Winnipeg's Bear Clan Patrol to headquarter downtown operations out of Women’s Health Clinic building
Winnipeg’s Bear Clan Patrol (BCP) has formed a new partnership with the Women’s Health Clinic (WHC) and will soon have a new home, as the organizations say they will work together to better serve Winnipeg’s downtown core.
On Friday, BCP, a not-for-profit organization that sees volunteers patrol Winnipeg neighborhoods and help people to deal with unsafe and high-risk situations, announced that through the partnership they will move away from their current West Broadway office, and set up their new headquarters at the WHC building at 419 Graham Ave., in a space that will include a patrol hub, meeting space, and offices.
WHC executive director Kemlin Nembhard said the new agreement will be mutually beneficial for both organizations and for the people they serve.
“Having BCP headquartered out of WHC’s building means that we can serve community and build a partnership that aligns so well with our clinic and our values,” Nembhard said. “Community care means several different organizations working together for the greater good of everyone we serve, and that is being exemplified here.”
According to Nembhard, since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic there has been a lack of programs and services for community members in downtown Winnipeg, and to help address the service gap, WHC began providing harm reduction supplies and naloxone, as well as offering access to their bathrooms. WHC also began training staff on how to use naloxone to intervene in overdose situations.
With services being needed in downtown, WHC said they believe they can do a better job of providing those services if they align with BCP, because they said, “Bear Clan Patrol’s roots are in community care – working with community to create systems that work for everyone and to meet people where they are at.”
In addition to starting patrols out of 419 Graham Ave., BCP will also offer safe walk services to WHC clients and staff, and marshalling services for any rally, parade or walk WHC organizes.
“We look forward to our new working relationship between Bear Clan Patrol Inc. and Women’s Health Clinic,” BCP executive director Kevin Walker said in a media release.
“We’d like to say Miigwech for the opportunity to utilize this space so that we can continue our dedication to our West Broadway areas as well as establish a presence and offer much needed resources to our relatives throughout the downtown region.”
Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham praised the partnership, and expressed optimism about what it could mean for downtown Winnipeg.
“It is wonderful the Bear Clan Patrol and Women's Health Clinic are forging this important partnership to help improve community care in downtown Winnipeg,” Gillingham said. “By working together, the Bear Clan Patrol and Women's Health Clinic are creating a stronger more inclusive downtown for everyone.”
BCP has a second headquarters on Selkirk Avenue, and said they will also continue to work out of that location as well.
The organizations expect BCP to be fully set up in their new headquarters in the coming weeks.
— Dave Baxter is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter who works out of the Winnipeg Sun. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.
Dave Baxter, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Winnipeg Sun
