It’s been more than a week since the the first people forced from their homes in Manitoba’s Island Lake area arrived in Brandon. Some are still feeling lost, while others are starting to settle in their temporary homes.
The Brandon Friendship Centre, abuzz with smiles and laughter on Wednesday, tried to give people a taste of home as it hosted the first of two lunches for evacuees.
Along with bannock and homemade soup, about a dozen tables were set up with clothing and toy donations. Baking, fruit and breads were also given to people to take back to their temporary homes as they left.
“It’s been emotional,” said Susan Fiddler, who arrived with three of her kids from Wasagamack First Nation. The entire community, 470 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg, was evacuated more than a week ago due to a nearby wildfire.
In total, around 4,200 people were forced from their homes in the Wasagamack, St. Theresa Point and Garden Hill First Nations and taken to Brandon and Winnipeg.
Deborah McDougall and her family have had a hard time adjusting to life in Brandon. There isn’t a lot for her kids to do and they don’t have a way of getting around. (Riley Laychuk/CBC)
Fiddler’s oldest son is in Winnipeg and she hopes the Red Cross can bring him to Brandon soon.
Despite the uncertainty, she’s trying to remain positive.
“I’m just waiting. My kids have a place to stay, they have food,” she said while sorting through a pile of clothes. “I try not to complain so much.”
Still, seeing false rumours on Facebook that evacuation orders may be lifted soon has been frustrating, she said.
Family moved to Brandon
At another table nearby, Mary Jane Knott from St. Theresa Point sorted through clothes for her two kids. Knott and her family spent a night at the convention centre in Winnipeg before being moved to Brandon.
A man is handed a bunch of bananas at the Brandon Friendship Centre on Wednesday. (Riley Laychuk/CBC )
“It was horrible,” she said of her night at the convention centre, adding that she’s grateful to now have comfortable beds for her and her family. “Someone kept pulling the fire alarm.”
Knott said while the Red Cross has been providing enough food and some items like soap and toothpaste, she’s still had to spend some of her own money on supplies and clothing for her family. She said she knows of other families who are having a harder time getting by.
Adjustment has been stressful, evacuee says
Another evacuee, Deborah McDougall, said her family of seven has had difficulty adjusting to the city.
“It’s really stressful,” she said, adding that her kids have been staying in their west Brandon hotel room. “They have no place to play,” and it’s difficult for evacuees to get around the city, she said.
On Wednesday, her kids spent some time playing outside the Friendship Centre after eating lunch.
Kids look through donated books on Wednesday at the Brandon Friendship Centre. (Riley Laychuk/CBC)
“It was good,” she said of the lunch. “Tastes just like what we cook up there [at home].”
Friendship Centre overwhelmed
Jason Gobeil, a board member with the Brandon Friendship Centre, said the centre’s staff felt that they needed to do something for their new neighbours from the north.
“If there’s one thing we can share, we can share our humbleness together,” he said.
Gobeil said the centre has been overwhelmed with the donations brought in by the community. He said volunteers arrived early on Wednesday to begin cooking the meal and preparing the hall.
“People are missing home,” he said after talking with evacuees. “It’s just nice to see that as unfortunate as things have been, that we’re still seeing some smiles.”
Meanwhile, Fiddler said she’d rather think of what she does have than what she left behind.
“We should all look to the bright side,” she said. “Our children are safe, our families are together.”
The Friendship Centre is hosting another lunch for evacuees on Friday.