Crime shouldn’t define city, says Economic Development Winnipeg

As crime continues to be a major topic in Winnipeg this year, Economic Development Winnipeg (EDW) is urging the community to focus more on the positive stories of 2019.

EDW President and CEO Dayna Spiring admits there are issues when it comes to crime in Winnipeg, but it shouldn’t define the city.

“We do a really lousy job of telling our story and we need everybody to stand up and be ambassadors,” Spiring said.

The year began with a deadly shooting on New Year’s Day and crime has remained steady since.

Winnipeg recently recorded its record-breaking 42nd homicide, while Manitoba’s liquor stores are in the process of installing new secure entrances to deal with constant brazen robberies.

Last month, Winnipeg Police Chief Danny Smyth reallocated dozens of officers to help deal with the spike in crime.

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“These are problems that cities that are coming up on a million people have and we’ve got to figure out how to solve them, no question, but we’ve also got to celebrate the great things that are happening here,” Spiring said.

“We have professional sports teams, we have the ballet, we have festivals, we have a food scene that’s second to none, not to mention the fact that our housing is affordable, daycare is affordable, commute times are 20 minutes.”

Spiring also noted the Blue Bombers Grey Cup victory and recent decisions from companies like SkipTheDishes to invest in the community as reasons to be proud of the city.

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As for the current meth crisis and crime that comes along with it, Spiring said there is work being done, such as the new Downtown Safety Partnership, to deal with it.

“People are putting their minds and their resources together to try to make a dent in what’s an unfortunate situation.”