Sept. 18, 2023, Treaty No. 1 Territory, Winnipeg, MB – Business owners and employees attended Downtown Winnipeg BIZ’s Downtown Speaker Series event at East India Co. today to hear from the Mayor on how the City is addressing downtown safety. The event was the first in a series to be held quarterly, where Downtown Winnipeg BIZ will connect members with experts and decision makers on issues affecting downtown.
“The issues we’re experiencing downtown are not unique to Winnipeg, but they have an impact on the businesses that have committed to this neighbourhood,” says Kate Fenske, CEO of Downtown Winnipeg BIZ. “We are excited to bring the downtown business community together with the Mayor at this event to hear more about what the City is doing, share ideas and explore solutions together.”
Over 60 members of the Downtown Winnipeg BIZ attended the Downtown Speaker Series event. The attendees represented a variety of industries including restaurants, hotels, property management and retail. Employees of large offices located downtown were also in attendance.
“There isn’t one simple solution to address the challenges our downtown is facing,” says Mayor Scott Gillingham. “I’m committed to collaborating with Downtown BIZ and other partners to make our downtown streets safer for everyone, whether they live, work, go to school or visit downtown Winnipeg.”
At the event, Mayor Scott Gillingham shared the City’s plans to make downtown safer, including more visible presence in the neighbourhood, funding for 24/7 safe spaces, and working with partners in the social services sector and other levels of government.
The Downtown Winnipeg BIZ is focused on getting more people downtown as vibrancy and density will improve safety in the neighbourhood. The organization also highlighted its collaboration with the Downtown Community Safety Partnership (DCSP) for improving safety downtown since it began operating 24/7 in early 2021.
Downtown Speaker Series concluded with mingling and refreshments to encourage the downtown business community to continue the conversation and discuss collaborative solutions to improve safety together.
Downtown BIZ will hold the next Downtown Speaker Series event early next year.
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