A joint statement from Shared Health and the Northern Health Region

Wednesday night and into Thursday, during the ongoing wildfire emergencies, all patients and care home residents in Flin Flon were safely evacuated to other facilities across the province where their ongoing care needs continue to be met.

This was a tremendous undertaking that was completed safely and as efficiently as possible, and according to established emergency management protocols. It was a successful endeavor thanks to a coordinated province-wide effort involving many people and organizations, including staff and leadership from the Shared Health, Northern Health Region and all Regional Health Authorities, the Manitoba Government, partners in Saskatchewan, as well as the receiving communities who stepped up without hesitation to provide care and comfort to patients, residents and their families.

The crisis also required the evacuation and closure of the community of Lynn Lake, further underscoring the scale and urgency of the situation. Management from across all sectors and regions began planning and resource allocation, ensuring each and every patient and care home resident had what they needed for a safe evacuation, their care needs were met upon arrival to their destination, also ensuring ongoing communication occurred with loved ones.

Frontline staff, including nursing, healthcare aides, allied health, ERS, physicians, mental health clinicians and facility support staff all participated in the evacuation, ensuring our patients and care home resident’s needs were met, and their mental health and wellbeing supported.

Shared Health’s paramedics, emergency response and patient flow teams provided safe transportation, and took on an incredible amount of planning that was required for a transfer operation of this magnitude. WRHA, Prairie Mountain Health, Southern Health-Sante Sud and Interlake Eastern RHA staff and leaders were prepared and ready at airports in Brandon and Winnipeg to greet patients and residents and facilitated transport to their temporary accommodations in acute and long term care facilities. Various other agencies including Winnipeg and Brandon Fire Paramedic Services all provided support and transportation in the southern communities.

The evacuation in the North was the biggest the province has seen, and is a true testament to the remarkable abilities and dedication of staff and teams across the province, when their help was needed more than ever. We can never thank you all enough. So, we thank you again.

As of the morning of May 29, 2025, all patients and residents from Flin Flon General Hospital, Flin Flon Personal Care Home and Northern Lights Manor have been safely evacuated from the city. The patients and residents have arrived, or will soon be arriving at facilities that can meet their ongoing needs.

We are grateful for our staff, partners, and the receiving communities who have stepped up without hesitation to provide care and comfort to patients and their families. Thank you to our emergency response services and patient flow teams, and all helping hands, for your courage, dedication, and tireless work in protecting our communities during the ongoing wildfire emergencies.

Update March 28, 2025

At this time the Northern Health Region (NHR) is closely monitoring the current wildfire situation in the Flin Flon area. Steps are being taken to ensure patient safety both locally and across the region. The City of Flin Flon has issued a pre-evacuation alert, and while no evacuation order has been given at this time, the NHR is acting out of an abundance of caution.

To prioritize the safety and continued care of our patients, Northern Health Region has made the decision to proactively relocate higher acuity patients out of the community of Flin Flon.

Current programs and services offered by the Northern Health Region in Flin Flon facilities will continue to be normal operations at this time.

We will keep you informed about your loved one’s location and care throughout this process.

We thank you for your patience and understanding during this challenging time. Please know that every possible measure is being taken to ensure the safety, comfort, and well-being of the Northern Health Region’s patients and clients.

The Sherridon Health Centre will be temporarily closed effective May 27, 2025 at 12:00 p.m.

This is the result of wildfire activity near the community. The community is under a mandatory evacuation order.

Impact: No services will be provided during this temporary closure.

Patient Care Areas:

• For emergency services, please call 9-1-1. If you cannot connect with 9-1-1, please physically present at the nearest emergency centre.
• For general health concerns, please present at your nearest facility for all health-related assistance.

Jillian Sawchuk didn’t always envision settling down in a Northern Manitoba community, but after nearly two decades in Gillam, she can’t see her life anywhere else.

“I feel really fortunate to call this my home and to be accepted by the community.”     

