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It was a couple of weeks ago, just as the cold weather was really starting to settle in, when I was making my usual 15-minute stroll to Canada Life Centre ahead of that night’s Winnipeg Jets game I’d be covering.
I’m a creature of habit, and so I typically park in the same lot prior to every game. Given that I usually head down about 90 minutes before puck drop, there’s usually not a problem finding an open spot.
As for not trying for something a bit closer, I don’t mind the walk — I try to hit at least 10,000 steps per day, so this always helps in that regard — but I must admit my pace always picks up as the mercury drops. And that 15-minute walk can get closer to 10, especially on nights like this one when I neglect to bring both a tuque and mitts.
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(Yeah, I can hear my mother giving me heck as I type this. Sorry, Mom!)
In any event, as I got close to the downtown rink, a scene up ahead caught my eye. There, on the sidewalk grate that blows hot air, was a rather disheveled gentleman who’d made himself at home.
Given that he had a couple of bags of personal belongings with him and he was sprawled out, I’m going to make the assumption that this was where he planned to hunker down for the night.
Now within earshot, I overheard a brief conversation going on between a security guard — he may have been from Cityplace directly across the street — and the poor soul who was seemingly just trying to stay warm.
“You’re going to have to leave. There’s a game tonight. You can come back in a few hours,” the guard said.
Rather than poke my nose into a situation, I kept walking briskly and was inside the building a couple of minutes later. But that whole scene has been bothering me ever since.
Sadness. Anger. Guilt. All of those emotions come to mind.
We, as a society, need to do so much better. And simply trying to sweep a visible problem under the carpet is no solution.
The idea that this gentleman, who may not have an actual bed to call his own, would be ushered away just so the 14,000 or so folks who’d be flocking to the arena didn’t have to see or deal with it is offensive.
As far as I could tell, he hadn’t been bothering anyone. He was simply minding his own business, trying to survive the elements.
And the contrast of what was going to happen a few steps inside — multi-millionaire athletes playing a game in front of cheering fans who shelled out big bucks to watch it live — made it even more jarring.
I had a similar reaction to several emails I received in response to a column I wrote about why the Jets are struggling to fill their building. Among the many reasons folks cited was downtown safety, with the suggestion that some are simply too scared to leave the suburbs and head downtown.
To be clear, this isn’t just a “Winnipeg thing.”
As I’ve travelled across North America last season and early in this current one, covering the Jets on the road, there’s been a noticeable uptick in the amount of people I’ve seen in and around the arenas who clearly need a helping hand.
I’ve walked past tent cities in Washington, D.C., and Edmonton and St. Paul, Minn., and San Jose, Calif. I’ve seen people experiencing obvious mental health issues. I’ve witnessed people snorting and shooting up drugs.
Having covered crime and justice for more than two decades, I’m anything but naïve to the various issues facing society. I’d also like to think I’m more sensitive to them as a result.
And now, as the weather has gotten even nastier in recent days, that gentleman (and countless others in similar situations) has been on my mind even more.
Monday’s discovery of a 27-year-old woman frozen to death inside a St. Boniface bus shelter drives home just how desperate the situation has become.
I was heartened recently to see the provincial government authorize a $3.6-million grant to the Downtown Community Safety Partnership — a project with numerous stakeholders including True North, the Downtown Winnipeg BIZ, police and paramedics — with the goal of providing enhanced social and health services.
Jets co-owner Mark Chipman is chariman of the partnership and spoke of needing to address a “humanitarian crisis”.
According to a news release, it includes “24/7 support and non-emergency responses, as well as prevention and outreach for people on the street and those struggling with addictions and mental health issues.”
That’s a good first step. But there’s miles to go here.
As I learned during all that time in the courthouse, there’s no quick fix, no magic formula. Housing should be a basic right, especially when you live in a climate as unforgiving as ours. And getting to the root causes — rather than shuffling them from point A to point B — is the only real way to make any progress.
A lot heavier content than usual, for sure. But allow me to share another Jets-related observation that warmed my heart this past week.
I was at the Hockey For All Centre ( the “Building Formerly Known As Iceplex”) last Saturday, where the club was having a practice following an ugly 4-1 loss the night before to sad-sack Columbus.
That would be the same Blue Jackets that were down 6-0 after the first period to Columbus last night and ultimately lost 9-4, with the incredible Tage Thompson taking a run at hockey history by scoring five times (all before the second intermission).
In any event, as the players started coming off the ice to head to their room, former captain Blake Wheeler made a beeline towards three young girls — one of whom was in a wheelchair — and their parents.
What followed was a lovely visit between them, with Wheeler handing over his stick, plenty of pucks and sharing laughs as they posed for photos.
You could tell how much it meant to all of them.
It was only later in the day that I learned more about this family. Nori Wall from Portage la Prairie was the girl in the wheelchair.
Nori was first diagnosed with cancer in November 2019 but got a clean bill of health in April 2020 following extensive treatment. Unfortunately, an MRI done in February 2021 found the cancer had returned, with spots on both her brain and spine detected.
Please join me in sending all the good thoughts you can towards this brave little girl and her incredible family. You can read about “Nori’s Journey” in this Facebook page her mother, Haleigh Wall, is keeping. And, if so inclined, you can donate to the GoFundMe set up by their close family friend.
I’ll leave you this week with yet another reminder that dogs, forever and always (or should that be fur-ever and always) remain the absolute best.
These photos were taken by my wife and daughter of our two amazing rescues, Bodie and Piper.
I hope they brighten your day as much as they do mine.
Stay warm. Stay safe. And be kind to each other.
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