Last Friday, I was joined by members of our Board and Senior Management Team at the annual State of the City address, hosted by the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce. Mayor Gillingham stressed his commitment to improve public safety and tackle violent crime in order to support growth and economic activity downtown and throughout Winnipeg.

We know coordination and collaboration among all levels of government and sector experts is critical to address issues of crime and safety, and we’re pleased to hear the mayor’s commitment to work with the federal government to address bail reforms that target repeat offenders.

Meanwhile, the Downtown Community Safety Partnership (DCSP) plays a critical role in improving safety downtown and we’ll be following closely tomorrow as the provincial budget is tabled to see if the province will respond to our specific ask for increased funding for DCSP, as well as additional funds to make the Downtown Safety Action Plan year-round. Provincial officials have said the budget will address health care, the economy and actions to combat tariffs. If you’re experiencing direct impacts as a result of the tariff dispute, please get in touch with our team, info@downtownwinnipegbiz.com

Finally, while the team will be monitoring the budget tomorrow, I will be on route to Cape Town, South Africa to represent downtown Winnipeg at the 2025 World Town Leadership Summit. I’ll be joined by my peers from Japan, New Zealand, Sweden, Ireland, the UK, South Africa, the U.S. and Canada to discuss how our cities are evolving and share real solutions to move downtowns forward. We’ll also be shaping a global declaration for our industry as we continue working together to revitalize neighbourhoods around the world. I love getting ideas from other cities – in our industry, R&D stands for Rip-off and Duplicate!

Here at home, next up on our agenda is sprucing up downtown for spring as our team prepares for a busy season of events!

Mark your calendars! Our annual Downtown Spring CleanUp presented by Manitoba Hydro and sponsored by Wawanesa, will take place this year on Thursday, May 1.

Every year, we roll up our sleeves and work together to give downtown a fresh look after the spring melt. Last year, a record number of nearly 700 volunteers joined forces to pick up litter and support the important work of our Wawanesa Enviro Team, who keep our neighbourhood clean seven days a week.

Registration opens on Wednesday, April 2, so start rallying your teams now. Stay tuned for more details.

At the BIZ, we are proud to work with so many inspiring women who care deeply about our downtown community and the future of our city. Every day, I'm honoured to work with our predominantly woman-led senior management team and our Board, chaired by Amelia Laidlaw, which includes women who own businesses and lead large employers.

We encourage you to visit and support Downtown BIZ members whenever you can – here are a few of the businesses run by women entrepreneurs in our zone:

• Ambience Hair Studio – salon
• Bison Books – book store
• Boomerang 360 – retail store
• Cavalier and Textur Hair Design – barber shop
• Coal and Canary – retail
• Dodo Style – salon and retail
• DConstruct – jewelry store
• Fete Ice Cream and Coffee – retail
• Freshcut Downtown – flower shop
• Fort Garry Hotel – hospitality
• Garrick Hotel Bar – hotel and bar
• Helene’s Bridal Salon – salon
• Indulge Café and Bakery – coffee shop
• La Panaderia – bakery
• Lavanda – coffee shop
• Magic Room Spa – services
• Mondays Cafe – coffee shop
• Pretty Young Thing Nail Salon
• Pilates Downtown – fitness
• Red Cherry Cafe
• Tandem Collaborative – marketing services
• Tall Grass Prairie Bread Company – bakery
• Teekca’s Boutique

Thank you,

Kate Fenske, CEO
Downtown Winnipeg BIZ