Addressing the issues at Adanac

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 03/05/2023 (1044 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Adanac Apartments is a 48-suite building on Sargent Avenue that has been the site of multiple fires, violence, homicides and sex and drug trafficking. The building has faced many challenges including an illegal dumping site, full of mounds of garbage which pile up on a near-daily basis. We have heard that homeless encampments were moved into the building during the winter, to be protected from the cold.

The Adanac has been the subject of multiple heated town hall meetings in the Notre Dame constituency. The assistant chief of the Winnipeg Fire and Paramedic Service, the director of fire prevention, Winnipeg Police community services and Daniel McIntyre city councillor Cindy Gilroy have all raised concerns.

In my discussions with the minister responsible, I have asked that the government provide financial support for wraparound supports for those facing homelessness, and they have indicated they are willing to collaborate, but we negotiating what that may look like. Many Adanac residents have continually faced lack of housing, food insecurity, and mental-health struggles, and they desperately need support to overcome the barriers they face.

I have been inside the Adanac and met with tenants. Many units have no locks, and there are many missing or broken windows and doors. Many units do not have running water, sufficient heat or appliances. All the tenants I recently visited keep their stove elements on and oven doors open to stay warm. Despite these unsafe living conditions, tenants say this is still better than being homeless.

We have also been collaborating with both the Downtown Community Safety Partnership and St. Boniface Street Links. They are willing to expand their supports, and are working to develop community supports in the area. Street Links is working on creating a home base in the area to provide support, and the Clean Slate Program aims to help those who are leaving correctional facilities and those who are unable to find employment. These changes would help many to find some work, from which they can build positive change and help them to escape the cycle of poverty and unemployment that they are in.

The willingness for the government and community organizations to work together to support these residents brings me hope, and I look forward to seeing results in the coming weeks and months.

Please don’t hesitate to contact my office for more info at 204-788-0800, email is at notredame1@yourmanitoba.ca, or come see us at 849 Notre Dame Ave.