For the past 10 years, Sawchuk has worked as a Nurse Practitioner providing a high-level of care to the communities of Gillam and Fox Lake Cree Nation.

As the sole female healthcare provider in the community, Sawchuk plays a vital role in women’s health, maternal care, and prenatal services. She performs IUD insertions, contraceptive implants, and other procedures that are crucial to ensuring that women in the region have access to essential healthcare.

Sawchuk’s work consistently reflects her commitment to continuity of care – ensuring patients receive follow-up care, guidance, and any additional referrals they might need.

“Being able to follow up with my patients and close that loop is what I love most about my job,” Sawchuk explains. “It’s about treating the person as a whole.”

In a remote community like Gillam, where resources are limited and access to care can be challenging, primary care providers like Sawchuk are indispensable. While larger cities have numerous specialists, Gillam’s residents often need to travel long distances to access care. Sawchuk, has worked tirelessly to bridge these gaps, using telehealth and other resources to connect her patients with the care they need, no matter how far away those specialists might be. Her ability to navigate these challenges makes her a lifeline for many in the community.

Outside her clinical role, Sawchuk is also an engaged and active community member. She serves on the local school advisory committee and is involved in recreational programs like the skating and hockey clubs.

“I believe in leading by example,” Sawchuk says. “If I want to encourage others to live healthier lives, I need to be involved in the community and set that example for them.”

Sawchuk’s dedication to the people of Gilliam illustrates the powerful connection community and consistency in care can have. She recognizes the challenges of working in a remote location and views them as opportunities for growth and ways to make a meaningful difference.

“My work here is never dull,” she says. “Every patient and every situation is different, and that provides me with opportunities to continue learning and adapting to better serve my community.”

For Sawchuk, the most rewarding aspect of her work is the ability to make a tangible impact on people’s lives. Whether it’s providing critical prenatal care, guiding a patient through a complex health issue, or simply offering a reassuring word, Sawchuk’s presence in the community is invaluable.

“What keeps me motivated is knowing that I’m making a difference,” she shares. “I may not always be able to solve everything right away, but I know how to connect people with the care they need, and that means everything.”

Interested in a career as a nurse?

In every community and in all health-care settings, Manitoba nurses are making a difference. Nurses are essential members of our health-care teams, bringing their skills, dedication, and compassion to patient interactions every day.

Nurses collaborate with members of the health care team to provide care to individuals, groups, and communities in a variety of practice areas. Nurses work within a broad scope of practice, which includes health promotion, and illness prevention, direct patient care and rehabilitation.

A career as a nurse can take you anywhere!  Visit  Current Career Opportunities – Northern Health Region to explore how to become a nurse, incentives and benefits and more.

On May 5, we honour the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit People + (MMIWG2S+). This is a solemn and powerful day to remember those who are missing, those whose lives were taken, and the families and communities left to grieve and advocate for justice.

This day is also a reminder of our collective responsibility—especially as healthcare professionals—to take meaningful action toward truth, accountability, and safety for Indigenous Peoples. The crisis of MMIWG2S+ is not only a reflection of gender-based violence, but of long-standing systemic failures—including in our healthcare systems.   

The Final Report of the National Inquiry into MMIWG2S+ includes healthcare-specific Calls for Justice.

As staff of the Northern Health Region, we must be aware of and actively work to implement these Calls:

Calls for Justice for Health and Wellness:

• 3.1 Ensure the health and wellness rights of Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people are recognized and protected equally.
• 3.2 Fund and support Indigenous-led, culturally grounded health services that are accessible, meet community needs, and reduce the need for people to leave their communities for care.
• 3.3 Support Indigenous communities to create community-based, trauma-informed programs for survivors of violence—guided by Elders and Knowledge Keepers.
• 3.4 Provide Indigenous communities with immediate and ongoing access to mental health, addictions, and trauma supports. Services must be barrier-free, holistic, and include mobile crisis and recovery teams.
• 3.5 Create crisis response teams in every region to provide culturally competent care after traumatic events (such as violence, murder, or accidents), and ensure families receive ongoing support.
• 3.6 Ensure equal, stable, and long-term funding for Indigenous-run health services. Avoid jurisdictional disputes that delay care and guarantee services regardless of where people live or their status.
• 3.7 Fund long-term healing programs for families of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people. These programs should be community-led, well-funded, and accessible across all nations.

