stamp commemorates Métis Elder and Michif Language Keeper Sophie McDougall Français
McDougall shared knowledge of her culture and language with generations of students and community members This news release is also available to read in Michif French. PRINCE ALBERT, SK, June 17, 2025 /CNW/ - Canada Post hosted an event in Prince Albert today to celebrate an upcoming stamp commemorating Métis Elder and Michif Language Keeper, Sophie McDougall. A devoted educator and leader, McDougall (1928-2023) is remembered for sharing extensive knowledge of her culture and language with generations of students and community members over her long life. This stamp is one of three Indigenous Leaders stamps that will be issued on June 20 – the day before National Indigenous Peoples Day. The set is the fourth in Canada Post's multi-year Indigenous Leaders series. McDougall's life and legacy Born in 1928 in St. Louis, Saskatchewan, McDougall (née Margaret Sophie Boyer) was a descendant of the area's original settlers. As a Métis woman, she experienced discrimination at teachers' college but faced it with courage and determination. She spent many years as a dedicated schoolteacher. Her first teaching assignment was in 1945 in a remote area north of North Battleford – at a tiny school with no electricity. An Elder with the Prince Albert Métis Women's Association in Saskatchewan for 20 years, McDougall translated books and other materials into Michif, the traditional language of many Métis. Michif is categorized as critically endangered by UNESCO. She also worked with many organizations in Prince Albert to document and teach the regional dialect Michif French. In her late 80s she appeared in the YouTube series, Métis Women Stories and later contributed to the creation of the Learn Michif French app. In 2023, McDougall received the Order of Gabriel Dumont Gold Medal in recognition of her lifetime of service to the Métis of Canada. About the stamp The stamp features an illustration of McDougall based on a photograph provided by her family. In the background are photos of the St. Louis Parish and the original St. Louis highway and railway bridge in her hometown. The stamp is designed by Andrew Perro, with illustration by Jennifer Radia, featuring background photography courtesy of the St. Louis Historical Society, the Provincial Archives of Saskatchewan and iStock. It is printed by Lowe-Martin. The issue includes a booklet of six Permanent ™ stamps, an Official First Day Cover and a souvenir sheet. The cancellation site is St. Louis, Saskatchewan, and the cancellation mark features an illustration of an old schoolhouse bell, symbolizing the pivotal role that education played in McDougall's life. About the Indigenous Leaders stamp series The Indigenous Leaders series was launched in 2022 and highlights the contributions of Inuit, Métis and First Nations leaders who dedicated their lives to preserving their culture and improving the quality of life of Indigenous Peoples in Canada. This year, Canada Post will issue three stamps in honour of Julia Haogak Ogina, Sophie McDougall and Bruce Starlight. There are two other stamp events this month: On Friday, June 13, the stamp honouring Julia Haogak Ogina was celebrated in Ulukhaktok, Northwest Territories. On Thursday, June 19, the stamp recognizing Bruce Starlight will be celebrated in Tsúut'ínà Nation, Alberta. The new stamps and collectibles will be available at and select postal outlets across Canada starting June 20. For links to images of the stamps and other products: TM Trademark of Canada Post Corporation.
