Reimagining Winnipeg’s downtown — again

Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 23/10/2022 (696 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Our family has run a small restaurant in downtown Winnipeg for more than 30 years. In the early 1990s, when we first opened, Winnipeg’s downtown was at a crucial juncture: vacancies were high, residential rates were low and the exodus to the suburbs by both residents and businesses was in full swing.

The downtown would experience a revival, however, starting in the early 2000s and continuing up until the start of the pandemic. But after more than two years of restrictions and lockdowns, the devastating effect on two decades of progress is, regrettably, that we are back to the starting point we were facing in the ’90s.

So we once again have to ask ourselves, “How can we reimagine our downtown?”

Traditionally, downtowns have been central shopping hubs. Residents from all over the province could come downtown and buy almost everything they needed or wanted. Today, while we may no longer have the variety of retail options we once had, we are starting to see the establishment of independent stores, started by young entrepreneurs focusing on clothing and specialty items.

We have also seen a rise in the number of restaurants and museums which are contributing to a sense of culture and identity that is specific to Winnipeg.

This new awakening, envisioned through the lens of community, diversity and inclusion, could be a powerful stepping stone for a city writing its next chapter. But it will need champions at the municipal level to support its continued growth.

Investment and return on investment mean different things to different entities. For an entrepreneur, small or large, investing in a core traditionally means access to large groups of people — workers, visitors and residents. To support them, municipalities need to establish clear policies, positions and programs that are ready to meet the goal of continued growth.

New (and returning) councillors could help by providing developers with incentives to focus on residential builds and mixed-use commercial spaces, encouraging more entrepreneurs and residents to relocate to the core. As Winnipeg’s population continues to grow and the city expands outward, gridlock will become increasingly problematic and the cost of alleviating it will increase.

Programs that encourage housing downtown could create cheaper alternatives for our cash-strapped city while simultaneously injecting cash back into the city’s coffers.

From a municipality’s standpoint, downtowns are some of the most revenue-rich places in the city. Existing infrastructure, office and residential density lead to a high return of revenue, with little burden on the city’s infrastructure. The City of Winnipeg has a tremendous leadership role to play in revitalizing downtown.

That leadership can come from the mayor, all of council, or through a reworking of the a city’s charter with the province to create a newly installed downtown councillor whose sole goal would be to advocate for, and give a voice to, the most valuable acreage in the province.

Moreover, a clear strategy of making downtown “clean, safe and vibrant’’ could pay huge dividends for the city. A concentration on clean and maintained boulevards and green spaces, as well as city lighting through art and other innovative means, are good starting points.

Building cohesive communication networks between downtown agencies, patrol groups and transport networks would go a long way toward “safe.’’ This could mean reviving the Downtown Safety Network or establishing a new program that connects people and places.

Lastly, vibrancy is key, and vibrancy is people. A continued focus on downtown events, promotion of Winnipeg as a destination for work and play, and a return-to-work strategy for downtown spaces will contribute to revitalization in the near and long term.

But we cannot meet the challenges of rebuilding our downtown until we confront the social issues that are undermining its potential — societal questions that have always existed downtown and have only been exacerbated during the pandemic.

These challenges require all of us, as a community, to listen and respond collectively with meaningful action. All of our agencies, led by the city and its political leaders, will have to face what we have put off for too long if we want to rebuild the heart of our city.

For all municipalities, Winnipeg included, downtown is the soul of the community. It is where we gather, celebrate and nourish our shared experience. Regrettably, it is also where we have learned to forget what is really important: our past, each other and our collective future.

A good friend once said, “We didn’t get here overnight; it took decades of neglect.” But we can get better, and it won’t take as long, as long as we know the way.

Sachit Mehra is general manager of the East India Company.