Growing Nopiming Park after the fire
Overview
In 2025, unprecedented early May wildfires demonstrated that Manitoba is not prepared for the fire threat that is brought on by climate change. Nopiming Provincial Park suffered extensive damage, but the need to recover nature — which parks are designated to protect — has been all but ignored.
The report examines the forests that burnt and the myths that we are clinging to in mismanaging forests in the province. It discusses the lack of care for nature in general and boreal caribou in particular, a protected species under the federal Species At Risk Act. It looks at the public firefighting resources required to preserve private industrial operations like mines as well as private cottage developments.
The actions undertaken in Jasper National Park in response to the 2024 wildfires are highlighted as an example of how we can care for parks.
The key recommendation is that unless we eliminate the burning of fossil fuels, we will lose the outdoor activities in nature that are a way of life in Manitoba.
Further recommendations in the report include:
- limit disturbances from mineral exploration
- eliminate disruptive military training exercises in the park
- decolonize the park by bringing Indigenous communities into decision-making on their traditional territories, as an effort towards education and reconciliation
- prioritize people-powered opportunities in nature, and engage volunteer organizations and First Nations in growing destinations
- establish a robust FireSmart program in forest areas and in provincial park cottage areas
The Manitoba wildfires in 2025 were devastating, tragic and costly. As a province, we have to learn lessons from the summer 2025 burn, to safeguard society and nature for tomorrow. Provincial parks are a place where we protect our future.
“…the purposes of a provincial park system include the following:
(a) to conserve ecosystems and maintain biodiversity;
(b) to preserve unique and representative natural, cultural and heritage resources;
(c) to provide outdoor recreational and educational opportunities and experiences in a natural setting.”
— The Provincial Parks Act, Manitoba, 1993