Winnipeg | Of Interest

[bomberjet]

Again. European Scandinavian model. Giving the people a place to live and money is cheaper and better than allowing what's happening in Winnipeg.

[drew]

^ that totally depends on what the underlying issues are.

If we are talking about

a) someone who is actually homeless (i.e. living in extreme poverty, cannot afford a place to live).

Or

b) someone who is an addict, and unhoused.

In the case of (a) - yes, the "Scandinavian" method would have some success.

In the case of (b) - not a chance. Sending an addict money and a place to live would be foolish. The money would be spent on whatever they are addicted to, and the housing would be underused and abused in short order.

I think we all know if a census of the street population in Winnipeg was taken - an overwhelming majority of people would fall into category (b).

Unfortunately - there is no quick fix or long term prospects for chronic addicts. It would take a massive funding investment, new short and long term facilities, and in a not insignificant amount of cases, forced treatments and institutionalization.

[bomberjet]

Well of course. But we're still in the "i've tried nothing.." phase.

[drew]

^ A street "census" would be a good start. It would provide a clearer picture of who falls under what categories. And could probably get used to provide a basis for increased federal funding in the case of people originating from indigenous communities.

[pspeid]

Originally Posted by bomberjet

Well of course. But we're still in the "i've tried nothing.." phase.

I think it's unfair to suggest "we've tried nothing...". Addictions treatment centres in Winnipeg treat hundreds of people, and the province has spent millions to open up more spaces.

The trouble is, the need is in the thousands. From what I've read, large numbers of addicts in Winnipeg are using crystal meth, which is apparently not only extremely addictive, but has an incredibly high rate of users returning to their addiction after treatment. From an article by a recovering meth addict in Missouri:

"Some surveys show only one out of two crystal meth users will stay sober for the first three months after they try to get sober. Without formal treatment however, only one in nine users will make it through the first three months. The success rate of crystal meth users to continue sobriety after three years without any rehabilitation or treatment is ONLY 5%. When all relapse incidents are grouped together, it is estimated that 92% of crystal meth users will relapse at least once in their recovery efforts."

Source: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9762226/

Add to this level of "recidivism" the fact that new people are getting addicted all the time, and you can easily get the impression that "nothing" is being done.

[bomberjet]

There's been basically zero effort to get people off the street on north main, and throughout downtown.

I am sympathetic to the addictions, metal health, etc issues. But there is absolutely zero reason to be bringing the entire City down because of these issues. IMO there should be entire arm of police and health officials on the street every single day either shooing people along, taking them in for treatment, or literally to jail for all the crime and other stuff that goes on.

We're in the same vein as my nephews school. They cant do anything about the bully in fear of further escalating the issues. He again literally beats up my nephew on a regular basis and they've done nothing. Same goes here. For fear of being too harsh, bad public perception, etc. We suffer. It's — and I've had about enough of this sidestepping.

[pspeid]

Originally Posted by bomberjet

There's been basically zero effort to get people off the street on north main, and throughout downtown.

I am sympathetic to the addictions, metal health, etc issues. But there is absolutely zero reason to be bringing the entire City down because of these issues. IMO there should be entire arm of police and health officials on the street every single day either shooing people along, taking them in for treatment, or literally to jail for all the crime and other stuff that goes on.

We're in the same vein as my nephews school. They cant do anything about the bully in fear of further escalating the issues. He again literally beats up my nephew on a regular basis and they've done nothing. Same goes here. For fear of being too harsh, bad public perception, etc. We suffer. It's — and I've had about enough of this sidestepping.

I think we have to realize the police and city can only do what the law allows. There are no specific "vagrancy" laws in Winnipeg that allows the police to "shoo" people for sitting around, though the recent by-laws about encampment locations is a form of regulation. Firmer vagrancy laws often become difficult to enact because of the Supreme Court interpretations of constitutional standards.

I can't comment on your nephew's school, though having been bullied myself as a youngster I can sympathize with his plight.

[bomberjet]

People hanging around littering, vandalizing, thieving, doing drugs openly on the sidewalk? Surely there are laws to combat this.

[OTA in Winnipeg]

Originally Posted by drew

^ that totally depends on what the underlying issues are.

If we are talking about

a) someone who is actually homeless (i.e. living in extreme poverty, cannot afford a place to live).

Or

b) someone who is an addict, and unhoused.

In the case of (a) - yes, the "Scandinavian" method would have some success.

In the case of (b) - not a chance. Sending an addict money and a place to live would be foolish. The money would be spent on whatever they are addicted to, and the housing would be underused and abused in short order.

I think we all know if a census of the street population in Winnipeg was taken - an overwhelming majority of people would fall into category (b).

Unfortunately - there is no quick fix or long term prospects for chronic addicts. It would take a massive funding investment, new short and long term facilities, and in a not insignificant amount of cases, forced treatments and institutionalization.

