Advocates convince mayor's inner circle to vote against dismantling Transcona bus shelters

After hours of conversations and speeches from advocates for Winnipeg's homeless population, the mayor and most of his inner circle voted against dismantling two bus shelters on Regent Avenue that are the subject of safety concerns.

On Wednesday evening, the executive policy committee (EPC) voted 6-1 against removing the glass, heating and seating from two bus shelters in front of Kildonan Place Mall.

Coun. Shawn Nason (Transcona) brought forward the idea to city hall this month. He's said he's received countless public complaints about unsheltered people occupying and using substances in the shelters for more than two years.

At Wednesday's EPC meeting, more than 20 advocates for people experiencing homelessness shared their concerns that this move would stigmatize unsheltered people.

"This is just another waste of taxpayer money. This is another move to sweep things under the rug once again," said Victor Mondaca, who works at N'Dinawemak, a 150-bed shelter at 190 Disraeli St.

Mondaca said in an interview he believes this is a reaction to seeing homelessness in Winnipeg neighbourhoods that haven't in the past.

"I think they get to see a glimpse of what we see every day. They see small bits and pieces without fully understanding situations," he said, adding he's concerned these decisions will be made without that context.

"Without consultation with Indigenous-led organizations, without proper resources being funnelled into certain areas, this is a continuous problem that's going to keep happening," he said.

"Just because you remove one aspect of this doesn't change the entire situation."

Some Winnipeggers came to share their personal stories of either working with unsheltered people or experiencing homelessness themselves.

'These people are human': student

Amber LaPlante, a University of Manitoba social work student, spoke of her own experience using bus shelters as a resting place when she was a displaced teenager.

"People who are living unsheltered — it's not like they just wake up one day and think 'I just feel like being a pain in city councillors' butts. I feel like being a burden,'" she told committee.

LaPlante has worked at different homelessness organizations in Winnipeg and her family is from Little Saskatchewan First Nation.

"These people are human. These people have families. ...and to dismantle these shelters because you don't like what you see, and you don't want to deal with that? I'm not going to make assumptions, but maybe you should spend some time with them."

Mayor Brian Bowman told reporters he's against dismantling the bus shelters, but recognizes more needs to be done to address the root issues of the situation.

And that, he said, goes beyond his role.

"We're hearing from community leaders that there's an acute issue within the delivery of health-care services for those who are affected by housing needs, mental health, addictions. Those need to be better addressed by the level of government responsible for those services," he said during a news conference.

"We've done our best within the confines that we have, both jurisdictionally and financially."

Coun. Jeff Browaty (North Kildonan) wants to see the bus shelters gone. He said he believes the situation on Regent Avenue needs to be addressed immediately.

"I think all Winnipeggers, we're frustrated with the level of homelessness and it seems to be getting worse, not better," he told reporters.

"I don't think anybody expects removing a bus shelter is going to fix or even help homelessness. The problem is we have an emergency situation at a major commercial hub in our city. It is right outside a children's toy store," he said, referring to the shelters outside Kildonan Place Mall. Browaty said he's heard of violence happening at the shelters, too.

The councillor said he'd be open to long-term suggestions to address homelessness in Winnipeg, but not the ones two dozen organizations suggested in a letter on Tuesday, including a supervised consumption site.

"I think the long-term solution is anybody who's physically able to get back into the workplace and become self-sufficient, do everything possible to help do that," he said.

"People who, you know, could be going down that wrong path sooner than later — find them a new job. Find them supports they need immediately so that they don't go down a really dangerous and bad cycle of despair."

In the end, Browaty was the outlier who voted yes to dismantling the shelters.

Coun. Cindy Gilroy (Daniel McIntyre), Mayor Brian Bowman, Coun. Markus Chambers (St. Norbert-Seine River), Coun.  Brian Mayes (St. Vital), Coun. Matt Allard (St. Boniface) and Coun. Sherri Rollings (Fort Rouge-East Fort Garry) all voted against.

The motion continues to council next week for the final decision.