Brittani Holmgren lived in her hometown all her life.
Denare Beach is where she enjoyed in the open air with friends, got her first job and founded her family – but this is also where she lost almost everything.
In June, a forest fire broke through the northeastern village of Saskachevan, located near the border of Manitoba.
The house of a 33-year-old mother, along with her workplace, burned down.
“My house and my work are gone,” Holmgren said in an interview. “Everything was burned. There were people who were digging in their homes, knew absolutely nothing.
Holmgren is among many in a cohesion village 700, lifting the parts after the fire destroyed half the community.
She and her two daughters at the age of four and seven years moved with the mother of Holmgren in the neighboring Flin Fleet, a man. Her two dogs remain in her tourist back to Denara, because pets are not suitable for staying with her mother.
“My dogs do not get along with other dogs. It was just restless, ”said Holmgren. “I am 33 years old, and I do not want to live with my mother.”
Her father’s house was also scorched, she added.
“A four -year -old child accepts this a little more complicated than my seven -year -old, but she was just so strong.”
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Denare Beach is located in the Canadian shield region, surrounded by a boreal forest and a lake, popular for fishing and boat skating. Every summer, tourists flock to the village, remaining in houses or resorts, doubleting the population.
But for those who live on the Denare beach all year round, the search for a new house was burdensome.
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Holmgren said that she saw that renting $ 1,000 per month plus utilities, which is high for the market. She paid $ 800 a month for a house with four double garage bedrooms.
“Everyone is rapidly affecting their prices,” she said.
Jennifer Heather also lost her house and business in fire. She said that her family lives in tourists, who is in a warehouse in Flin Flon, until she could restore.
Hissant said that although the inhabitants prompted the rapid cleaning of their community, some of them “raise” the rental prices or charge more for other essential items.
“When 500 people go homeless, it is not easy to find housing for everyone,” she said.
The village adviser Karen Thomson said that she knows that prices for everything are rising.
“This is regrettable,” said Thomson. “People can look at this opportunity that insurance pays for it. This is not what I agree with, but this is what is happening. ”
Meanwhile, the Saskachevan public security agency began to place temporary trailers on the beach of Denara and a nearby cruis for residents. Some were supposed to move at the beginning of this month.
The agency states that the rent begins with $ 680 per month for individual units. For several family units, this is from 1360 to $ 1700 per month.
“It is expected that temporary housing units will support the needs of displaced persons and families during recovery,” the statement said.
Holmgren said that temporary trailers do not attract her. Trailers can be divided into two separate blocks, or the family can live in the entire trailer at a higher price.
There will also be only two trailers on the beach Denara, and most of them will be located in a nearby cruis. “It's just very difficult to understand where you want to be and what you want to do, especially with such disabilities,” said Holmgren.
Thomson said that trailers in her village were rented, and she heard that the inhabitants were satisfied with them.
“We want people to be convenient,” she said.
Thomson said that the village will need financial support from the expected reduction in tax and utilities. At the end of last month, she and other advisers met with Prime Minister Scott Mo to discuss ideas, but the meeting was a surprise and left local officials to feel “poorly prepared for a significant conversation,” she said.
MO, whose government was criticized by residents for the lack of preparation for the fight against flame, did not advertise that he was heading to the community.
Almost half of the fleet of the water bomber of the province was grounded in the worst of the forest fires season, in which 10,000 people were forced to escape. The province stated that she launched the crews for Denare Beach as fast as possible.
Hysert wants answers. “I am actively working to hold them accountable for their negligence and retribution,” she said.
Thomson said that although it was a “really dark summer”, she remains optimistic.
“I believe that we are going to restore, and we will return the family,” she said. “Our firefighters worked tirelessly to restrain this fire, and it just overcame them.”
This report of the Canadian press was first published on October 5, 2025.
& Copy 2025 Canadian press
