2021 Bloodvein River Wildfires

By: Ashleigh Hall

The Bloodvein River, one of the only Canadian Heritage Rivers designated in two provinces, flows from just west of Red Lake in Ontario to Lake Winnipeg in Manitoba. The entirety of the river is within largely undeveloped boreal forest, and it forms part of the Pimachiowin Aki UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Bloodvein River is an important cultural waterway and is the traditional territory of Bloodvein River First Nation, Little Grand Rapids First Nation, Pikangikum First Nation, and Lac Seul First Nation.
 

Being located within a vast expanse of forest, the river corridor (or portions of it) is periodically subject to naturally occurring wildland fires. This was the case in the summer of 2021, when Manitoba, Ontario and other areas of North America experienced a particularly challenging wildland fire season. Conditions leading to the extreme fire situation included very little fall and winter precipitation in 2020-21, which persisted into the spring and summer, followed by record low precipitation through July 2021. By the end of 2021, 844,184 hectares had burned in Manitoba’s Eastern Region, including 113,400 hectares directly along the Bloodvein River’s path.
 

Most significantly, the wildland fires resulted in the temporary evacuation of Bloodvein River First Nation, as well as evacuations of other Manitoba and Ontario First Nations such as Little Grand Rapids, Pauingassi, Berens River, and Pikangikum. More than 1,000 people from Pimachiowin Aki and nearby First Nations were evacuated to Winnipeg, with a few remaining behind. Two people who stayed in their communities were Pimachiowin Aki Guardians Dennis Keeper and Melba Green. Read about their experiences, and the impacts of fire on the land, here.

The lengthy wildland fire situation also impacted recreational canoeing along the Bloodvein and other rivers in the area, as Manitoba implemented backcountry travel bans and overnight backcountry camping bans in Atikaki Provincial Park for much of the summer due to the wildland fire activity. Although an essential ecological process in the boreal forest, it remains to be seen how much of an impact the fires will have on the Bloodvein canoeing experience in 2022 and future years, as the environment and aesthetics will have changed, and portages and campsites were likely also affected.

The 2021 wildland fire season was exceptional, but increased fire activity may become more common in a more variable climate change scenario. Highlighting variability, at the time of writing, Manitoba has seen near record snowfalls and a very wet and cold spring, reducing the likelihood of a busy spring fire season in 2022.