Downtowns association makes pitch on Parliament Hill

Kate Fenske has an agenda on Parliament Hill: draw attention and support to Canadian downtowns struggling with crime, drug use and homelessness.

“Without safe streets, there’s no real environment for business confidence or community well-being,” said Kate Fenske, chief executive of the Downtown Winnipeg Business Improvement Zone.

She chairs the International Downtown Association Canada, an organization representing more than 250,000 businesses and property owners and districts.

Fenske is representing IDA Canada during a string of meetings today with federal politicians in Ottawa.

“It’s really important for us when we’re having these conversations with elected officials that there’s a general shared understanding of how critical strong downtowns are,” Fenske said.

Downtowns across Canada generate 75 per cent of the nation’s gross domestic product, IDA Canada says.

In Winnipeg, a majority of downtown businesses are locking their doors during operating hours, Fenske said. The Downtown Community Safety Partnership, which the Downtown Winnipeg BIZ co-founded, can’t meet the call demand, she added.

It’s her third consecutive year visiting Ottawa for IDA Canada. Last year, Fenske advocated for bail reform and support to help with homelessness, mental health and addictions.

The federal government’s recent announcement on introducing stricter bail laws is welcome, Fenske said.

She’s seeking a multi-partisan approach involving all three levels of government and federal outreach to downtown business improvement zones in order to further address downtown challenges.

Violent crime in downtown Winnipeg has jumped 14 per cent over the five-year average, city police data show. Still, the 4,896 cases counted between August 2024 and July 2025 is a 2.1 per cent drop from the prior 12 months.

Downtowns throughout the country face similar situations, Fenske noted, adding mental-health struggles and homelessness don’t equate to crime.

Fenske highlighted transformations happening at the downtown former Hudson’s Bay flagship store and Portage Place mall as signs of a changing core.

Office vacancy has decreased and events draw thousands of people.

Traffic is “steady,” Fenske said, adding not all cities have returned to pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels.

She plans to meet with Manitoba MPs Ben Carr, Terry Duguid and Ginette Lavack, among other politicians and bureaucrats.

Winnipeg’s downtown noted a net loss of four businesses during the second quarter of 2025, according to a BIZ report.

gabrielle.piche@winnipegfreepress.com