Wildfires are disrupting Canadian curling communities during the off-season, with a significant blaze now threatening parts of Newfoundland & Labrador’s capital region.
The City of St. John’s has issued an immediate precautionary evacuation alert for the Galway and Southlands neighborhoods due to a wildfire near Paddy’s Pond. Southlands is notable for having streets named after members of Team Brad Gushue, the 2006 Olympic men’s curling champions. While some team members still live in the area, none reside on their namesake streets.
Residents on Brad Gushue Crescent, Mark Nichols Place, Russ Howard Street, Jamie Korab Street, Gold Medal Drive, Toby McDonald Street, and Mike Adam Street have been advised to prepare for possible evacuation. The alert instructs residents to be ready to leave at short notice and to have enough food, water, medication, important documents, and supplies to last at least 72 hours.
Prior to this new alert, between 13,000 and 15,000 people in the region were already under evacuation advisories. Wildfire smoke has also forced delays in events at the Canada Games, which began in St. John’s last weekend. Multiple parts of Newfoundland and other Atlantic provinces are currently experiencing wildfire activity.
Another fire was reported in Spaniard’s Bay, about an hour’s drive from St. John’s. In Nova Scotia, a new emergency law now prohibits entering wooded areas, with fines exceeding $25,000 for violations. The Curling News has previously warned that curling communities will increasingly face wildfire threats, as seen last year when the Jasper Curling Club narrowly avoided damage despite nearby destruction.
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