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Last updated Mar 08/10  

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Point Douglas in the News


Point Douglas to get early childhood education centre

An economic development co-op based in Point Douglas is moving ahead with plans to build an early childhood education centre and community space in the neighbourhood.

Sisters Initiating Steps Toward a Renewed Society (SISTARS) recently completed raising the $1.6 million needed to build the Eagle Wing Early Education Centre and Point Douglas Community Room.

On Feb. 11, SISTARS invited residents to view a model of the facility, discuss its design, and share in the excitement.

“It’s been a long time coming and it’s all very exciting,” said Angel Peterson, SISTARS co-chair.

She said the facility will be located at 99 Euclid Ave. and will add to the ongoing revitalization of the area.

“It’s really going to impact the community and open it up for families with children. Everyone is very positive about it.”

Bridgman Collaborative designed the facility, which features three early childhood education spaces: an infant room with a capacity of 12 and two preschool rooms with a capacity of 16 each. There will also be a kitchen and even am ice-cream vendor with a window.
(Read full story)

Ryan Crocker, "The Times, a Canstar Community Newspaper", Feb 25/10


Artist's portraits of women confrontational, challenging -- This brash new exhibit at the High Octane Gallery attempts to counteract centuries of dewy, idealized images of femininity.

Given the crushing weight of art history, that's not really something that can be accomplished in one show. But Winnipeg artist Arlea Ashcroft does her darnedest, with aggressive technique, in-your-face subject matter and a whole lot of screw-you attitude.  (Read full story)

Alison Gilmour, Winnipeg Free Press, February 25, 2010

 

 


Point Douglas aims to improve housing stock -

A new non-profit organization in Point Douglas aims to rehabilitate the neighbourhood’s few remaining notorious residential properties.

Still in the planning stages, the Point Douglas Housing Initiative is in consultations with potential partners and financial backers. Co-ordinator Heather Geddie said the objective is to purchase residential properties, renovate them and rent them out.  (read full story)
 

Ryan Crocker, "The Times, a Canstar Community Newspaper", Feb 18/10


Greyhound Rescue Centre Makes Urgent Appeal for Help - A Point Douglas-based canine rescue operation is in urgent need of donations after receiving an influx of 18 new dogs.

Hi-Speed Hounds, a non-profit, volunteer-run greyhound rescue organization, took in the dogs following the closure of a race track in Wisconsin.

President Michaela Lamoureau said the organization desperately needs monetary donations in addition to donations of extra-large crates, premium dog food, dog clothing, blankets and toys.  (read full story)

Ryan Crocker, "The Times, a Canstar Community Newspaper", Feb 4/10


Derelict building bylaw lacks teeth, councillor says - A veteran city councillor says efforts to revitalize the North End continue to be hamstrung by an ineffective vacant and derelict building bylaw.
Mynarski Coun. Harry Lazarenko said the majority of the city's derelict properties are in his ward. He said the city needs the province to adopt tougher legislation to address the problem.
Lazarenko said it takes far too long for the city to seize derelict properties and the process needs to be shortened. It currently takes the city at least 450 days to take the title of a derelict property.  
"How long would these vacant and derelict buildings stand if they were in Tuxedo?" Lazarenko asked. "I know for a fact there's no way that people there would ever stand for it. But in the North End, it's different."   (read full story)

Ryan Crocker, "The Times, a Canstar Community Newspaper", Feb 4/10

Petition to get rid of derelict houses in Point Douglas


Point Douglas rises to Haiti's aid - Like many other Canadians, residents of Point Douglas shared Gov. Gen. Michaelle Jean's grief when they saw her weeping about the recent devastation in Haiti. Few communities share the emotional connection with Jean, the Queen's official representative in Canada, that Point Douglas does.

Jean was warmly embraced as a member of the community when she visited the north Winnipeg neighbourhood in June 2007.  And she has never missed an opportunity to praise the neighbourhood as an example of positive change when she travels abroad.

