Bear Clan Patrol partners with downtown clinic

The Bear Clan Patrol has found a new downtown home through a partnership with Women’s Health Clinic, which is expected to help both organizations better serve vulnerable people.

The new Bear Clan headquarters will be located at a vacant unit in the clinic’s 419 Graham Ave. building. The site will begin serving as a patrol hub and meeting space this spring, though an exact date is still being worked out.

Kevin Walker, executive director of the Bear Clan, said he expects moving the West Broadway chapter of the patrol from its small office at the Broadway Neighbourhood Centre will help it expand its outreach.

“I think having this space will probably generate a lot more volunteers for the downtown area, as well as (allow us) to cover more of the areas down in this region,” said Walker.

Kemlin Nembhard, executive director of the clinic, said having the Bear Clan operate just a few steps away from the clinic’s unit within the same building will allow the agencies to support each other and meet more needs of their clients.

For example, people in need that Bear Clan identifies during its patrols could be provided easy access to more services at one site, she said.

“If people find they’re more in need of medical assistance, then we’re right there… We have groups of people coming together, it just amplifies what we can do. We were really struggling to be able to meet the needs that people coming through our doors (had) that we just didn’t have the resources to actually sustain that,” said Nembhard.

She said the clinic didn’t have enough staff to help people who walk in without appointments, which this partnership will help address.

“We get a lot of people who are coming who just want something to eat, who just want some water, who just want a place to sit and get warm, or a place to sit and… cool (down). Basic things,” said Nembhard.

The clinic says there has been a lack of programs and services readily accessible to downtown residents since the pandemic — and this new partnership will help address that.

Mayor Scott Gillingham said the Bear Clan has devoted many hours toward improving safety in the city, so the effort to strengthen its downtown presence is promising.

“It’s announcements like this today… that give me great hope and great encouragement for the future,” said Gillingham.

Bear Clan will also offer safe walk services to clinic clients and staff, which Nembhard said adds to existing safe walk/ travel options.

The clinic also offers harm-reduction supplies, naloxone and public access to bathrooms. Bear Clan officials say they tend to work with 50 to 100 community members per patrol, by providing food, water, clothing, hygiene products and other essentials.

The new Bear Clan downtown HQ is expected to operate from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesdays, 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays, and 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, though hours could change if volunteers aren’t available.

The patrol also operates out of 584 Selkirk Ave. in the North End.

joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca

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