The Misty Lake Lodge in Gimli

The owner of Misty Lake Lodge in Gimli says flood evacuees are getting caught in the middle of a dispute with the Manitoba Association of Native Firefighters. Mike Bruneau was owed $2.6 million dollars for housing but did not receive payment until earlier this week. The debt was to be paid by MANFF but was instead supplied directly by the federal government.

Bruneau says the lodge can now remain open until September, but only if representatives of the Association stop bullying people to leave his hotel. He questions why MANFF is still in charge of distributing the flood evacuation costs.

"It's black and white blatantly what these guys are doing. That's why the investigation was sent forward. That's why I got paid in full. These guys got to go! When people realize how much money has been taken, heads have to roll here."

Bruneau says he's glad to receive what was owed but notes the tab is still running, with some two dozen evacuees remaining in Gimli. He adds his lodge can now remain open into September, but there are still issues with representatives of the Association.

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There has been a long running dispute with the lodge and MANFF officials, who were responsible for dispersing the money for flood evacuation costs for residents from Lake St. Martin and Little Saskatchewan. Bruneau adds there is only so much longer they can deal with this situation.