Seeing her distress prompted Point Douglas residents to join together to help Haiti in her honour. At a meeting held at Norquay School on Jan. 27, members of the community reached a consensus on how best to do just that.  (read full story)

Ryan Crocker, "The Times, a Canstar Community Newspaper", Feb 4/10


Point Douglas Residents Thank Police - Residents of Point Douglas recently offered their heart-felt thanks to the Winnipeg Police Service for its efforts in helping dramatically reduce crime in their neighbourhood.

Members of the community collected dozens of signatures and messages on a thank-you card that they recently delivered to officers at the District 3 service centre on Hartford Avenue in West Kildonan.

The gesture was a token of appreciation for the police service’s assistance in the operation of the community-led Powerline crime prevention initiative. Residents can call the Powerline number (956-4090) to report criminal activities which are then passed on to the police service or other authorities.

Ryan Crocker, "The Times, a Canstar Community Newspaper", Jan 28/10 (read full story)


Open Concept - Artist welcomes guests into her one-of-a-kind home/studio, which perfectly reflects her free spirit - You've got to be a little loony to choose the artist's life.

This weekend, local artist Aliza Amihude and her husband are celebrating their dedication to living creatively by throwing open the doors to what they call "the Loonie House."

Seven years ago, the couple paid one loonie for a filthy, condemned, circa-1915 two-storey on Grove Street in North Point Douglas. Now transformed -- but still an eccentric work in progress -- the unique house is a stop on the In Plain View tour of artists' studios taking place this weekend.  Alison Mayes, Winnipeg Free Press, November 5, 2009  (read full story)

 


Little solutions go a long way in the PointSociety is the loser when youngsters choose gangs:    The awful truth was driven home about halfway through my tour of North Point Douglas. It was just over a year ago, and I was trying to put together a longer feature article on the troubled inner-city community. It was a great yarn, in large part because the people of the Point had started to take back their community from the purveyors of drugs, prostitution and violence. Point Douglas was not rid of those problems, but the community had evolved beyond a well-earned stereotype.  Dan Lett, Winnipeg Free Press, September 24, 2009  (read full story)


Neechi's expansion will bring another food store to Main Street - A North End institution is branching out from its long-time home in hopes of creating a destination location that can provide healthier food options to many of its patrons.

Neechi Foods Co-op has finalized plans to expand from 325 Dufferin Avenue to 865 Main Street to be the anchor tenant in a retail, restaurant and food complex to be known as Neechi Commons.  Geoff Kirbyson, Winnipeg Free Press, September 16, 2009  (Read full article)


Press Release - Sept 11/09

Point Douglas

 Citizens on Watch  (COWS)    Point.Powerline  

Community Policing Huge Success in Point Douglas 

          With well over 100 citizens involved in Crime Prevention through the Point Douglas Powerline (an anonymous phone and email line run by volunteers), our community has been working closely with the Winnipeg Police Service and the Police Community Support Unit.

          This week that relationship showed amazing results. Neighbours on two streets had identified the leaders of small groups  of youth who were selling crack from between houses. In two different actions the police arrested the ring leaders. One was found to have 32 ‘rocks’ of crack in his possession.

The police officers involved were searching one apartment after the arrest when there was a loud knocking at the door and a man yelling...”open up...I want a couple of rocks”.        You can imagine his surprise when the police opened the apartment door and invited him in.

          Two days later another guy was pounding on that apartment door. A neighbour asked him if he needed any help. The fellow said, “I’m looking for my buddy so I can score some crack”.  The neighbour in the lovely bluntness one finds in the inner city replied. “Your buddy is in jail. Get the F*** out of here or I’ll call the cops and you’ll join him.” The fellow was last seen scurrying down the street.

There is real  power for neighbours knowing they aren’t alone in wanting to stop crime .

          The Point Douglas Powerline has enabled neighbours who want a safe neighbourhood to communicate their concerns with no threat of retaliation.

          Recently a gang member told one of our residents, “we stay out of Point Douglas, Too many people watchin.”

          The Police in District 3 , have incorporated a new structure so that the  police officers work the same community on an ongoing basis. This allows the Powerline to provide more detailed background of criminals or alert them to incipient crime. The response time to concerns has increased immensely. When we first set out to “Make Point Douglas A Crack Free Zone” two years ago, it would often take months to deal with an issue. Now, with improved police systems and an active community, most situations are dealt with in days or weeks.

