North End centre keeps Halloween spooky, but safe

Hundreds of little ghosts, ghouls and spooky creatures packed into the Indian and Métis Friendship Centre Monday on an indoor trick-or-treating mission.

The North End centre was armed with enough candy for more than two thousand kids for its seventh annual Safe Halloween event.

• North End centre desperate for donations for Safe Halloween

The centre has been doling out candy to local families at the event since 2010.

Shortly before the event kicked off at 4 p.m., IMFC executive director Rick Lavallee said candy-seekers were lined up down the street. He's expecting some 2,300 kids to show up, and said more might come thanks to rainy weather.

"It's fabulous," Lavalle said. "I think for some kids Halloween is the most important time of the year besides Christmas, and it's amazing how Winnipeggers come together to supply donations of candy and money, or things like Halloween costumes and so forth."

"We're so honoured to be in a city like Winnipeg and have everybody come together at a time like this. It's great."

Safer alternative

Lavallee said the centre originally set up the event as a safer alternative to traditional trick-or-treating after a triple murder in the area in October of 2010.

This year, the centre had members of Bear Clan Patrol plus its own security staff on site.

Newly-minted Winnipeg police Chief Danny Smyth was also on hand, but he was busy distributing candy.

Smyth praised the community's trick-or-treating alternative as practical and safe.

• Estimated 2,000 trick-or-treaters come to Safe Halloween

"There's lots of supervision, it involves the parents, you're not weather-dependent, which is kind of nice," he said. "I think we're seeing more and more of sort of a community Halloween event instead of the door-to-door trick-or-treating."

This year, the event was limited to kids ages two to 12 in order to meet increasing demand. The centre also put out a call earlier this month to boost candy donations.

Safe Halloween at the Indian and Métis Friendship Centre ran until 7 p.m. CT.