First Nations leaders say hotels in Winnipeg and other major Manitoba cities are largely booked up as they continue to seek temporary housing for evacuees fleeing communities surrounded by wildfires.
Manitoba First Nations leaders gathered in Winnipeg on Saturday to call on the federal, provincial and Winnipeg municipal governments to direct city hotels to make space for their community members.
“Our families are displaced. Right now, we have people that are evacuating to different urban areas: Winnipeg, Brandon, Thompson. And in the city of Winnipeg right now, there are absolutely no accommodations within any of the hotels within the city,” said Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs Grand Chief Kyra Wilson during the Saturday press conference, calling for an “all hands on deck” approach to providing shelter.
I find this a little confusing - are they to “ask” the hotels to make space, or are they to “direct” them? Those are two very different things.
And if it’s the latter…is there a legal way to do so? This is an honest question, I have no idea what the answer is.
There’s no legal way to force them no, but they can offer them contracts to get them to do it they just have to pay.
I think something like that is happening - available rooms are being prioritized for evacuees with medical or accessibility needs, as the article says.
The issue with proactively evicting people is…those people have to go somewhere, too.
There are conventions going on in Winnipeg. The government could offer them another date instead and have them leave now.