Or
c) fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. Someone address and start dealing with that. It's never been dealt with properly which is why we see the numbers we're seeing now. That's mostly who you are seeing out there.

[pspeid]

Originally Posted by bomberjet

People hanging around littering, vandalizing, thieving, doing drugs openly on the sidewalk? Surely there are laws to combat this.

Of course there are, and each type of crime requires direct evidence of the offence, identification of the specific person or persons involved, and in the case of vandalism proof the destruction was intentional, rather than accidental.

According to what I've read, homeless/addict offenders often do get arrested, but end up in a cycle of arrests, short term detention waiting for trial, release and later re-arrest for similar offences

In Canada, homeless individuals and addicts often do not receive long prison sentences for minor offences due to a justice system shift toward treating addiction as a health issue, the overcrowding of jails, and the recognition that incarceration is ineffective at reducing recidivism for marginalized populations. Instead of long-term prison sentences, courts frequently utilize community-based sentences, probation, or, in some cases, shorter periods of remand or provincial jail time, which often leads to a cycle of release and re-arrest.

The fact that homeless people do not have a fixed address can also be difficult to track down for trail and justice purposes. Fines for people who have no money are kind of a waste of time, and even if an offender does prison time, there's often no resources to help them once they get out. Prisons are also very crowded, so the choice between releasing the guy convicted of smashing a window, vs the guy who killed a helpless granny becomes kind of obvious.

I'm not saying any of this is good or preferable. It's a horrible cycle in an over-stressed system. I really doubt if police, prosecutors or judges find it all that satisfying either.

[1ajs]

heres something disturbing a birdy told me last night that monday night bell mts almost lost the entire 911 phone exchange for the whole province because staff ignored the alarm going off from a power outage aparently was conciderd a laughing matter of a joke by the folks in toronto as the call out alarms are mostly disabled from what i uderstood

[BlackDog204]

Originally Posted by TimeFadesAway

Unfortunately, there's a large minority or small majority of the voting public who, regardless of any rational economic argument, don't want to see taxpayer money going to 'those people.' This is the biggest barrier.

This is a true story, believe it or not:

Back in 2015, I had a temporary layoff from work, as the oil price crash of late 2014 sent the Alberta oil and gas industry into a recession. While I was on temporary EI, I would go to the local food bank, and delivery bread products to the local homeless shelter.

Once, after I was done, I took a break to sit on a bench. Some people at the shelter sat by me, and we had struck up a conversation about the 2015 Alberta election, where the NDP stunned the political World, by capturing a majority Government after 44 straight years of Conservative rule.

I had mentioned to some of the residents of the shelter that the NDP had made a promise to raise minimum wage to $15.00/hr, as it was the lowest in Canada at the time (maybe around $10/hour). As a collective, all the homeless young people said "that was stupid" and "everything is going to cost more" when wages increased.

I actually did a double take. These are people who were living in a shelter, and many of them were unemployed, usually working for minimum wage. However, that is the mentality of many people. They lack the critical thinking skills to understand that the raise in minimum wage would benefit them the most of all the people in the province.

I recently saw a video from Argentina, where a student was saying she was so broke that she was considering moving to another city, or even outside the country due to inflation. However, when asked if she would ever vote for a left-leaning candidate, she replied "Hell no. I hate socialists."

I just have to laugh...

[BlackDog204]

Originally Posted by bomberjet

Again. European Scandinavian model. Giving the people a place to live and money is cheaper and better than allowing what's happening in Winnipeg.

We should be taking lessons from Europe and especially Scandinavia. Unfortunately, too often we look to the meth lab south of us, and copy their policies.

[BlackDog204]

Originally Posted by drew

b) someone who is an addict, and unhoused.

In the case of (a) - yes, the "Scandinavian" method would have some success.

In the case of (b) - not a chance. Sending an addict money and a place to live would be foolish. The money would be spent on whatever they are addicted to, and the housing would be underused and abused in short order.

I completely disagree. More and more people who are under employed and otherwise relatively free of addictions are falling into homelessness in the past decade, due to inadequate housing, and being priced out of the market.

we're forgetting to mention that North America has always had inadequate resources to deal with mental health issues, and this is the main cause of homelessness and drug abuse. Writing people off as "addicts" and leaving them to freeze, or forcing them into jails and institutions looks good on paper, but has failed for decades.

We need to focus on long term solutions. While some addicts will not change, and continue to end up on the street, and equal or greater number will have the potential to reintegrate into society if given the proper resource (I.e a roof over their head, and mental health care).

Unfortunately - there is no quick fix or long term prospects for chronic addicts. It would take a massive funding investment, new short and long term facilities, and in a not insignificant amount of cases, forced treatments and institutionalization.

