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Last updated
July 27/10
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Point
Douglas in the News
Tell SLUGs they are lazy losers
By: Sel Burrows
Single Lazy Unemployed Guys, the SLUGS of the inner city,
are the main cause of crime and social dislocation. As we have worked on crime
suppression in Point Douglas, certain themes began to emerge.
One was the huge number of healthy young men who do not
work or go to school. At any time of day or night you see these guys walking,
riding their bikes or chatting, as if being unemployed was normal, which is
not the Point Douglas norm.
One of our outreach workers, who had always worked
herself but most of her friends did not, was given the job of delivering
"welcome cart" packages to people moving into Point Douglas. She discovered
that no one was home during the day at most of the homes she visited. "I had
no idea so many people worked," she said.
As we moved in on more and more crack houses, we
discovered another phenomenon: Couch surfers, young men who moved in on
families, mothers, girlfriends, cousins and lived off the income of the woman.
Many of the younger crack dealers did pretty well. No rent, food provided,
sleep in, and a good income from selling crack.
It was very difficult for the woman whose home was
invaded to get rid of this big, strong, young man, who not only lived off
them, he set a horrible role model for any kids in the home.
(read
full story)
Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION -
27/07/2010
Jean to revisit community she inspired
Governor General returning to Point Douglas Aug. 25 for
a daylong celebration
Graffiti Gallery's Stephen Wilson says Jean is coming to give area
residents 'a pat on the back.'
Gov. Gen. Michaëlle Jean has a soft spot in her heart
for Point Douglas, extolling the community's courageous and successful
battle against crime in speeches around the world.
And the inner-city Winnipeg neighbourhood loves her
right back.
On Aug. 25, in likely her last visit to Winnipeg
before her viceregal term ends this fall, Jean will spend the entire day in
Point Douglas, a community she played a major role in transforming three
years ago.
"The reason for her return is to come and congratulate
the residents for a job well done -- to give them a pat on the back. That's
why she's coming back," said Stephen Wilson, executive director of the
Graffiti Gallery on Higgins Avenue.
It's at Graffiti in June 2007 that Jean, then on a
national tour of urban art forums, met a group of grades 5 and 6 students
from Norquay School, who wrote her a poignant letter about the grim
realities of living in Point Douglas. They told the Queen's representative
that they didn't feel safe in a neighbourhood in which they were constantly
threatened and where the streets were littered with drug needles, shotgun
shells and broken glass.
The visit and the letter made national headlines and
lit a fire under the provincial NDP government and city police. Three weeks
later, several cabinet ministers, police officials and justice department
representatives, including current city police Chief Keith McCaskill, met
with the community to listen to its concerns first-hand.
Community leaders who had long struggled to reclaim
the neighbourhood from drug dealers and other thugs suddenly had friends in
high places. Sel and Chris Burrows were able to establish the Powerline
phone line, through which community members provided anonymous tips about
bad guys, whom the police then investigated. (read
full story)
By Larry Kusch, Winnipeg Free Press,
July 24, 2010
Student finds her
groove during hip-hop classes at Graffiti Gallery:
"When I'm dancing ... I feel so free!"
 As
the bass beat pumps in the background, 12-year-old Raven Michelle breaks
into a grin and starts to dance.
Although she only has a few years under her belt,
Raven holds complicated breakdance poses like a natural.
"I love dancing because it gets all my stress out and
keeps me out of trouble," said. "Who wouldn't want to do the thing they
love?"
Raven started dancing a year-and-a-half ago after
attending one of the Graffiti Gallery's free hip-hop classes.
"I came to the class and I just thought it was so much
fun," she said. "So I started coming back every Saturday."
While Raven is enthusiastic and dedicated, she is also
very talented, gallery project manager Jill Ramsay said.
"We've awarded her a bursary and scholarship to attend
contemporary dance classes. She's really one of the best young dancers in
the city," she added. (read
full story)
Britt Harvey, Winnipeg Free Press print edition,
July 23, 2010
Winnipeg Free Press - ONLINE EDITION
Point Douglas green space named
after Gov.-Gen. Michaelle Jean
By: Bartley Kives
12/07/2010 9:32 AM
ADRIAN WYLD/ THE CANADIAN PRESS
ARCHIVES
Enlarge Image
Gov.-Gen. Michaelle Jean
The City of Winnipeg has named a Point Douglas green
space around Norquay Community Centre after outgoing Canadian Gov.-Gen.
Michaelle Jean.
City council's protection and community services
committee voted this morning to name the green space -- which had no name --
after the GG.
The name change will take effect as soon as protocol
officers in Ottawa determine whether it should be named "Gov.-Gen. Michaelle
Park" or "Michaelle Jean Park."
The GG will next be in Winnipeg Aug. 25. Graffiti
Gallery director Steve Wilson said he hopes she will attend a naming ceremony.
Winnipeg park named for Gov. Gen
Jean
Last Updated:
Monday, July 12, 2010 | 11:34 AM CST
CBC News
Gov. Gen. Michaëlle Jean has often noted Point Douglas in speeches about
renewed hope and transforming neighbourhoods.
