The West Central part of Winnipeg is a proud community! With long-time residents, many recent immigrants and a variety of businesses, we have lots to be proud of! The people of this community have faced incredible challenges and worked hard to get what they have.

This pride leads us to celebrate our successes and be energetic in confronting any opposition to the health and well-being of our community. We invite you to check out this site and get a taste of West Central Winnipeg. At present, we cover the area from Balmoral to Arlington and Portage to Notre Dame.

Many of the homes in this community were built in the early 1900's. This community has historically been a "starting place" for immigrants. Over the years families and different immigrants would typically work closely with those of similar ethnicity to develop opportunities for each other. In recent years, more people are working together to address the challenges of crime and an aging housing stock.

In the 3 months after we started, the creative and agressive nature of some of our work like posting the license plates of cars observed picking up prostitutes in our area (see page on our site) (news coverage)_has attracted local and even national media attention! There are lots of community groups (and that is great), but here are a few things that make us different...

GRASSROOTS - Ours is the only community group started and led just by local residents & businesses. No outside leaders, non-resident "organizers", facilitators or outside "professional" paid staff - only people who love this community enough to live or own a business here!

We prove our commitment to relieve the stresses in the community - including the tax burden of funding extra outside organizers for people who are quite capable of organizing themselves.

INDEPENDANT - To this point we have received no government funding for our operating expenses - which usually comes with conditions which stifle creativity & agressive action. New Life Ministries (an 18 year respected local ministry) funds the newsletter and serves as host & moderator for meetings, pot-lucks, etc.

Other community groups in the area are sustained
primarily by government funding. On paper they are very busy & very inclusive - but in reality reflect limited interests.and disintegrate when government funding is dropped. A quick review of our links shows the agressive nature of our work which has already attracted national media attention, as well as requests for help from several groups from cities in the U.S..

Sometimes the most vigilant and agressive grass-roots groups are left in the cold by government funders - partially because they are too "independant." We'll let you know whether other groups (including government) are actually working for the community or blowing smoke (& lots of taxpayer money)! We'll give a voice to people and groups neglected and hurt by government "help" which excludes the people who need and deserve it.

ACTION-ORIENTED - Having lots of boards, committees and meetings can sound great - but it's not usually the most effective or fastest way to action. Lots of so-called "community" meetings regularly have more agency reps than local residents and businesses. Chronic complainers & "philosopher kings" also limit results in many community meetings.

For us results are more important than structure, and action is more important than talk!

If you live in our area or own a business here, we need your ideas and energy! Join the over 80 people who are already part of this C.I.A.!

Be where the action is!!
c/o New Life Ministries
514 Maryland Street
Winnipeg, Mb R3G 1M5
Phone: 204-775-4929
Contact: Rev. Harry Lehotsky

    
Sample Newsletter

C.I.A. ACTIVITIES
CIA - Community Rules
CIA - Community Patrol
CIA - Youth Skill Clubs
CIA - Organization
CIA - Meetings

HOUSING
Housing Plan for the West End
Lazarus Housing
Renovated Homes for sale
CIA sample Tenancy Agreement
Other Resources
Review of government "help"

"STREET SENSE"
"Johnny's License Plate?
Prostitution Issues
Planning Deterioration?
Winter Issues
Connect 2 - Free Voice Mail

OUR STREETS
Balmoral / Spence / Young 
Langside / Furby / Sherbrook
Maryland / McGee / Agnes
Victor / Toronto / Beverley
Simcoe / Home / Arlington

ZONING WATCH
Importance of Zoning
Importance of Integration
Wild Tomatoes?
Blue Room?


  
Check out Harry's weekly
newspaper column
in the Sunday
Winnipeg Sun!

You can find some of the past columns at:
INNER CITY DIARY
Bonnie Holunga, long-time owner of Ellice Variety, shared her feelings about the area in an acronym for the West End...

W - Witness (good & bad, struggle and inspiration)
E - Enjoyment (it can be fun living and working here)
S - Salvage (home improvement, doing more with less)
T - Tolerance (diversity, yet people get along well)

E - Elders (appreciation for wisdom & experience of seniors)
N - Novelties (specialty restaurants, shopping, entertainment)
D - Determined (hard-working & persevering people)