Province expands services at downtown library space for vulnerable people

A new Downtown Resource Corner aims to connect vulnerable people with support services inside the Millennium Library, in the same space the city once offered similar programming.

On Friday, the provincial government announced it will expand outreach services at the former Community Connections space, reallocating several staff to the site on a part-time basis.

Families Minister Nahanni Fontaine said the rebooted outreach space will come at no additional cost to the province.

Two Families Department staff (including an Employment and Income Assistance worker previously placed at the site), two mental-health support staff and one public health nurse will be adding to services the Downtown Community Safety Partnership already offers in the space.

“Our government and our departments are responding to what we saw as a gap in service…. It’s indicative of the commitment and the dedication that we have towards public safety, but also… meeting people where they’re at,” said Fontaine.

Members of DCSP’s Indigenous Women’s Support Team may also be called to the site on an as-needed basis.

The space in the Millennium Library lobby was where the city began funding its Community Connections outreach program in 2022. Municipal staff connected vulnerable people with social services, such as housing, food security, employment, addictions treatment and mental-health supports.

A city budget cut resulted in the site’s closure on Dec. 31, 2024. At the time, the city estimated it would cost about $628,000 annually to keep the operation going.

The DCSP leased the space from the city and began offering some services in April. Prior to the expansion announced Friday, the organization posted at least three staff at the site from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays.

However, the city received some complaints that program fell short of what was previously offered, in both service hours and drop-in services.

With the new supports, DCSP executive director Greg Burnett said hours will expand to 12-4 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 12-7 p.m. on Wednesdays and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Fridays, within the next few weeks.

“There are some great things that were going on here before, and we want to build on that,” said Burnett.

Justice Minister Matt Wiebe said the reimagined Downtown Resource Corner reflects a commitment to “get tough on the root causes of crime,” by helping prevent tense situations from escalating into crises.

“Public safety is not just about more arrests,” said Wiebe.

The province expects the outreach will ease demands on emergency services.

“That’s what this space represents, a practical, compassionate human response to very complex challenges,” said Fontaine.

The head of the city’s largest union said the downtown flagship library is well situated to provide such supports to vulnerable people.

“It’s going to help library workers, it’s going to help patrons… it’s in the best interests of everyone,” Gord Delbridge, president of the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 500, said in an interview.

Delbridge said the Millennium Library staff members CUPE represents are “very happy” to see the changes.

He noted the number of security incidents rose earlier this year.

“Right after Community Connections closed, (we saw) those incidents increase, so there was a direct correlation there to the value that the service had,” he said.

In June, the city noted the number of unsafe incidents at Millennium jumped by 69 per cent between January and March, compared to the same period last year.

Some community groups and city councillors strongly opposed the closure of Community Connections.

The city continues to post security guards, community safety hosts and community crisis workers in the library.

Coun. Vivian Santos said those staff positions reflect ongoing civic efforts to keep the library safe, and she expects the provincial services will complement what’s currently available.

“I’m always happy to see all levels of government are trying to work together to find solutions for Winnipeggers. So, the fact that the province is coming forward with provincial services, under their mandate, to provide in this space… this seems to be a good project moving forward,” said Santos (Point Douglas).

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Municipal staff and politicians did not participate in the news conference, which Santos said reflects the fact the city did not contribute funding for the service.

While many services are set to continue or resume, the provincial program will include a public health nurse for the first time. The nurse will be at the site every Friday with a focus on “harm reduction and healthy sexuality,” said Fontaine.

Visitors to the Downtown Resource Corner will be able to access a free public phone and photocopy equipment. The site’s gate will be open during operating hours, replacing the appointment-based service DCSP previously offered.

joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca

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Joyanne Pursaga
Reporter

Joyanne is city hall reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press. A reporter since 2004, she began covering politics exclusively in 2012, writing on city hall and the Manitoba Legislature for the Winnipeg Sun before joining the Free Press in early 2020. Read more about Joyanne.

Every piece of reporting Joyanne produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.