Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - January 31, 2025, Winnipeg, Manitoba THE architect behind a proposed apartment block in the parking lot of the Sherbrook Inn hopes the development will create a safer, more vibrant West Broadway. An open house organized by Cibinel Architec- ture at the Sherbrook Inn Thursday afternoon included renderings of the six-storey mixed-use development, which included two-storey suites along Furby with private yards and apartments ranging from studios to three-bedroom suites. A 1,000-square foot commercial space on the first floor is also included in the design. Com- munity members received a letter from Cibinel seeking feedback on the project last week. “We’ve put out a design and it’s a starting point, and we want feedback from the neighbourhood, so hopefully we get that,” Cibinel head George Cibinel said at the open house. The project is set to begin construction in Janu- ary 2026 and be ready for tenants by spring 2027. The controversial bar and beer vendor came under new ownership in May after it suddenly closed its doors. In the time since, new owner Neil Soorsma has promised the bar and vendor would reopen, but it would be a safer, higher-end spot. Cibinel said security is part of the apartment’s plan and he’ll work with Soorsma on safety concerns. The design of the block, especially the suites with private yards, are meant to mimic the look of the houses in the area and create a more direct resident presence, he said. “There’s more eyes on the street, there’s more interaction between the people who live here and the neighbours,” Cibinel said. Visitors to the open house were excited about the possibility of affordable housing in the com- munity. Cibinel has promised 25 per cent of the possible 86 suites will be affordable in line with the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation MLI Select program’s affordability criteria. “Up to” eight of those will be in line with Mani- toba Housing’s affordability requirements. Valerie Beardy, who has lived nearby for 35 years, said the lot is a prime location to live. “It’s close to the bus routes and stores and just walking distance from a lot of places,” she said. Another visitor expressed concern about the loss of parking in an area where street parking is typically always packed and said he was skeptical the building could improve safety in the area if the Sherbrook Inn’s vendor returns as planned. “It’s night and day. If that vendor gets re- opened, it’s going to be the Wild West again,” he said. “Since it’s been closed, it’s been like living in the country around here.” West Broadway BIZ executive director Eric Napier Strong said the neighbourhood needs more mixed-use spaces that bring residents at different income levels together. “This space, this corner, has had different iden- tities in its history and at times, it has not always been a source of positive feelings for the commu- nity,” he said. “And so seeing it redeveloped with a vision to renew this area and to bring something new to the community is very exciting for us.” Soorsma said the Sherbrook Inn, which will be re-named the East Gate Inn, is working toward a “slow” reopening in the near future. malak.abas@freepress.mb.ca FRIDAY JANUARY 31, 2025 ● ASSOCIATE EDITOR, NEWS: STACEY THIDRICKSON 204-697-7292 ● CITY.DESK@FREEPRESS.MB.CA ● WINNIPEGFREEPRESS.COM SECTION B CONNECT WITH WINNIPEG’S NO. 1 NEWS SOURCE ▼ CITY ● BUSINESS ● BRODBECK, CONTINUED ON B2 TOM BRODBECK OPINION A SPATE of overdoses in the inner city on Sunday from a toxic street drug is a stark example of why Manitoba is in dire need of super- vised consumption sites. Ten people overdosed in the area of Main Street and Logan Avenue Sun- day afternoon from a drug known as “brown down,” a mixture of substanc- es that can be potent enough to kill. The toxicity of Sunday’s batch, which triggered a drug alert, was un- usually high and could have resulted in death for some were it not for the immediate intervention of the Mobile Overdose Prevention Site, operated by Sunshine House, as well as members of the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service. Five of 10 overdoses happened at the mobile prevention site where staff administered naloxone to the victims, which helped reverse the effects of the overdoses. Five other overdoses occurred in the same area, all within a two-hour period. Some victims were treated by fire-paramedic staff. The upshot: no one died, but they could have, were it not for the imme- diate intervention of mobile unit staff and paramedics. But it was a close call. Some staff from the mobile unit came in on their day off and the unit was stretched to the limit. The mobile unit is a valuable re- source, but it has limitations. How much more proof is needed to convince those, including many Conservative politicians, that a per- manent supervised consumption site is desperately needed in Winnipeg to help prevent tragic deaths and to con- nect people struggling with addictions with treatment options? “It saves lives, gets people connect- ed to the services they need and