   I say most because we know there are certain criminals in our community that are skilled or sneaky enough to escape our ‘eyes on the street’. However, just keeping the bad guys nervously looking over their shoulder protects the community. We know the main crack supplier doesn’t live in Point Douglas but in a large house in a very pleasant neighbourhood. Could she be your neighbour?

          Recently Point Douglas Powerline has added a whole new tactic to our toolkit to keep the bad guys on the run. Previously we had a few landlords we worked with who would actively cooperate with us in evicting criminals. Now we have discovered that the huge majority of landlords are willing to work towards making our community safe.  Many of the younger ganglet members are couch surfers. They move in with relatives, girl friends and use that address as a base for their criminal activities. We now have many landlords, including several very large ones, who will go to their legitimate tenant and tell them they are responsible for what goes on in their suite. Get the bad guy out or you face eviction. Many tenants find this really empowering , having a concrete reason to tell the kid to get out. This saves the police a lot of time so they can focus on the more serious criminals.

          One landlord recently evicted a young man and his friends who were caught with crack. While one will probably spend a long time in the youth centre the other two have indicated they want out of the ganglet subculture.

          We have learned in tackling crime that no one solution fits all. We need the police for the heavy lifting, for the dangerous ones. However, when the community sends a strong message that criminal behaviour is not accepted, a lot of crime is prevented.

          We occasionally face criticism with our crime prevention methods. We know they aren’t perfect, but with the increased community orientation of the police and over 100 neighbours involved, Point Douglas is fast moving from a high crime area to a low crime area.

Chris Burrows

Coordinator, Point Douglas Powerline

956-4090   point.powerline@yahoo.com


Residents cautious about park plan:  Point Douglas group waiting to learn more - POINT Douglas residents seem to be waiting for a concrete proposal from Premier Gary Doer before getting too excited about the idea of a provincial park in their midst.

Doer's surprise proposal -- made some time ago in a breakfast meeting with a few community activists and revealed last week by the Free Press -- wasn't mentioned once at a community meeting sponsored by the Point Douglas Residents Committee Thursday afternoon.  (read full article) - Winnipeg Free Press, July 24, 2009

 

Point Douglas getting rid of drug dealers one at a time -- Point Douglas has had its problems but in the last two years, in response to the appeals from grade 5 and 6 kids at Norquay School, the community has taken back its streets from drug dealers.

Point Douglas has over 100 anonymous people who keep an eye around their own homes, watching for crack dealers, gangs, ganglets and other stuff that degrades a community and report it on a phone line we call "Powerline." As a result, we have had our share of drug busts and gang arrests in partnership with the police and Manitoba Justice.  (read full article)  - by Sel Burrows, Winnipeg Free Press, July 19, 2009


King Gary Decrees a Park -- KING Gary has revealed yet another point in his unilateral plan to improve Winnipeg, this time plopping a provin­cial park in the middle of a vibrant, rejuvenat­ing heritage neighbourhood in the North End.

The Point residents have worked hard to turn around a once-dismal, seedy area into a place where people can raise kids, go to school, start a business. Home ownership is rising, but still sits at about a third of residential properties. Some absentee landlords own three or four properties, some of which sit empty. The war against the crack houses and the street gangs is being won. There is hope. (read full article) - Editorial, Winnipeg Free Press, July 18, 2009


Point Douglas Park? - Doer touts provincial designation for historic riverside -- Point Douglas won't be home to the new Blue Bomber football stadium, but if Premier Gary Doer gets his way, it will get a provincial park.

"I want to get the debate going, I want to get the discussion going and I want us as a community to seize the opportunity," Doer said in an interview Wednesday.