These are not just recommendations—they are calls to action and accountability.

What you can do today:

• Wear red to show solidarity and raise awareness.
• Take a moment of silence to honour the lives lost and the loved ones still waiting for answers.
• Read and reflect on the Calls for Justice and how they apply to your role.
• Reflect on your own practice role and identify one concrete way you can help create safer, more culturally responsive spaces for Indigenous patients, families, and staff.

Let us move beyond awareness and into action. Healing and justice are possible when we listen deeply, act intentionally, and remain committed to the path of reconciliation.

We are excited to announce the launch of centralized youth mental health intake for community and crisis mental health services for youth 17 years and younger. This new intake and referral process will improve access to mental health and substance use support for youth and adolescents and is now the primary point of contact for all youth mental health intake across the Northern Health Region.

If you have any questions about how to guide a youth through the referral process or if you need more information, please reach out to the intake team directly at 1-866-242-1571.

Youth Mental Health Central Intake

Contact Information:

• Phone: 1-866-242-1571
• Fax: 204-778-1766
• Email: [email protected]

A Printable Poster is available to help spread the word

April 27 – May 3, 2025

This National Volunteer Week, the Northern Health Region proudly joins communities across Canada in recognizing the incredible impact of volunteers. This year’s theme, “Volunteers Make Waves,” speaks to the powerful and lasting effects that even small acts of generosity can create — ripples that grow into meaningful change in our communities.

Throughout northern Manitoba, volunteers are making waves every day. Their time, compassion, and commitment help us deliver care, strengthen community ties, and ensure that residents across the region feel seen, heard, and supported. Whether they’re offering a kind word to a resident in a personal care home, providing comfort to patients and families in hospital settings, or dedicating countless hours to local health foundations and auxiliaries, volunteers are making a difference — one moment at a time.

Volunteers are at the heart of community health. They enhance our services, bridge the gap between our teams and the people we serve, and bring new energy, ideas, and empathy to the healthcare system. Their presence fosters engagement, trust, and collaboration, and helps keep our facilities rooted in the unique strengths and spirit of the North.

In our region, volunteers support a wide range of initiatives. The Northern Health Foundation Inc. plays a key role in raising funds for major capital projects that benefit the entire health region. To learn more about the Foundation’s work or to get involved, visit www.northernhealthfoundation.ca.

We also acknowledge the vital support of The Pas Health Complex Foundation Inc., which can be found on Facebook at
TPHC Foundation and the longstanding commitment of our local Health Auxiliaries in Flin Flon, Snow Lake, The Pas, and Thompson. These groups help enhance patient care and support front-line staff in countless ways — from fundraising and advocacy to hands-on involvement in care settings.

Volunteering isn’t just about giving back — it’s also about connection. Many volunteers find deep personal fulfillment in helping others and strengthening their communities. It’s a chance to meet new people, develop skills, explore career interests, and be part of something bigger than themselves. The impact of volunteering is often mutual — what’s given returns tenfold in meaning, growth, and joy.

The Northern Health Region extends heartfelt thanks to each and every volunteer who chooses to give their time, energy, and care to support our work. Your dedication continues to inspire us, and your presence makes our region stronger, healthier, and more connected. You truly do make waves.

If you’re interested in volunteering within the Northern Health Region, we’d love to hear from you. Join us and be part of the ripple effect.  https://northernhealthregion.com/volunteer-opportunities/