Written by Hayden Keast – Commercial Credit Analyst, Caisse Financial Group | Leadership Winnipeg Class of 2025/2026
3-minute read
Our Leadership Winnipeg session at the YMCA-YWCA of Winnipeg (the Y) Downtown Community Hub left me with a clear takeaway: progress in Winnipeg’s core depends on alignment. From community organizations to major developers, and through coordinated efforts across all three levels of government, a stronger shared vision for downtown is beginning to take shape.
Kevin Hunter, Vice President of Philanthropy, Engagement, and Impact at the Y, opened with a grounded reflection on the importance of community connection. The Y’s work extends beyond its walls, offering newcomer supports and mental health programs that help individuals and families find stability. What stood out to me most was learning that the Y is Winnipeg’s largest provider of child care. That scale of impact shows how deeply the organization is woven into the daily lives of families across the city.
From there, the conversation shifted to development. True North Real Estate Development’s Gavin Johnstone spoke about the Portage Place project and how it will bring together housing, healthcare, and community services in a single downtown hub. I was struck by how projects like True North Square demonstrate that commercial development can be designed to benefit the wider community, showing that economic returns and social returns don’t have to be separate objectives.
Jackie Hunt from End Homelessness Winnipeg highlighted the critical role of data in guiding decisions. Tools like the Homeless Individuals and Families Information System (HIFIS) and the Point-in-Time Counts provide insight into the realities of homelessness, ensuring that resources are directed where they are most needed. Hearing Jackie speak reinforced for me how essential accurate, accessible, and shared information is for organizations and governments to work effectively together.
Rochelle Squires, CEO of CentreVenture Development Corporation, offered a candid reminder: “If capital could fix downtown, it would have already.” She emphasized that revitalization requires cooperation, strategy, and persistence. With alignment across all three levels of government, there is now a stronger foundation for real, lasting progress – improvements that benefit both livability and the city’s economic base.
The day closed with Greg Burnett from the Downtown Community Safety Partnership (DCSP), who illustrated the impact of collaboration in action. Through initiatives like well-being checks, partnerships with the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service, and Indigenous women’s programs, DCSP uses data to guide interventions that are both effective and compassionate. Their approach reminded me that public safety and community care are deeply interconnected, and that measurable outcomes are possible when efforts are coordinated.
By the end of the session, one thing was clear: downtown revitalization is no longer just an idea or a plan – it is happening through aligned action, shared information, and a commitment to building a community that works for everyone. Listening to these leaders, it was inspiring to see how data, collaboration, and purpose can come together to shape the city we all share.
