Fire at North End Women's Centre causes major damage, forces shift to services

The North End Women's Centre is having to adjust how it delivers its services in the aftermath of an early-morning blaze sparked on its front doorstep.

"It was a very fast-burning fire," Kris Beaune, the centre's associate executive director, told CTV News.

She said security video shows someone lighting a garbage can on fire outside the centre around 4 a.m. on Sunday. The fire quickly became a raging blaze.

"It's going to be tens of thousands of dollars just based on all of the infrastructure pieces that have been impacted," Beaune said.

Still, she said the fire could have been much worse had it not been for a couple of police officers passing by.

"Officers were flagged down by concerned citizens regarding the fire at 394 Selkirk Avenue," said Const. Claude Chancy, a public information officer with the Winnipeg Police Service.

He said officers were able to extinguish the blaze and called the fire department who arrived shortly after.

The Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service told CTV News the cause of the fire is undetermined, but confirmed no one was injured.

"There's been a lot of arsons in the area, which is always scary for business owners and residents," said Keith Horn, the chair of the North End BIZ.

He said fires like this one are becoming more common in the area and are having a far-reaching impact.

"It affects insurance rates. It affects traffic flows. It affects, you know if I were to sell my business eventually, people say, 'I'm not going to go to that neighbourhood, it’s not safe.' I mean people in the neighbourhood probably feel the same way."

The fire is having an impact on the North End Women's Centre, which typically sees between 80 and 100 people every day for resources and drop-in services. Beaune said some of the services are life-saving.

"We do a lot of harm reduction, so with the toxic drug supply that we're seeing in the community, it is imperative that we be open as much as we can," she said, adding the centre's staff regularly has to administer naloxone.

"Last week, we did three overdoses. Our staff, even though it wasn't always part of the job – it is now. So they're administering naloxone and doing CPR, first aid."

To keep the centre available to the community – many of whom aren't able to travel further for help – Beaune said they have shifted most of their services outdoors for now.

She said it could take three months to repair all the damage. While insurance will cover most of the cost for repairs, Beaune said there have been added costs to move their programs around.

"It's going to be challenging, but our team is going to do the best they can to adjust what we're doing," she said.

She said the centre is always looking for donations, especially bottled water to hand out on hot days.