The provincial government and the City of Thompson are working to address homelessness, addictions and youth crime through their community-led safety strategy in Thompson.
It was announced on March 2 that the province will be supporting a public safety strategy to increase the use of restorative justice in Northern Manitoba.
City of Thompson spokesperson Kacper Antoszewski said that over the last number of years, Thompson and the province have been working with social agencies and community groups to make the most of their resources.
“With the Community Safety Knowledge Alliance and the $35,000 in funding, we are working together to put a robust Community Safety and Well-being Action Plan, one that identifies our strengths, our weaknesses, and our path forward together,” he told the Winnipeg Sun.
“We already had our first few consultation meetings to start the process and bring together the perspectives of over 15 agencies that work in Thompson. We have a lot of committed people who are personally invested in a healthy and thriving community.”
Antoszewski said the response for the safety strategy in Thompson was truly unprecedented.
“The safety strategy is still in development, but the progress is promising, and many of our participants are benefiting strongly from the support. It’s a great example of how effective a housing-first approach can be. However, we’re going to require more funding if this program is to turn into a long-term solution,” he said.
The first strategic planning session with community partners, Manitoba Justice, and the Manitoba Police Commission was held on Jan. 21.
Manitoba Justice spokesperson Julie DeVoin said funding was provided for the programs because the Restorative Justice Act requires that restorative justice services be provided in Manitoba.
“Restorative justice is one of the main pillars of Manitoba’s Criminal Justice Modernization Strategy, and is supported by federal, provincial and territorial ministers responsible for justice and public safety,” she said.
“Greater options for diversion will better serve the community of Thompson by streamlining options for service delivery. For instance, individuals referred to pre-charge diversion can potentially avoid the stigma of a formal charge and receive interventions sooner.”
DeVoin added that restorative justice is often culturally appropriate and responsive to the needs of Indigenous communities and Indigenous offenders who are over-represented in the criminal justice system.
Antoszewski said a part of the bigger plan to better serve Thompson is to use restorative justice programs, like Ma-Mow-We-Tak’s Second Chances for Youth.
“The program offers supervision, supports, and programming, as well as holding youths accountable for their actions through Youth Justice Circles informed by the Seven Sacred Teachings. Youths learn to see themselves as part of a broader community, and understand the wider consequences of their actions,” he said.
“This is different than more conventional criminal justice because it deals with individual punishments to young offenders and often further removes them from their communities. Ma-Mow-We-Tak’s program regularly receives referrals from the RCMP, and provides a promising alternative for our local courts,” he added.
Antoszewski said the province has also launched Restorative Justice North in partnership with Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak and the Manitoba Metis Federation to help guide youth in Northern Manitoba towards alternative streams of justice that may offer stronger opportunities for growth.
“A dedicated restorative justice facility has long been a part of Thompson’s broader strategy for reconciliation and community well-being, outlined in both our economic development plans and the Thompson Aboriginal Accord, and we still hope to see the facility realized,” said Antoszewski.
Another part of the strategy is the province’s Streetreach program, which received $2.1 million in last November to expand the program in Thompson.
“Here, the team helps locate and return wayward youths and identify those at chronic risk of crime or exploitation. The funding also supports the community’s mobilization hub, which helps law enforcement and social agencies work to identify at-risk youth before they’re involved in serious incidents,” said Antoszewski.
Antoszewski added that COVID-19 presented a considerable risk for the homeless residents in Thompson.
“They depend on each other for daily essentials, and many of them have existing health conditions,” he said.
“We have worked with the province, Thompson Homeless Shelter, YWCA, and the Community Advisory Board on Homelessness to secure safe and clean beds for 25 of our most vulnerable individuals living downtown, with funding from Reaching Home: Canada’s Homelessness Strategy. This was an issue that was touched a lot of people in Thompson, and we can’t thank all of our partners enough for mobilizing so quickly.”
Nicole Wong covers northern and Indigenous issues for the Winnipeg Sun under the Local Journalism Initiative, a federally funded program that supports the creation of original civic journalism.
