Friends of Wabakimi

Friends of Wabakimi An Ontario non-profit advocating for the conservation of recreational & natural resources of Wabakimi and board members in four time zones. Join us!

Our Vision is the Wabakimi Area shall be an exceptional destination for wilderness recreation activities for the benefit of present and future generations of visitors. We are a vibrant and committed virtual volunteer organization with membership in Canada and the U.S. We’re working to protect canoe routes and habitat, working with Wabakimi Provincial Park and the Ministry of Natural Resources/Fore

stry. Learn more at www.wabakimi.org

The Wabakimi Area also includes numerous smaller provincial parks, conservation reserves and Crown land forests, all with documented and active canoe routes. See "Beyond Wabakimi" on our web site. Your membership helps support our mission and vision. Our membership fees are very reasonable. We have individual or family memberships. Business/Sponsors are welcome too. Members can log into our Wild Apricot membership system for member discount on our planning maps and canoe route map volumes.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1BTMVKeh7j/
07/22/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1BTMVKeh7j/

Our hearts are with everyone affected by the forest fires across Northern Ontario this summer. While wildfire is a natural and essential part of the boreal forest ecosystem, its impacts on communities, families, and travel plans are significant.

At Woodland Caribou Provincial Park, we welcome anyone who may be changing their trip plans because of the fires in Quetico and Wabakimi Provincial Parks. If you're considering a visit, please check out our trip planning blog for the latest updates and resources:

https://blog.ontarioparks.ca/woodland-caribou-planner/

If you have specific questions or need help planning your trip, our office is happy to assist—just give us a call - 807-727-1329

07/18/2026

Update on July 18 -
Due to the fire activity in Wabakimi Provincial Park this week, the Park remains closed, and the evacuation order from the local OPP for the area communities remains in effect.

We are grateful to all who assisted in ensuring the many paddlers in the Park were safely rescued this week.

Current fire activity in the Park is found here:

https://www.lioapplications.lrc.gov.on.ca/ForestFireInformationMap/index.html?viewer=FFIM.FFIM

Updated information will be posted on the following sites:

https://www.facebook.com/OPPNorthWest

https://www.ontarioparks.ca/park/wabakimi/alerts

https://www.facebook.com/WabakimiPP

Important update regarding Wabakimi Provincial Park (July 14).
07/14/2026

Important update regarding Wabakimi Provincial Park (July 14).

Due to the extreme forest fire conditions in and around Wabakimi Provincial Park and the evacuation orders for our surrounding communities, we are closing the entire park until July 27th 2026. We will continue to assess the situation as it develops. Please stay safe!

Updated July 14, 2026 Current forest fire activity in Northwestern Ontario, particularly in the Wabakimi Provincial Park...
07/14/2026

Updated July 14, 2026

Current forest fire activity in Northwestern Ontario, particularly in the Wabakimi Provincial Park area, has resulted in several section/route closures and the evacuation of several area communities, including Armstrong and the Whitesand First Nation community.

Please check the Park website, socials and the Ontario Fire map for the latest information and plan accordingly.

https://www.ontarioparks.ca/park/wabakimi/alerts

https://www.lioapplications.lrc.gov.on.ca/ForestFireInformationMap/index.html?viewer=FFIM.FFIM

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/17v6CjRPLZ/?mibextid=wwXIfr

UPDATE: Up-to-date information will be posted at the following link: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1DDD2fNBzh/
~
MISE À JOUR : D’autres mises à jour seront publiées dans l’article accessible via le lien suivant : https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1DDD2fNBzh/

---------------------------

EVACUATION UPDATE (July 14, 5:30 a.m. EDT): NWR OPP continues to advise the public of mandatory evacuation orders in the following areas due to ongoing forest fires:
🔴 Armstrong
🔴 Collins First Nation
🔴 Cushing Lake
🔴 Lac des Mille Lacs First Nation and nearby communities
🔴 Whitesand First Nation
If you are in these communities and need assistance evacuation, please call 9-1-1.

Residents in the following areas are encouraged to prepare for a possible evacuation due to the evolving wildfire situation:
🟡 Ignace
🟡 Crystal Lake
🟡 Highway 633 area
No evacuation order is currently in place for these areas, however, residents in some locations may have been directly advised by emergency personnel to evacuate as a precaution. Please continue to monitor for any updates.

