After a year of relationship building in the streets, Makwa Patrol looking to expand in Kenora, Ont.
CBC
A street outreach group in Kenora, Ont., is celebrating the first year of its existence and looking ahead to expand its services and impact with vulnerable people living in the small northwestern Ontario city.
The Kenora Makwa Patrol, which is administered by the Kenora Chiefs Advisory, provides a range of supports to people in need on a 24/7 basis, including handing out meals and water, connecting and transporting people to additional services, and supporting emergency response by police and ambulance services.
"What we're trying to do is form a relationship, and I think we've done that over the past year. We've formed a relationship with those living on the street, so we know what their needs are," said Joe Barnes, the executive director for the Kenora Chiefs Advisory.
He added the street patrol group has actually helped take pressure off police and ambulance services in the city, because people are able to call the Makwa team for support or crisis intervention.
The first iteration of the program was developed after 16-year-old Delaine Copenace went missing in February 2016. While provincial police called off their ground search on March 14, volunteers including members of the Winnipeg-based Bear Clan Patrol continued to look for the First Nations girl.
Copenace's body was found March 22 in Lake of the Woods. Two days later, Ontario's Office of the Chief Coroner said they found no evidence of foul play in her death, although the girl's mother cast doubt on that ruling, telling CBC News she believed her daughter was murdered.
It was shortly afterwards that leaders in the city decided they needed a street patrol group to improve safety in the community and address gaps in service.
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