The following letter from President Gina McKay has been distributed to all Manitoba CUPE Locals.
CUPE Manitoba Wildfire Donation Appeal
With more than 17,000 Manitobans forced to evacuate their homes and communities due to unprecedented wildfires, CUPE Manitoba is appealing to CUPE Locals to contribute to the First Nations and Métis relief efforts, and the Red Cross Manitoba Wildfires Relief Fund.
CUPE Manitoba will be tracking and profiling Local donations, so please contact Executive Assistant Deanna West to log your donation with us: info@cupe.mb.ca or call 204-560-2138.
Locals are encouraged to distribute this donation appeal to CUPE members via email, on union boards in the workplace, and at meetings.
Red Cross Donations
Website: https://www.redcross.ca/how-we-help/current-emergency-responses/manitoba-wildfires-response-2025
Phone: 1-800-418-1111
Northern CUPE Members
CUPE represents over a thousand northern Manitoba workers in health care (Locals 8600, 204), municipalities (Locals 745, 228), and the greater public sector, many of whom have been forced to evacuate their homes in Flin Flon. This morning, the City of Flin Flon reported no damage to structures at this time.
“On behalf of our CUPE family, we extend our solidarity to these members, their families, and their communities. We also want to thank CUPE workers who were called into service to assist with the evacuation” said President Gina McKay.
Congregate shelters have been set up in Winnipeg, Thompson, Winkler, and Portage la Prairie, and we encourage Locals in these areas to contribute to donation drives to support northern evacuees.
CUPE Manitoba urges all members and families in Manitoba to monitor local alerts for information on wildfire evacuations and air quality. Consult manitoba511.ca for updated highway maps.
First Nations & Métis Solidarity
CUPE Manitoba strongly encourages Locals in the Winnipeg Area to contribute to donations drives for evacuees coordinated by the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs and the Southern Chiefs Organization.
This provincial emergency disproportionately impacts remote First Nations communities, including evacuees from northern First Nations including Mathias Colomb Cree Nation (Pukatawagan), Pimicikamak First Nation (Cross Lake), and Tataskwayak Cree Nation (Split Lake).
Southern Chiefs Organization Donations Appeal
(Winnipeg, Dauphin, Brandon)
Website: https://scoinc.mb.ca/donations-to-support-evacuated-relatives/
Posters: https://scoinc.mb.ca/donations-to-support-northern-relatives/
Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs Donations Appeal
(Winnipeg)
See the list of items needed urgently and more information here:
https://www.instagram.com/p/DKX-MM2PJaJ/
Donations can be dropped off at the RBC Centre – 2nd Floor, North Building
Drop-off hours are Noon to 7 PM every day.
Manitoba Métis Federation
Call for donations and volunteers: https://www.mmf.mb.ca/emergency-updates/update-one-critical-wildfire-evacuation-information-and-call-for-essential-supplies
CUPE National Support
With provincial states of emergency declared in Saskatchewan and Manitoba, and wildfires burning in Alberta, CUPE National will be contributing to relief efforts. More information will be provided on this in coming days.
On behalf of President Gina McKay, General Vice President for the Prairies, “Our hearts go out to all those impacted by these terrible fires, and we extend our deepest thanks to the workers and first responders from across the province, and to those who have joined us from across Canada, who are on the front lines fighting fires and supporting evacuees. Our solidarity and action will bring us together to support each other during these challenging times”.
In Solidarity,
Gina McKay
President, CUPE Manitoba
General Vice President – Prairies, CUPE National Executive Board