News

In 2019 the West Broadway Directors Network (an informal coalition of Executive Directors representing West Broadway-based non profit organizations, businesses, facilities, and faith groups) partnered with the Manitoba Research Alliance to engage in a community consultation and planning process focused on drug use, underlying conditions, and local impact. The resulting document, while using methamphetamine as a touchstone, sheds light on broader social and systemic issues, offering a critical yet proactive perspective on drug use and how our community can move forward to better serve the needs of its residents.

The West Broadway Community Methamphetamine Strategy was born from the collaborative efforts and communal concerns of members who sit on the West Broadway Directors Network (WBDN), a committee spearheaded by the West Broadway Community Organization. In 2015, members of WBDN voiced concerns about the rising use of injectable drugs—most specifically concern for people using the drugs, and the associated issues such as the spike in property crimes, littered needles on the street, and the safety of resident businesses and organizations.

The West Broadway Strategy aims to present a framework specific to the needs of the community that involves the voices of those who have been omitted thus far—people who use drugs. The strategy intends to destigmatize those who use methamphetamine, provide a platform for their stories, and demonstrate that the “meth crisis” in Winnipeg is actually much more complicated than just a crisis of methamphetamine itself. As illustrated in the Findings section, the use of the word ‘crisis’ varies depending on the individual. The consensus of whether or not we are experiencing a crisis is also in debate within the communities of people who use methamphetamine. This strategy intends to paint these various perspectives, while bringing to life a deeper analysis of the issue that has been missing in mainstream discourse.

An Executive Summary of the document is available here. For more information or to set up an interview with designated members of the West Broadway Directors Network, please email WBCO's Executive Director at [email protected]