In addition, the following road closures remain in place:
⛔ Highway 11 - all lanes closed between Highway 633 and Highway 623 (east of Atikokan)
⛔ Highway 599 - southbound closed between Highway 516 and Mishkeegogamang First Nation

NWR OPP is urging the public to say informed and plan ahead.
➡️ Stay up to date on current fire conditions in your area: https://www.ontario.ca/page/forest-fires
➡️ If you are evacuating, remember to pack essential items, such as medications, identification, passports, and important documents
➡️ Follow all evacuation orders, road closures, and instructions from emergency officials
➡️ Keep a safe distance from emergency crews and aircrafts so they can carry out their work effectively
➡️ In an emergency, call 9-1-1. For non-emergent police matters, please call 1-888-310-1122. ^pia

~

MISE À JOUR SUR LES ÉVACUATIONS (14 juillet, 5 h 30 HAE) : La Police provinciale de l’Ontario de la région du Nord-Ouest (NWR OPP) continue d’informer la population des ordonnances d’évacuation obligatoires en vigueur dans les régions suivantes en raison des feux de forêt en cours :
🔴 Armstrong
🔴 Première Nation de Collins
🔴 Lac Cushing
🔴 Première Nation du Lac des Mille Lacs et collectivités avoisinantes
🔴 Première Nation de Whitesand
Si vous vous trouvez dans l’une de ces collectivités et avez besoin d’aide pour évacuer, veuillez composer le 9-1-1.

Les résidents des régions suivantes sont invités à se préparer à une éventuelle évacuation en raison de l’évolution de la situation liée aux feux de forêt :
🟡 Ignace
🟡 Crystal Lake
🟡 Région de l’autoroute 633
Aucun arrêté d’évacuation n’est actuellement en vigueur pour ces régions; toutefois, les résidents de certaines localités ont peut-être reçu directement des services d’urgence la consigne d’évacuer par mesure de précaution. Veuillez continuer à suivre les mises à jour.

De plus, les fermetures de routes suivantes sont toujours en vigueur :
⛔ Route 11 – toutes les voies sont fermées entre la route 633 et la route 623 (à l’est d’Atikokan)
⛔ Route 599 – direction sud fermée entre la route 516 et la Première Nation de Mishkeegogamang

La Police provinciale de l’Ontario (Police provinciale) de la région NWR exhorte la population à se tenir informée et à planifier à l’avance.
➡️ Tenez-vous au courant de la situation actuelle des feux dans votre région : https://www.ontario.ca/page/forest-fires
➡️ Si vous devez évacuer, n’oubliez pas d’emporter les articles essentiels, tels que les médicaments, vos pièces d’identité, vos passeports et vos documents importants
➡️ Respectez tous les ordres d’évacuation, les fermetures de route et les directives des responsables des urgences
➡️ Gardez une distance de sécurité par rapport aux équipes d’intervention et aux aéronefs afin qu’ils puissent mener à bien leur travail
➡️ En cas d’urgence, composez le 9-1-1. Pour les questions policières non urgentes, veuillez composer le 1-888-310-1122. ^pia

07/09/2026
06/19/2026

See you this weekend!

06/13/2026

FOW Members, our Annual Meeting will be taking place on Sunday, June 21st, 2026 at 11:00 am EDT. This year it will be hosted in Armstrong, ON at the Armstrong Public School. If you are unable to make it in person, the meeting will also be virtual via Zoom.

If members are unable to attend the meeting in person or on Zoom, we ask that you fill out the Proxy vote form. A quorum of 10% of the membership is required to conduct the meeting. Your vote is important!!

Members should have received an email from FOW on June 1st with the Agenda, and Zoom link. Please feel free to reach out to us for any further information.

We hope to see you next weekend!

06/05/2026

Important Information Re. Fires in Wabakimi :

Please note that as of June 4th 2026 Wabakimi Provincial Park has a CANOE ROUTE CLOSURE in effect due to forest fires near Redhead and Baldhead Lakes along the CN Rail Line. ROUTE CLOSURES are now in effect for routes originating from the following access points (Mile 20.2, Mile 24.7, Mile 32.3, Mile 34.4, Mile 37.4, Mile 44.1 and Mile 44.3). Portage trails originating from these rail access points are also closed.

Smoke due to fires has also been reported in the Armstrong area. See the FireSmoke Forecast Map for current firesmoke conditions.

Currently, all visitors to the Park should voluntarily consider using appropriate fuel stoves for cooking rather than having open fires as a precaution during this time.

We will provide updates here on Facebook, Instagram, and through member emails. We encourage folks to also regularly visit the Ontario Interactive Fire Map for the latest fire conditions.

https://www.lioapplications.lrc.gov.on.ca/ForestFireInformationMap/index.html?viewer=FFIM.FFIM

Address

Thunder Bay, ON

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