(Pawel Dwulit/Canadian Press)
Winnipeg is naming a park in Point Douglas after
outgoing Gov. Gen. Michaëlle Jean.
The standing policy committee on protection and
community services voted Monday to honour Jean — and her philosophy of
bringing communities together to address crime and renew hope — by naming a
section of riverfront green space for her.
The park, which does not currently have a name, is
adjacent to Norquay Community Centre, just off Granville Street and Rover
Avenue.
The city hopes to time the naming of the site with
Jean's next visit to Winnipeg on Aug. 25.
The naming process does not require a vote by city
council but it does need approval from protocol officers in Ottawa.
The motion that proposed the naming of the park cited
Jean's connection with the Point Douglas neighbourhood:
- In June 2007, she held an event in the area as part
of the Governor General's Urban Arts Forum.
- In a September 2008 speech in Toronto as part of
the Youth Arts Policy Forum: Ignite the Americas, Jean referred to North
Point Douglas as a successful example of bringing communities together to
address crime and promote strong neighbourhoods.
- At the inauguration of the Jeanne Sauvé Lecture
Series in Montreal on Feb. 18, 2010, Jean referenced the youth from
Graffiti Art Gallery, located in South Point Douglas, as an example of how
youth and the arts can help lower crime rates and transform
neighbourhoods.
- On May 10, 2010, in her opening address at a
DiverseCity event in Toronto, Jean referred to the North Point Douglas
neighbourhood as a place where residents care and a place of renewed hope.
"She's brought a lot of light on various areas that
haven't seen that light before, and North Point Douglas is definitely one of
those areas that she's brought light to and I thank her for that," said Coun.
Lillian Thomas, a member of the protection and community services committee.
Indigenous Cultural Centre
Reopens Today
Winnipeg - A ribbon-cutting ceremony will
take place at the revitalized, reopened Manitoba Indigenous Cultural Education
Centre in Winnipeg's Point Douglas area this morning.
The centre located at 119 Sutherland Ave.
houses more than 10,000 books and videos and hundreds of artifacts and works of
art. (Read
full story)
Staff Reporter, Winnipeg Free
Press, June 30, 2010
Heritage house wracked by fire
Point Douglas residents vow salvage
KEITH CAMPEAU PHOTO
Firefighters watch the flame-engulfed house burn Monday
morning.
Point Douglas residents are vowing to find a way to save Barber House after
the historic home was heavily damaged by fire early Monday morning.
"The goal is still going to be to bring that building back to life in a
historically acceptable way," Point Douglas resident and community activist
Sel Burrows said of the long-vacant two-storey home at 99 Euclid Ave., which
is believed to be the oldest frame house in Winnipeg.
"Right now we're in a bit of a state of shock," Burrows said of the members
of Sisters Initiating Steps Towards a Renewed Society (SISTARS), a community
group that obtained possession of the house and surrounding property just last
week from the city.
He said SISTARS plans to build a new $1.3-million community daycare centre
on the Barber House property and to redevelop the house into a drop-in centre
for area seniors. He added the two buildings will be physically connected to
one another.
"I spoke to most of the board members this morning (Monday) and I don't
think there's a question in anybody's mind that it is salvageable," he said.
"It has to be salvaged. It's just too important historically."
A fire department spokesman said Monday the cause of the fire was still
under investigation and a damage estimate had not yet been determined.
(Read full story)
By: Murray McNeill - Winnipeg Free Press,
June 8, 2010
Read follow-up editorial on Barber House
Read update on Status of
Barber House
Local Leaders Needed -
There have been killings, rapes and shootings in the West End before --
lots of them -- but nothing like the series of horrifying events that unfolded
this week. It started on Sunday with the brutal sexual assault of a six-year-old
girl, followed by a gang war that left one teenager dead, another wounded and
two young girls also injured by gunfire. The fact that the suspects in the
shootings are also teenagers is just as disturbing.
There's nothing to compare it to in the city's history and
it has traumatized not only the families affected by the violence, but the
entire community. Something has to be done, but what?
Let's start by acknowledging the obvious. There are no quick and easy fixes, but
there are useful precedents from around the world on how crime-ridden
communities took control of their fates.
One of them can be found in our own Point Douglas
neighbourhood, which showed ordinary people can fight back.
Just three years ago, it was plagued with violence, gangs
and 32 crack houses. A group of residents rallied the neighbourhood and
established a system that made it easy for people to report problems. Police,
city hall and the province were suddenly swamped with demands to clean up
garbage and derelict housing, or close down drug operations or homes that were
fronts for prostitution and crime.
Working with the authority of the municipal Livability
Bylaw and the provincial Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods Act, officers shut
down centres of criminal activity and forced landlords to clean up their
properties and evict problem tenants. All of a sudden, it was the criminal who
felt uncomfortable.
Point Douglas still has crime, but the gangs and crack
houses are gone and people feel safe walking the streets.
The West End needs to follow this model.
(Read full story)
Editorial, Winnipeg Free Press, May 29, 2010
 Point
of Pride? - A city committee will consider a
request Tuesday to “point” a few roads in a new direction.
