Millennium Library to bolster number of Indigenous security guards

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This article was published 02/11/2023 (940 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The City of Winnipeg will seek its next contractor to provide security guards at Millennium Library next year with a requirement that half of the 10 employees are Indigenous.

A notice to potential bidders notes the city will release its next request for proposals for uniformed guards in early 2024. A section on hiring criteria notes proponents must provide a written commitment to have a minimum of 50 per cent Indigenous representation among the guards.

The requirement was in place for at least one previous contract, said Karin Borland, the city’s manager of library services.

“I think part of the idea is for security guards to reflect the diversity in the downtown and downtown visitors to the library. It’s a high priority at the Millennium Library,” said Borland.

The requirement was put in place in late 2021, said city spokesman Adam Campbell.

“The requirement was a recommendation that came out of consultation with library stakeholders throughout 2019 to 2021,” Campbell said in an emailed statement.

Damon Johnston, president of the Aboriginal Council of Winnipeg, said minimum targets to ensure diversity and equity when hiring employees in the past have often aimed to match the makeup of the general community. He noted Indigenous people make up about 12 per cent of Winnipeg’s overall population.

The library’s focus on hiring a greater proportion of Indigenous security staff may reflect the fact that many Indigenous people live in the downtown area, Johnston said.

That community is also over-represented among people experiencing homelessness downtown, he added.

“I don’t know the rationale as to why they choose that number but it could be a very positive thing because they’re probably looking at the traffic that’s going to the Millennium Library for different reasons. I would think they believe that having a higher number of (Indigenous) people visible in that role of security would be a good thing,” said Johnston.

He expects the hiring requirement will benefit some people who are at risk of being discriminated against.

“I think good news stories and visible representation of Indigenous people in more positive situations is a good thing. It helps to break down stereotypes,” said Johnston.

In some cases, the move could also help reduce potential barriers, such as when a guard is able to speak an Indigenous language with visitors to the library, he said.

Coun. Markus Chambers, chairman of council’s human rights committee, also supports the requirement.

“If we have individuals that are (representative) of the community that they are serving, there are better outcomes. It’s just being sensitive to the needs of Indigenous communities and making sure that we can provide the proper supports, given the cultural context,” he said.

Due to a labour shortage, the councillor said the city is facing general challenges attracting staff for multiple positions. However, he thinks the benefits of aggressive hiring targets outweigh any potential challenge in finding enough staff to fill the positions.

“The opportunities or the potential outcome outweighs the challenges in terms of what it represents to support individuals in the downtown area,” said Chambers.

joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca

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