Portage la Prairie group to hold 'Stop the Violence' march after back-to-back homicides

Two separate homicides in and around Portage la Prairie, which happened within hours of each other, have motivated a group of people to start a conversation about meth use and violent crime in the western Manitoba city.

"I've had enough of sitting and watching my community fall apart," said Ashleigh Laperle, one of the organizers of the Stop the Violence March slated to take place in Portage la Prairie next month.

"Sitting back and ignoring the problem isn't making it go away."

In the early hours of May 20, a 22-year-old was fatally shot at a home in Portage la Prairie. RCMP have since charged an 18-year-old Portage la Prairie man, Laurent Beaulieu, with second-degree murder. Police also charged a 17-year-old girl from Long Plain First Nation with being an accessory to murder after the fact.

Hours later, at 8:20 p.m., RCMP found a 51-year-old man dead, just outside of MacGregor, about 35 kilometres west of Portage. Investigators are treating it as a homicide.

"Innocent lives are being taken," said Laperle, 30.

Meth-related crimes on track to top 2018: police

The two violent incidents sparked a need for action, she said. Laperle and others hope to unite locals around a common goal to draw attention to what she sees as the causes of violence in Portage la Prairie — namely meth.

While RCMP haven't linked meth or drugs to either death, Laperle said the city where she has lived her whole life has been changing in recent years, as several Manitoba communities have struggled with meth crises.

Meth-related crimes in Portage in 2019 are on track to top the numbers of similar crimes in previous years, said RCMP spokesperson Sgt. Paul Manaigre in an email.

As of Tuesday, police had linked 25 files to the use of meth so far in 2019, Manaigre said, compared to 29 throughout the entire year in both 2018 and 2017.

"I can't let my kids go outside in the evening, it's just not safe," Laperle said. "Even me as a 30-year-old, I don't feel safe on the streets at night.… I used to be comfortable."

She said she has a relative who is in the process of getting treatment for a meth addiction. Laperle feels there aren't enough supports and resources available to those struggling with substance use disorders in Portage la Prairie.

"We also need to come together and show these dealers... the people who are bringing this stuff into our community that, you know, you're not welcome here," she said.

Laperle said the Stop the Violence March will take place on June 29, and organizers hope family of the two men who were killed feel comfortable taking part.