But a proposal to remove “Avenue” from the names of the
northernmost streets in Point Douglas — Magnus, Burrows, Alfred and Aberdeen —
and replace it with “Point” is already being shot down by the councillor who
represents the area.
“I don’t think much of that idea,” said Coun. Harry
Lazarenko, whose Mynarski ward includes the four streets. “What would ‘Point’
mean to people not familiar with the area? I’d rather see something like ‘Avenue
East.’ (Read full story)
Coun. Harry Lazaranko (Mynarski) at Alfred Avenue — Alfred Point? — and
Main Street. He wants to consult residents. (MARCEL CRETAIN/Winnipeg Sun)
by Paul Turenne, Winnipeg Sun, April 13, 2010
New life for North Main --
Major retail complex planned
Work is to get underway this July on a major retail
development that will breathe new life into a struggling section of north Main
Street.
That's when construction crews are to begin work on Neechi
Foods Co-op's $5-million redevelopment of the former California Fruit Market
property on north Main Street.
Bridgman Collaborative Architects From left, Russ Rothney,
Neechi Foods Co-op president Louise Champagne and Wins Bridgman in front of
the old California Fruit Market, which is to be transformed into a retail
complex, seen above in artist�s rendering.
Although details still have to be completed, Neechi Foods
has lofty plans for the property it acquired last September.
Not only will its Neechi Commons development be home for a
much-expanded Neechi Foods supermarket, but also for 10 to 15 retailers and
several office tenants. And if everything falls into place, it could also be
home to a culinary-arts school, a hydroponics operation and a year-round farmers
market.
Astrid Lichti, administrator for the Mosaic Business
Improvement Zone, said BIZ officials and area residents can't wait for the new
development to open. (Read
full story)
Murray McNeill - Winnipeg
Free Press, April 5, 2010
Elmwood gets
access to inner city program
--
Representatives of Elmwood are cheering the province’s decision to include the
neighbourhood in an inner city program that has helped other similar
neighbourhoods in the city.
The provincial government announced that Elmwood will soon be eligible to join
the Neighbourhoods Alive! program as part of its March 23 budget announcement.
The program is aimed at giving inner city neighbourhoods more of a say in
determining how they need to rebuild, rehabilitate, and improve the quality of
life in their communities. It works with community organizations, including
schools and businesses, to plan and secure funding for projects.
“I’m ecstatic about it,” said Martin Landy, executive director of the Elmwood
Community Resource Centre and Area Association.
“Elmwood is a sister community to the inner city and we’ve been experiencing all
of the same issues as the other Neighbourhoods Alive! communities.”
(Read full story)
Ryan Crocker,
"The Times, a Canstar Community Newspaper",
Apr 1/10
Crime can be beaten --
There is no silver bullet in the battle against crime, but the
residents of Point Douglas in Winnipeg's inner city have shown neighbourhoods
can fight back and win. Three years ago, the
community was plagued with violence, gangs and 32 crack houses. Today, the gangs
and crack houses are gone, and people feel safe walking down the street.
Criminals are still a challenge, but they no longer rule
or define the historic neighbourhood. Point Douglas activist Sel Burrows
explains the dramatic turnaround in a column in today's View
from the West (H11).
Fighting crime and anti-social behaviour begins with the
realization that police and governments cannot solve every problem, but they can
be partners and agents of change in communities that mobilize for action. That's
what happened in Point Douglas. (Read
full story)
Staff writer - Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press
print edition March 13, 2010
Point Douglas natives SAY
NO TO CRIME -- And because of that, Point
Douglas has gone from being a high-crime area to a low-crime area in three
years.
Many people have followed our struggle as we went from a
community with 32 crack houses, a recognizable gang presence, where kids were
afraid to go out in the evening, to one with crime but where the criminals are
afraid of the community.
What most people aren't aware of is the crucial role
aboriginal people living in Point Douglas have played. When the Powerline system
was first dreamed of, it was a Métis elder who suggested the strategy. I
remember Sandy Dzedzora sitting in our living room, glass of homemade red wine
in hand saying: "There are five crack houses on my block. Why don't we start
with them."
Two months later the dealers were evicted or arrested and
people were phoning: "I've got a crack house on my street, why don't you close
that one." And we would, and the Powerline was born. (Read
full story)
Sel Burrows is a Point Douglas community activist.
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print
edition March 13, 2010
Treatment Centre Doomed: Driedger -
A plan by the province to turn a
seniors' home in Point Douglas into an addictions treatment centre may be on the
ropes because of escalating costs to renovate the building, Progressive
Conservative Health critic Myrna Driedger said Wednesday.The plan called for the
former Sharon Home at 146 Magnus Ave. to be turned into a 78-bed residential
addictions treatment centre and outpatient facility, but a 2008 consultant's
report obtained by Driedger said renovation costs would total $10 million and
the annual operating cost would be about $8 million. Manitoba Health and Healthy
Living would pay for the renovations.
"It sounds like the centre is doomed," she said. "That's
too bad. There's a desperate need for more treatment beds." (read
full story)
Bruce Owen, Winnipeg Free Press, March 11, 2010
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 Point ─ Society 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 website -
www.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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