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Winnipeg, Man.
Urban renewal sought in city’s North End


Garry Loewen has watched cities across the US successfully revitalize their crumbling interiors over the years. Now, he’s helping import that same model of community renewal to Winnipeg’s North End.

Garry Loewen, interim executive director of North End Community Renewal Corporation, stands in front of the corporation’s new offices on Selkirk Avenue in Winnipeg. MCC news release photo

Loewen is interim executive director of the North End Community Renewal Corporation (NECRC), as part of his work with Mennonite Central Committee Manitoba. He says good renewal needs an umbrella organization made up of local people involved in research, planning, coordination and more.

Founded as a corporation in 1998, the renewal corporation is made up of a coalition of Winnipeg community organizations, including MCC. NECRC has identified four priorities for the neighbourhood’s revitalization: safety, housing, economic and employment development, and cultural diversity.

Winnipeg’s North End is home to about 38,000 people, many of them of Aboriginal, Polish, Ukrainian and Filipino background. Over half of the households exist below the poverty line. Unemployment soars above the city average.

Recently, MCC Manitoba purchased a former store on Selkirk Avenue to serve as office space for the renewal corporation. MCC Manitoba bought the 4,000 sq. ft. building for $100,000 and made available another $50,000 for upgrades and furnishings. The money came from the Mennonite Urban Renewal Program, which worked with housing initiatives until it shut down about a decade ago. At that time, it sold its assets and gave about $200,000 to MCC Manitoba. NECRC shares the building with a number of other community services.

Along Selkirk Avenue storefronts are boarded up, and a few doors down from the NECRC’s offices is a hotel notorious for street gang, prostitution and drug activity.

Loewen believes in the future of the North End, but admits that the renewal corporation won’t be real for most people until they see housing improved, streets safer and new businesses opened. Yet 120 people came to its annual general meeting to hear the corporation’s vision. Also, over 200 North End residents and organizations have signed on as members.

When Iona Patterson moved into the North End two years ago, after having lived there in the past, she was determined to help make it a better place to live. “I wanted to do something to change it instead of sitting around and complaining about how bad it is,“ she said.

She also wanted to teach her two children, ages six and 20 months, to do good and help others. Patterson represents the residential sector on the renewal corporation’s board. The board is also made up of representatives from business, aboriginal organizations, labour and others.

Patterson says a lot of people living in the area would like to help make the area better but have become conditioned to minding their own business and staying uninvolved. “Somebody needs to start doing something about this area and get the community involved.”

Loewen says the renewal corporation is trying to work with other existing community organizations to implement projects, but will do its own programming where needed. A number of people give part of their work time to the corporation. As well, two people work there full-time in business and employment development.

So far, a number of homes are being renovated for low income people to purchase or rent to own. As well, some job training is underway, especially linked to the housing renovations. The corporation has held a number of safety conferences and workshops and has been involved with community policing initiatives.

Sylvia Todaschuk is a member of the NECRC board. She runs a boutique just across the street from the renewal corporation’s offices. She’s vitally concerned about the health of this much boarded up business strip. She says it’s too soon to say whether the renewal corporation is the right answer to the area’s problems.

Loewen agrees there is no magical solution to the North End’s problems. He says the renewal corporation still needs to convince government, businesses and others to invest in the area. He says there is no choice but to make it work. “There is no God-ordained reason why this place has to be poor, violent and filled with social problems.”

 – MCC Manitoba

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Last modified August 29, 2000.

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