Safer Streets in Osborne Village
A community safety team brings resources and a sense of neighbourliness to Winnipeg’s Osborne Village.
By Sarah Laing
Members of the Osborne Village Community Safety team. | PHOTO: COURTESY OF OSBORNE VILLAGE BIZ
THE PROGRAM LAUNCHED IN SPRING 2025, but in their distinctive black shirts and yellow safety vests, members of the Osborne Village Community Safety Team are already a ubiquitous sight in this downtown Winnipeg neighbourhood.
“Osborne is the most densely populated area in [the city]... which means that any safety or social issue tends to really get amplified,” says Zohreh Gervais, executive director of Osborne Village BIZ, the neighbourhood association that runs the community safety team. “The perception of safety sometimes takes a negative hit. We wanted to make sure people really feel safe [here].”
The team delivers both traditional security work and connects folks to available resources. Community Safety Ambassadors are trained in respectful de-escalation practices, first aid and CPR, trauma awareness and crisis response to ensure that the complex needs of individuals in this economically and socially diverse area are handled with sensitivity.
“We want to be the group that helps build those bonds between all the different people in the area, and... helps us all feel that we have somebody we can turn to.”
“We wanted to be a visible presence and help rebuild that sense of community and accountability,” says Gervais, who was inspired by similar programs elsewhere in Canada and Australia. “We want to be the group that helps build those bonds between all the different people in the area, and... helps us all feel that we have somebody we can turn to.” The team works in pairs on two shifts, starting at 2 p.m. or 7 p.m., six days a week. Their presence on the street — until midnight on the later shift — means they can provide valuable supports in an area with lots of nightlife. On any given night, the team might conduct a safety patrol, assist someone who may have overindulged on a night out, dress a wound, or simply offer a bottle of water.
The team also picks up litter, keeps an eye out for used needles and broken glass, and responds to calls from businesses who might need guidance with a safety or social concern. “The ultimate goal is to [support] the person who is causing the disturbance, and to make sure that anybody in the area who is being affected feels comfortable and safe,” says Gervais. “There [are] lots of things that happen where somebody just doesn’t know who to call. The community safety team does a lot of that stuff... [and] they are doing a lot of really great work.” CAA
Community Safety Ambassadors on patrol — easily identifiable by their reflective vests. | PHOTO: COURTESY OF OSBORNE VILLAGE BIZ
Members of the Osborne Village Community Safety team. | PHOTO: COURTESY OF OSBORNE VILLAGE BIZ
(From top) The recently opened greenhouse in Sandy Bay Ojibway First Nation, built with the support of the Centre for Indigenous Environmental Resources, will provide the community with fresh produce; Shianne McKay. | PHOTOS: COURTESY OF THE CENTRE FOR INDIGENOUS ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES
THE PROGRAM LAUNCHED IN SPRING 2025, but in their distinctive black shirts and yellow safety vests, members of the Osborne Village Community Safety team are already a ubiquitous sight in this downtown Winnipeg neighbourhood.
“Osborne is the most densely populated area in [the city]... which means that any safety or social issue tends to really get amplified,” says Zohreh Gervais, executive director of Osborne Village BIZ, the neighbourhood association that runs the community safety team. “The perception of safety sometimes takes a negative hit. We wanted to make sure people really feel safe [here].”
The team delivers both traditional security work and connects folks to available resources. Community Safety Ambassadors are trained in respectful de-escalation practices, first aid and CPR, trauma awareness and crisis response to ensure that the complex needs of some individuals in this economically and socially diverse area are handled with sensitivity.
“We want to be the group that helps build those bonds between all the different people in the area, and... helps us all feel that we have somebody we can turn to.”
“We wanted to be a visible presence and help rebuild that sense of community and accountability,” says Gervais, who was inspired by similar programs elsewhere in Canada and Australia. “We want to be the group that helps build those bonds between all the different people in the area, and... helps us all feel that we have somebody we can turn to.” The team works in pairs on two shifts, starting at 2 p.m. or 7 p.m., six days a week. Their presence on the street — until midnight on the later shift — means they can provide valuable supports in an area with lots of nightlife. On any given night, the team might conduct a safety patrol, assist someone who may have overindulged on a night out, dress a wound, or simply offer a bottle of water.
The team also picks up litter, keeps an eye out for used needles and broken glass, and responds to calls from businesses who might need guidance with a safety or social concern. “The ultimate goal is to [support] the person who is causing the disturbance, and to make sure that anybody in the area who is being affected feels comfortable and safe,” says Gervais. “There [are] lots of things that happen where somebody just doesn’t know who to call. The community safety team does a lot of that stuff... [and] they are doing a lot of really great work.” CAA