West End BIZ highlights innovative spirit in work to improve neighbourhood

Joe Kornelsen was alarmed, until he realized he was witnessing employee innovation.

The West End Business Improvement Zone executive director expected to be the first one at the office when he arrived at 5:15 a.m. one day in July, only to find the non-profit’s truck running outside. Concerned, he entered the building cautiously and found Jose, the staff member in charge of the organization’s street cleaning team, already at work.

Unbeknownst to Kornelsen, Jose had implemented a 5 a.m. planter-watering shift to avoid daytime traffic — a move that on some days allowed Jose and his team to water 300 planters and 55 hanging baskets in half the time.

Kornelsen relayed the story to a crowd at the BIZ’s annual general meeting on Wednesday to illustrate all staff members at the organization are continually thinking of new ways to improve what they do.

“It’s no small thing to just start coming in at 5 a.m., right?” Kornelsen said. “And it is in the interest of saving time, saving resources and allowing those resources to be deployed in novel and better ways on behalf of members.”

Kornelsen highlighted the BIZ’s efforts to maintain and improve the Winnipeg neighbourhood’s image, as well as contribute to the safety of its residents during his remarks at the lunch-hour AGM.

Staff have collected 8,000 five-gallon buckets of litter, Kornelsen noted, which equates to 50 per cent more litter picked up this year over last year. He added, in recent months, the organization purchased its first vehicle for its patrol team, which responds to safety concerns.

“Oftentimes, we would show up too late to be of any assistance and now what we’re seeing is members raving to us about the speed the patrols are able to show up,” Kornelsen said.

Meanwhile, the BIZ’s efforts to beautify the West End are ongoing. For the third time in four years, Kornelsen noted, the organization has partnered with Coun. Cindy Gilroy (Daniel Mclntyre) to deliver a major capital project to the neighbourhood.

The first two projects resulted in 15 new murals being added to the West End in fewer than two years. The latest project will be a $140,000 renovation of Sri Sathya Sai Park at the corner of Sargent Avenue and Banning Street.

Improving Sargent Avenue is an important goal for the BIZ, Kornelsen said, given it’s a major airport route and may shape people’s perceptions of the West End and Winnipeg as a whole.

“An innovative, feedback-driven and leadership-oriented spirit is taking hold in the West End and driving us forward stronger than ever before,” he said toward the end of his remarks.

BIZ treasurer Rick Shone highlighted the organization projects excess revenue of $95,616 as the result of an increased amount of grants and sponsorships, plus operational savings. The excess revenue will be carried over to 2026 programming.

“Overall, the BIZ is maintaining a healthy and stable financial position and continues to maximize its resources as best as possible,” Shone said.

Every business (excluding non-profits) within the boundaries of the BIZ pays a levy based on its annual rental value.

The BIZ’s 2026 budget requires an estimated levy rate of 1.88 per cent to be applied to the total ARV, Shone said, which is consistent with the levy targeted for 2025. The BIZ has one of the lowest levy rates out of the 16 business improvement zones in the city, he added.

In addition to the $802,139 the BIZ will collect in membership contributions in 2026, the organization also expects to receive $482,139 in grants, partnerships and other contributions.

“Our proposed 2026 budget offers $1.284 million worth of programming, projects and services for a levy cost of only $802,000,” Shone told the crowd.

Michael Paille, co-owner of Cobra Collectibles on Sargent Avenue, praised the BIZ’s work. Street cleaning team members dispose of garbage fast and efficiently, he said, and they speak with community members who continually dump garbage on the ground.

“Having a BIZ zone where we can call someone and they’ll come down and talk to the people really benefits (us),” Paille said.

There are approximately 1,000 businesses operating in the West End. The BIZ is geographically the largest business improvement zone in the city.

aaron.epp@freepress.mb.ca