The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs Supports the Decision to Retract Motion to Dismantle Regent Bus Shelter
June 23, 2022
Treaty One Territory, Manitoba
alexpapineau
Treaty One Territory, Manitoba –The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs (AMC) acknowledges City of Winnipeg Councillor Shawn Nason’s decision to retract his motion to dismantle two bus shelters on Regent Ave. The move was supported by the City of Winnipeg’s Standing Committee on Infrastructure Renewal and Public Works (SCIRPW) at their June 9, 2022, meeting.
On June 15, 2022, the City of Winnipeg’s Executive Policy Committee (EPC) heard from 17 participants who spoke in response to the SCIRPW’s motion to remove “all-glass walls, doors, seating & electrical units from the 2 Westbound bus stops on Regent Avenue directly in front of Kildonan Place Mall.”
AMC Acting Grand Chief Cornell McLean, Lake Manitoba First Nations, said, “I acknowledge the courage of the individuals who shared their personal experiences and those who came forward to speak for our unsheltered relatives. We stand with them and urge the City of Winnipeg to create safe supports and non-punitive solutions.”
“There is a poverty and homelessness crisis in Manitoba. 60 percent of the homeless population is Indigenous, we know that many of our unsheltered relatives are First Nations. In an era of reconciliation that acknowledges that Winnipeg is on Treaty One Territory, the heart of turtle island, our relatives suffer the most at the hands of government decisions. Dismantling bus shelters is a punitive and careless approach that will not provide any form of meaningful resolution to this crisis,” said Cora Morgan, AMC First Nations Family Advocate.
Instead of dismantling bus shelters, Councillor Nason and Sherri Rollins (Fort Rouge-East Fort Garry) have signed a motion to create more than 150 new low-barrier transitional housing units to help address the homelessness crisis in Winnipeg.
Cora Morgan said, “I am hopeful that this new approach is a step forward to supporting our unsheltered relatives. We have been working in partnership with End Homelessness Winnipeg and other community partners to take the lead in coordinating meaningful efforts to address issues faced by those who are unsheltered to go far beyond affording basic shelter.”
“The decision from Councillor Nason to take a different, more humane approach is a step towards reconciliation. I also want to extend an invitation to the City of Winnipeg to work together to develop a First Nations-focused strategy,” said Acting Grand Chief McLean.