Doing little to nothing is far more expensive in the long run.

Forced treatments rarely succeed. As the old saying goes, a person has to want to help themselves to truly succeed in overcoming their demons.

[cllew]

Originally Posted by 1ajs

heres something disturbing a birdy told me last night that monday night bell mts almost lost the entire 911 phone exchange for the whole province because staff ignored the alarm going off from a power outage aparently was conciderd a laughing matter of a joke by the folks in toronto as the call out alarms are mostly disabled from what i uderstood

There was apparently a power outage around the area of the Vernon switch in St. James that caused BellMTS some problems. I was surprised to hear that because I thought the major exchanges in Manitoba had both battery backup and diesel generators.

Would this be a reportable incident to the CRTC as it potentially impacted public safety? If so, there will eventually be an abridged or non-confidential version of the post-outage report published on the CRTC site for the public to view.

[1ajs]

Originally Posted by cllew

There was apparently a power outage around the area of the Vernon switch in St. James that caused BellMTS some problems. I was surprised to hear that because I thought the major exchanges in Manitoba had both battery backup and diesel generators.

Would this be a reportable incident to the CRTC as it potentially impacted public safety? If so, there will eventually be an abridged or non-confidential version of the post-outage report published on the CRTC site for the public to view.

i got a rant from someone in the know

it also affected customers internet as the ups's died.. no one went to even check what the issue was till someone doing their checks droped in from what i understood

[jim_bred]

Originally Posted by 1ajs

heres something disturbing a birdy told me last night that monday night bell mts almost lost the entire 911 phone exchange for the whole province because staff ignored the alarm going off from a power outage aparently was conciderd a laughing matter of a joke by the folks in toronto as the call out alarms are mostly disabled from what i uderstood

The phone lines at my kids school was down for a few days and caused chaos.

[Wpg_Guy]

So this is what happens when homeless drug addicts are housed in transitional housing. There are no answers or solutions

‘It’s really awful’
Unruly new tenants unpack fear, safety concerns for seniors in low-income 55-plus North End building
Carol Sanders
Wednesday, Apr. 29, 2026


The Canadian Polish Manor on Selkirk Avenue where elderly and disabled residents say their sense of safety and community has been shattered by drug use and crime since younger residents with addictions and other issues moved in

On a quiet weekday morning, residents of a seniors building in north Winnipeg who ventured from their rent-geared-to-income suites were on high alert.

Elderly and disabled residents at the Canadian Polish Manor say their sense of safety and community has been shattered in the past year by drug use and crime since younger residents with addictions and other issues moved in.

“I’ve never been frightened in my life and now I am,” said Agnes Breton, 73. “I’ve been here 11 years and this is the first year my daughter is at me to move out,” she said Wednesday. “It’s really awful.”

Frieda Campbell, 69, said she and some other neighbours barricade the entrance to their suites, because intoxicated people and gang members roam the hallways banging on doors. Recently, someone discharged pepper spray, prompting Campbell to call 911 as she struggled to breathe.

Breton, who uses a walker, says she’s hyper-vigilant navigating the hallways and elevator. When she does go out, her daughter escorts her to and from her suite, and once confronted a man urinating in the hallway.

In the last year, the lobby has been plastered with posters warning residents to watch their laundry so it’s not stolen, along with names and photos of people who’ve been banned from the 55-plus block.

The intercom system at the front entrance hasn’t worked for weeks, so residents are required to go downstairs to let visitors in or accept deliveries.

“I’m scared of being banged over the head when my prescription comes,” Breton said. The women said there’s evidence of drug dealing in the building, with intoxicated people inside, others appearing to have overdosed in the stairwell and customers whistling or screaming from the street to be let inside.

Allison Bailey, who also uses a walker, said last week she was accosted at the entrance and shoved out of the way by non-residents “tailgating” — trying to get inside. The 62-year-old said if she tries to stop an intruder from entering, she could be charged with assault.

“I feel for these tenants,” said James Heinrichs, executive director of the Winnipeg Housing and Rehabilitation Corp., which manages the Canadian Polish Manor and close to 50 other social-housing buildings.

The organization is reviewing security at the Selkirk Ave. building, which has 169 of the 1,800 units managed by the non-profit corporation, set up 49 years ago to develop and manage inner-city housing.

Extending the hours of a security guard who now watches over the place overnight is under consideration in the building where residents don’t pay rent of more than 30 per cent of their income.

“We don’t have a huge budget,” said Heinrichs.

Security is being reviewed at the building, where residents are advised not to try to stop an intruder and to call police. He acknowledged that a call about someone sneaking past a resident into the building may not be very high on the police priority list.

“They are overwhelmed with situations they’re dealing with on a daily basis,” he said.