He said a formal plan has yet to be developed, but his goal is to preserve and develop the area along the Red River in Point Douglas as a public asset for "walking, cycling (and) viewing the river."  (read full article) - Winnipeg Free Press, July 15, 2009


Province boosts rec centre hours:  Funding aimed at inner-city kids -- The provincial government is spending $1.3 million to extend the hours that 10 Winnipeg inner-city recreation centres are open by more than 50 per cent. Many of the centres will soon be open seven days a week, instead of five, and will stay open later in the evening. The new funding will also allow for the hiring of 20 full- and part-time recreation leaders who will develop and help deliver programming for kids. (read full story)  - Winnipeg Free Press, July 10, 2009
 


Tries to save friend, city artist drowns:  'Passionate about working with children' -- Darryle Caribou didn't hesitate to jump into the raging Red River to try to save a friend last Friday afternoon. Three days later, his body washed ashore. On Wednesday, police identified Caribou, 26, as the man who went missing Friday afternoon. They had recovered his body Monday afternoon near the Provencher Bridge. Caribou was an aboriginal artist, well-known in the Point Douglas community.  (Read full story) - Winnipeg Free Press, July 11, 2009


Empty houses should not be left to ruin:    Two very different articles shared a common theme that I feel must be addressed, and quickly. In the article City in a growth spurt (June 17) it is stated that "Winnipeg desperately needs more multi-family housing to accommodate this growth ..." and further notes that "Winnipeg already has a housing crisis, as the residential vacancy rate now stands at less than one per cent." An article in a subsequent paper (Fire at vacant house no shock: neighbours, June 20) notes that the house destroyed by fire was a derelict eyesore for years, and the city does nothing to resolve the situation.  (read full story)
 


Facility spurs area concerns:  Addictions treatment in old nursing home - A proposal to build an addictions treatment and mental health centre in an old North Point Douglas nursing home has some area residents worried aobut everything from drug dealers to parking. (read full story) - Winnipeg Sun, June 23, 2009


Point Douglas takes much-needed coffee break - When Christine Shuwera decided to open a business in her new neighbourhood of Point Douglas, she didn't concentrate too much on the things she wanted to sell. Her focus was on the things it wouldn't offer. Read full story - The Times, June 18, 2009


Great review of Metro Meats in Marion Warhaft's column in the Free Press - Winnipeg Free Press, May 29, 2009


Women's Centre Volunteer Honoured - Bishop one of 10 Women of Distinction. One of the key players in the revitalization of Point Douglas in recent years has been honoured for her commitment to the community. Read full story - The Times, May 21/09


Getting People On Wheels - Bike Dump Volunteers help riders with repairs - Winnipeg Free Press, May 6, 2009    Bike Dump websitewww.bike-dump.ca


Put up a Plaque - Letter to the Editor about the Winnipeg General Strike and the neglected but very historically important Vulcan Ironworks. Written by Shirley Kowalchuk - Winnipeg Free Press, May 6/09


Flooding Destroys Historic Cairn - Fort Douglas cairn swept away by ice during flooding. Plaque marking cairn retrieved by Point Douglas resident Ernest Cucheron - Winnipeg Free Press, May 5, 2009


A city with no design standards - article by Rob Galston, Winnipeg writer and Point Douglas resident, on the new WRHA building on Main Street - Winnipeg Free Press, April 28, 2009


Katz symposium on development stirs optimism - Event pleases presenters, mayor (This event is not about Point Douglas directly, but it does concern us) - Winnipeg Free Press, April 26, 2009


Visionary merchants required to make Point Douglas thrive - Heather Geddie, Letters to the Editor - Winnipeg Free Press, April 22, 2009


Public schools slipping? - Barry Hammond, Letters to the Editor - Winnipeg Free Press, April 22, 2009


We Believe in Winnipeg - South Point Douglas artisan Jordan Van Sewell in the news - Winnipeg Free Press, April 12, 2009


Point Douglas residents fear rash decision - The Times, March 26, 2009


Point Douglas group urges city to reconsider Disraeli plans - Winnipeg Free Press, March 10, 2009


Disraeli Cycling/Pedestrian Crossing; Two Options Developed by the CPWG (Collaborative Planning Working Group) - March 6, 2009


If you want your neighbourhood back, do it the Point Douglas way - the Globe and Mail, February 27, 2009


On the Rebound - Uptown [Magazine] explores how North Point Douglas took itself back  -  Uptown Magazine - Article, May 2008


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