'No insurance on memories.' Wildfires devastate Manitoba vacation getaways
Manitoba says fire in Nopiming Provincial Park has claimed 20 structures.
As clouds of smoke start to lift in parts of the province, Manitobans are learning about the devastation left in the wake of the wildfires.
John Podworniak and his family lost their Beresford Lake cabin to the wildfire that's still burning in Nopiming Provincial Park. He said he saw aerial pictures of the blaze online, and had a feeling that his cabin was gone.
"I've been told there's nothing left," said Podworniak.
"We kind of expected it but it was hard … you're numb from the news."
Podworniak built the cabin himself, and shared it with a friend. He spent years enjoying the remote, lakefront property with his children and grandchildren.
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"Taking the kids up there, they're swimming in the lake. We could go fishing then they'd get on the bow of the boat, they could jump in the lake."
John Podworniak spent years enjoying his cabin at Beresford Lake with friends and family. (John Podworniak)
Podworniak said he'll miss the remoteness of the cabin, spending time with his family there, and enjoying the quiet time away from the hustle and bustle.
"We had insurance on it so we're OK that way. We don't have insurance on the memories."
Podworniak hasn't seen the cabin since the wildfire happened, and is waiting until it's safe to visit. He's considering rebuilding, but that will depend on how much damage was done to the property.
Richard Loiselle and his family lost their Beresford Lake cabin in the wildfires that tore through Nopiming Provincial Park (Richard Loiselle)
Richard Loiselle's family cabin was also destroyed by the wildfires at Beresford Lake. It was a log cabin his family had already rebuilt once, after losing a different cabin in the same spot to wildfire in 1983.
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"My dad's always said a thing can be replaced," said Loiselle.
"All of our mementos and all of the memories will stay with us. The pictures will stay because we have copies but the things, the things can be replaced."
Loiselle said he was at the cabin a couple weeks before the fire, doing some repairs, and getting ready for another season on the lake. That was the last time he saw it.
"My older brother got a call last Friday from the province saying that the fire had gone through (our) subdivision of cabins … all of the cabins in our block, they're all gone."
Loiselle isn't sure if he wants to rebuild, it will depend on how badly the area was impacted, and how much of the surrounding forest was burned down.
The Manitoba government said around 20 structures have been damaged in Nopiming Provincial Park at Beresford Lake. An additional 19 seasonal sites have burned at Black Lake, and in Nopiming.
As of Wednesday afternoon, the province said the fire in the Nopiming area was the largest currently burning in the province, at approximately 101,000 hectares. Mandatory evacuations remain in place for the park, as well as for Pointe du Bois, parts of the RM of Alexander, the Tanco Mine and the Wallace Lake Cottage Association.
Available insurance coverage for wildfires
Rob de Pruis, the national director for Consumer and Industry Relations at the Insurance Bureau of Canada, said standard home, business or secondary property insurance includes damage caused by fire, including wildfires.
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"There are dozens of providers in Manitoba offering insurance coverage for these types of events. So whether this is a rental property, a secondary residence like a cabin or cottage, there is readily available insurance coverage for fire."
De Pruis said insurance premiums can go up where there is greater risk of wildfire, but premiums can be reduced if you have sprinkler systems installed.
"In forested areas, wildfire is one of the biggest risks, so you may pay a little bit more than an area that doesn't have that same type of fire risk coverage," said de Pruis.
This article, originally published by CBC News on May 21, 2025, with files from Josh Crabb.