Winnipeg's Bear Clan Patrol operates downtown operations out of the Women's Health Clinic building

Winnipeg's Bear Clan Patrol (BCP) has formed a new partnership with the Women's Health Clinic (WHC) and will soon have a new home as the organizations say they work together to better serve downtown Winnipeg.

BCP, a non-profit organization that helps volunteers patrol Winnipeg neighborhoods and help people deal with dangerous and high-risk situations, announced on Friday that they will be moving out of their current West Broadway office and forming a partnership. their new headquarters is in the WHC building at 419 Graham Ave., a space that includes a patrol hub, meeting space and offices.

WHC Executive Director Kemlin Nembhard said the new agreement will be mutually beneficial for both organizations and the people they serve.

“Having BCP headquartered outside of the WHC building means we can serve the community and build partnerships that align with our clinic and values,” Nembhard said. “Community care means a number of different organizations working together for the benefit of everyone we serve, and this is exemplified.”

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, downtown Winnipeg has lacked programs and services for community members, Nembhard said, and to help close the service gap, WHC has begun providing and offering harm reduction and naloxone. access to bathrooms. WHC also began training staff on how to use naloxone to intervene in overdose situations.

Because of the need for services downtown, WHC said they are confident they can do a better job of providing those services if they comply with the BCP, as they say, “Bear Clan Patrol's roots are in community care – working with the community to build systems that work. to everyone and to meet people where they are.”

In addition to initiating patrols at 419 Graham Ave., BCP also provides safe walk services to WHC clients and staff and any rally, march, or walk organized by WHC.

“We are Bear Clan Patrol Inc. and the Women's Health Clinic look forward to our new working relationship,” BCP Executive Director Kevin Walker said in a press release.

“We would like to thank Miigwech for the opportunity to use this space so that we can continue our dedication to the West Broadway neighborhoods, while also providing presence and much-needed resources to our downtown relatives.”

Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham praised the partnership and expressed optimism about what it could mean for downtown Winnipeg.

“It is wonderful that the Bear Clan Patrol and the Women's Health Clinic have formed this important partnership to help improve community care in downtown Winnipeg,” said Gillingham. “Working together, the Bear Clan Patrol and the Women's Health Clinic are building a stronger, more inclusive downtown for all.”

BCP has a second headquarters on Selkirk Avenue and said they will continue to operate from there.

The organizations expect BCP to be fully installed at their new headquarters in the coming weeks.

— Dave Baxter is a local journalism initiative reporter based out of the Winnipeg Sun. The Indigenous Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.

Dave Baxter, Indigenous Journalism Initiative Reporter, Winnipeg Sun