Downtown safety group wants to move into space at Millennium Library

A downtown safety organization is hoping to move into a newly vacant space at the Millennium Library.

The Downtown Community Safety Partnership (DCSP) made a proposal at a meeting of the Executive Policy Committee (EPC) on Wednesday, saying it should move into what was formerly the library’s Community Connections space.

Greg Burnett, executive director of the DCSP, said the organization has been working from the library since 2019, adding that it’s been actively involved in the space for years.

“The hope here is that in true Winnipeg fashion there’s a way to problem-solve through this and provide some supports, particularly for everyone downtown and those most in need,” he said.

CTV News Winnipeg previously reported that funding for the library’s Community Connection Service was cut at the end of 2024. A motion before the city’s community services committee earlier in January called to have the funding restored, which would mean taking $628,000 from the upcoming budget. The committee voted to send the idea to EPC.

Burnett said working from the space would allow the DCSP team to engage with community partners and agencies.

“With DCSP our offices are normally on the streets themselves,” he said.

“We engage and connect with people all the time, every day, day in and day out. So we could connect with others in that space or help people along in the library. However that may look in some hybrid way.”

- With files from CTV’s Katherine Dow.