Manitoba flood evacuees being evicted, hotel closing after $3M in unpaid bills

GIMLI, Man. – A Manitoba hotel is being forced to close and dozens of flood evacuees are being evicted because no one is paying their bills.

Mike Bruneau (Broon-oh) owns Misty Lake Lodge in Gimli which has been home for 65 aboriginal people displaced by the 2011 spring flood.

He says he’s closing down in September because he is owed $3 million and hasn’t been paid in months.

Bruneau says the Manitoba Association of Native Firefighters has been given millions to care for evacuees but they haven’t paid him since he accused them publicly of squandering money.

He says the federal government hasn’t paid him either, despite repeated phone calls.

The firefighters organization is being audited by Ottawa and has said it no longer wants to be responsible for long-term evacuees.