Wednesday morning, Bailey and neighbours Campbell and Breton watched as a new tenant wearing a short bathrobe and appearing too young to be a senior opened a back door next to the dining area and let a young man with a bike inside.

“What are you looking at?” she hissed at the wary elderly women. “That’s my son.”

“Welcome to the Polish Manor,” Bailey quipped. She and her neighbours say their safety is being sacrificed in an effort to house the homeless.

They’re not alone, said Erika Wiebe of the Right to Housing Coalition’s seniors working group. A growing number of low-income seniors living in social housing are bearing the brunt of the provincial government’s homelessness strategy, the retired community development worker said.

“This is a huge problem,” she said. “People are moving (in) who are wreaking havoc.”

Wiebe pointed to 22 Strauss Dr. in west Winnipeg, a Manitoba Housing 55-plus block where residents interviewed by the Free Press in 2025 described many of the same safety concerns as seniors at 300 Selkirk. Younger people with addictions and mental-health issues move in — often after being homeless — and refuse treatment and the other wrap-around supports they need.

“There has to be a better option for high-acuity people who haven’t learned to live independently,” Wiebe said, adding that moving them into a 55-plus building with vulnerable seniors shouldn’t be happening.

Just north of downtown, the Canadian Polish Manor is surrounded by poverty, addictions and homelessness, which are growing challenges right across Canada.

“We work with a lot of social services agencies trying to house people,” Heinrichs said. “We don’t know where a lot of these people come from but one of the things we expect is social service agencies are there are with supports.”

While the two dozen agencies WHRC works with are all trying their best to help, there’s not much they can do if a tenant cancels the support provided to them.

What type of situation does that put us in as landlords? We want to do the best we can,” Heinrichs said. “Some things are beyond our control.”

The non-profit corporation can’t tell tenants who they can invite into the building or control someone falling back into addiction, he said.

If someone is causing trouble, they need evidence to take to the Residential Tenancies Branch in order to evict them.

Heinrichs said that Manitoba Justice is investigating concerns at Canadian Polish Manor. Justice Minister Matt Wiebe’s press secretary Ben Leahy confirmed Wednesday that the department’s public safety unit is investigating. Housing, Addictions and Homelessness Minister Bernadette Smith was not made available for an interview Wednesday.

Alison Bailey (left), Agnes Breton, and Frieda Campbell at the Canadian Polish Manor, where residents are fearful of tenants placed there for transitional housing.

Winnipeg Free Press

[TimeFadesAway]

Originally Posted by BlackDog204

This is a true story, believe it or not:

Back in 2015, I had a temporary layoff from work, as the oil price crash of late 2014 sent the Alberta oil and gas industry into a recession. While I was on temporary EI, I would go to the local food bank, and delivery bread products to the local homeless shelter.

Once, after I was done, I took a break to sit on a bench. Some people at the shelter sat by me, and we had struck up a conversation about the 2015 Alberta election, where the NDP stunned the political World, by capturing a majority Government after 44 straight years of Conservative rule.

I had mentioned to some of the residents of the shelter that the NDP had made a promise to raise minimum wage to $15.00/hr, as it was the lowest in Canada at the time (maybe around $10/hour). As a collective, all the homeless young people said "that was stupid" and "everything is going to cost more" when wages increased.

I actually did a double take. These are people who were living in a shelter, and many of them were unemployed, usually working for minimum wage. However, that is the mentality of many people. They lack the critical thinking skills to understand that the raise in minimum wage would benefit them the most of all the people in the province.

I recently saw a video from Argentina, where a student was saying she was so broke that she was considering moving to another city, or even outside the country due to inflation. However, when asked if she would ever vote for a left-leaning candidate, she replied "Hell no. I hate socialists."

I just have to laugh...

As George Carlin said: "Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that."

[pspeid]

Originally Posted by Wpg_Guy

So this is what happens when homeless drug addicts are housed in transitional housing. There are no answers or solutions

I think it shows that transitional housing isn't the answer for all homeless people with addictions. Obviously the residents of this and other blocks should never have to suffer for the actions of a few.

I did a search on the vetting process for getting housing for homeless people with addictions. Apparently they use a number of assessment tools to rank severity of the addiction, medical risk, survival skills etc. to determine suitability for placement. It's a "housing first" model, that doesn't require abstinence prior to placement, though apparently "risk to residents" is also one of the criteria.

This obviously isn't a fool-proof system. When failures occur they can be catastrophic for those around them.

I will point out, though, that we never see articles in the news about "successful" placements of homeless addicts in social housing. We also never see information about addicts who may have initially been suitable candidates for social housing, but had lapsed afterwards.

I'm sure minimizing the occurrence of events like this is very difficult, and they are probably unavoidable unless a model is developed that places addicted homeless people in some sort of mandatory residence/hospital with 24/7 monitoring.