con- nects people to the path of recovery,” Addictions Minister Bernadette Smith said earlier this week. Smith and the NDP government have chosen a location for a super- vised consumption site in Point Douglas on the Disraeli Freeway. While the process has been clumsily handled (the province chose the site before consulting with community members), the need for this service is unquestionable. Evidence from around the world, including in Canada, shows the harm reduction approach not only saves lives but connects people with health care and addictions services some might not otherwise know about or have access to. The proposed site would come com- plete with nurses and allied health- care staff and would provide drug users with a safe place to use drugs and to access harm reduction sup- plies, such as clean pipes and needles to reduce the spread of communicable diseases. Sadly, some politicians are opposed to the sites, including Manitoba’s Pro- gressive Conservative party. When the Tories were in government from 2016 to 2023, they refused to sup- port the sites, largely for ideological reasons. In Ontario, Premier Doug Ford’s Conservative government passed legislation last year to close 10 supervised consumption sites, even though a report found that doing so would increase overdose deaths and flood hospital emergency rooms with overdose cases. Federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is a staunch opponent of harm reduction policies, including supervised consumption sites, calling them “drug dens.” It’s unclear how far he would go in banning them should he become prime minister later this year. Opponents of supervised consumption sites need to do their research A $13.5-million deal to “lease to own” a new police helicopter received final approval on Thursday, even as its hefty price tag was questioned. Councillors Jason Schreyer (Elm- wood-East Kildonan) and Brian Mayes (St. Vital) expressed concern about the lease price, since it’s far higher than the $3.5 million spent on Winnipeg Po- lice Service’s first helicopter in 2010. “I would like to support this but … the price in 2010 was $3.5 million with a lot of provincial assistance,” said Mayes, noting the province paid the operating costs at the time. “It’s inarguably (now) $900,000 a year for 15 years … Why is it four times more expensive?” The councillor further questioned why council wouldn’t buy the helicop- ter instead or at least consider whether doing so would save money. “I actually am not opposed to the idea of a police helicopter … (but) I’m op- posed to a report that says (it’s almost) $14 million,” said Mayes. Coun. Markus Chambers, chairman of the Winnipeg Police Board, stressed a new helicopter is needed and the lease will allow for future changes. “If new technology is on the horizon … (WPS) can opt out of their (lease) agreement. This is a good deal for the police service, it’s a good deal for the citizens of Winnipeg, who are wanting to see us invest in safety in our com- munities,” said Chambers (St. Norb- ert—Seine River). WPS credits its existing helicopter for safely ending high-speed chases, finding missing people and helping lo- cate potentially dangerous suspects. The service says the helicopter can cross the city in minutes, allowing “eyes” on active events from up to 15 kilometres away. In 2023, the “Air 1” vehicle was dis- patched to 1,941 emergency calls. Of those, 1,459 were deemed high-risk, including 100 vehicle chases. The heli- copter is also credited with locating 401 people that year, including 200 involved in a criminal event. Chambers briefly raised his own pricing questions with reporters, noting he had spotted a sale price of US$3.3 million for the Airbus H125 helicopter model police selected. However, WPS said the helicopter’s base price is about $4 million and it would cost $4 million more to outfit it as a fully functioning police vehicle. “The lease-to-own (agreement) is based on the $8-million cost … plus fi- nancing costs over 15 years. The con- tract will allow for the city (to) end the lease at specified points, which could mean purchasing it outright or termin- ating the lease to purchase with penal- ties,” a WPS spokesperson wrote, in an email. WPS said the exact points at which the lease could be terminated are still being determined. Chambers said that response ad- dressed his questions. New $13.5-M police helicopter approved by council ‘Good deal,’ police board chair says as ballooning cost questioned JOYANNE PURSAGA ● HELICOPTER, CONTINUED ON B2 PHOTOS BY MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS The proposed six-storey mixed-use building slated to be built in the Sherbrook Inn parking lot would start construction in January 2026 and take about 15 months to complete. Valerie Beardy was one of many people at an open house Thursday who are interested in the potential new apart- ment development that would be in the parking lot for the Sherbrook Inn. MALAK ABAS All bets off if beer vendor returns, open house visitor suggests Safer neighbourhood touted in apartment proposal for Sherbrook Inn parking lot ;