WINNIPEG — Winnipeg’s Community Safety Host Initiative will mark another stage in its expansion next month, with approximately 20 participants from its fourth, fifth and sixth cohorts set to graduate as the community-led public safety program increases its presence across the city.
The graduation is scheduled for Nov. 17 at the Millennium Library and comes as the Winnipeg-developed initiative gains international recognition for an approach that combines public safety, crisis intervention and employment opportunities for people with lived experience.
International Award Highlights Winnipeg Safety Initiative
The Community Safety Host Initiative, or CSHI, recently received the International Downtown Association’s 2026 Pinnacle Award in the Public Space Management and Operations category.
The Pinnacle Award is the association’s highest recognition and is presented to projects considered innovative in urban place management.
CSHI has expanded substantially since launching five years ago. Its first cohort consisted of three graduates who completed their practicum with a single site partner, Winnipeg Public Libraries.
Today, the initiative works with seven partners at 12 sites across Winnipeg and employs 39 Community Safety Hosts. The addition of approximately 20 graduates represents another potential source of trained workers as the program continues to develop.
Community-Led Model Focuses on De-Escalation
Developed by Zoongizi Ode and Persons Community Solutions, CSHI is designed as a community-led alternative to conventional security services in public spaces and locations providing essential services.
Community Safety Hosts receive training in trauma-informed care, harm reduction, crisis intervention, de-escalation, system navigation and relationship-based approaches to safety.
The initiative is grounded in Wahkohtowin, a Cree concept describing the interconnectedness of people and relationships. Its model places an emphasis on early intervention, practical assistance and relationship-building rather than an enforcement-first response.
CSHI also aims to reduce barriers to employment by recognizing lived experience as relevant expertise and providing participants with pathways into paid community safety work.
Program Reports More Than 87,000 Hours of Community Safety Work
Figures released by the initiative show Community Safety Hosts worked 87,242 hours between August 2022 and September 2026.
During that period, Hosts made 89,444 new connections and provided 19,689 referrals to resources. CSHI also recorded 6,353 escalated incidents, with Hosts de-escalating 78 per cent of those situations without requiring police involvement.
The approach is intended to intervene earlier when people are experiencing crises and connect individuals with appropriate resources while reducing situations in which emergency or law-enforcement services are required.
One graduating Community Safety Host, Gavin Courchene, said the training and his experience in the program changed his understanding of the challenges facing people accessing community services.
“I’ve always cared about helping people, but when I first started this job, I realized there was a lot that I didn’t really understand. The training, especially the harm reduction training, it has opened my mind a lot and changed how I look at addiction, suicide, and some of the struggles people go through. Before working here, I didn’t always understand how so many people could end up struggling with addiction. Through the training and my experiences at work, I’ve realized that it could have easily been me, and that I’ve been lucky to have family and other people around me who have supported me throughout my life. I’ve also learned a lot from the people I work with and from the people we support every day. One of the biggest things I’ve learned is that helping someone doesn’t always mean fixing their problems. Sometimes it can just mean listening to someone, or treating them with respect when they feel no one else does. This job has helped me grow.” -Graduating Host, Gavin Courchene.
November Graduation Marks Continued Expansion
The upcoming ceremony will recognize graduates from three cohorts as CSHI continues to expand its workforce and partnerships in Winnipeg.
The growth from three initial graduates at one partner organization to 39 employed Hosts across 12 sites reflects the initiative’s increasing role in public-space safety and community services in the Manitoba capital.
Graduation Details
The graduation ceremony will take place Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2026, at 1 p.m. at the Carol Shields Auditorium inside Winnipeg’s Millennium Library.