With a number of recent fires in vacant homes in Winnipeg’s inner city — including some that led to emergency demolitions of the buildings — residents say they’re fed up with the city’s crime rate and the potential danger to the community.
Darrell Warren, president of the William Whyte Residents’ Association, says his group did a survey of the number of vacant houses in the area that have been burned, and came up with a total of 90.
It’s a number he says is far too high, especially for a relatively small geographic area.
“I believe somebody is setting these fires deliberately and we need to apprehend these people and put and end to this,” Warren told Global Winnipeg.
“If you live next door to one of these properties, it’s a shame that every night you have to worry… is your house going to go (up in flames) with it?”
Warren praised the area’s community spirit and said despite having a high crime rate — which he attributes primarily to poverty — William Whyte is full of people who want to make a difference.
“There are people… who want to make stakes here and raise a family in this area,” he said. “It’s not a bad area to live in. A lot of us are long-time residents. There’s a lot of good people in the area. It’s a good area and it’s a very neighbourly community.”
Long-time residents aren’t the only ones hoping to inspire change in the area.
Cordillia Stevenson, a member of the Sacred 7 Youth Council based out of the Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata community organization, said she wants to give her fellow young people a chance to focus on something positive.
Stevenson, who volunteers and discusses youth and Indigenous issues at community events as a member of the council, said she’s seen young people getting involved in negative activities first-hand.
“When there are opportunities and workshops and anything positive for these kids to put their time into, it takes away from all the negative things they could be doing instead,” she said.
“Having those good people and good workshops and good activities for these children to do and spend their time, I think that would make all the difference.”
Stevenson said one problem that needs to be tackled head-on is that of racism — with a lot of negativity directed toward the area’s Indigenous population.
Point Douglas community advocate Sel Burrows said he also believes giving youth positive activities can help stem the crime rate.
“We’ve got 13-year-old girls knifing people, we’ve got 13-year-old girls in the Youth Centre… because they have nothing to do and they’re involved in crime,” he said.
“They cut back and they cut back on recreation. Inner-city kids have nothing to do. There’s no silver bullet to fix this, but getting them something to do…
You drive by the suburban community centres and school grounds on the weekends, there’s hundreds of them playing soccer… Drive in the inner city. Nothing.”