Council Commits to Addressing Safety Concerns

Council has commenced their new term with a firm commitment to the community to address safety concerns for citizens in the downtown core. 

A special meeting of Council held yesterday provided an initial opportunity to hear the concerns of citizens along with a dedicated opportunity for Council to discuss ideas to address the systemic challenges facing the community. These discussions included immediate actions along with long-term strategies.  

Through these discussions, the Ontario Provincial Police Detachment Commander has provided a firm commitment to increase regular and consistent presence in the downtown. This is an immediate first step to address the safety concerns. “The Ontario Provincial Police Kenora Detachment and its officers are committed to public safety and are committed to ensuring people feel safe in the downtown core. We are committed to making changes to our front line response and are committed to rolling that out as soon as we can”, states Detachment Commander Duggan. 

Council also committed to hiring a community safety and well-being coordinator, and developing a new community safety and well-being plan that will include future community consultations. These steps will provide long-term strategies and coordination of community partners. 

Several other short and medium term solutions will be evaluated over the coming weeks and Council will remain informed of any further potential support that could be added to help address the issues. 

Council is deeply committed and cares about our community. The conversations yesterday are just the start, and we need everyone to come together and present solutions. There will be further community consultation opportunities to present ideas and to keep the public informed on next steps and actions initiated. “This is the first step in our journey together. We have a lot of work to do but know that everyone wants to see the same result, a great Kenora for all to enjoy. Council encourages everyone to be part of the solution and to continue to be part of the conversations. We have an opportunity to end systemic challenges in our community, but we all need to work together”, states Mayor Andrew Poirier.

Our business community is vitally important to the City of Kenora and having a vibrant active downtown makes every community attractive. We need to support our local businesses to ensure that they are here for years to come. Council remains committed to future discussions and collaboratively finding solutions to the safety concerns. 

The public is requested to do their part. If you see suspicious activity, please contact the OPP at 1-888-310-1122. Should you witness a crime in progress dial 9-1-1 immediately.

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