Governor General walks with Winnipeg's Bear Clan Patrol

Canada's Governor General may have started the first day of her first official visit to Winnipeg with provincial dignitaries, but she chose to finish it with a walk through one of the city's poorest neighbourhoods with a group of its finest ambassadors.

Gov. Gen. Julie Payette met with members of Winnipeg's Bear Clan Patrol Monday evening before taking a walk through the North End neighbourhood they guard.

"You're very, very famous here in Winnipeg," Payette said to a cheering crowd of dozens of volunteers as she entered the Bear Clan's headquarters on Selkirk Avenue.

"I wanted to be part of this and to see first hand what you do."

Payette took the time to meet with volunteers and pose for photos before donning a Bear Clan vest and hitting the streets to walk several blocks with the group.

The group's executive director James Favel led Payette on a tour of the neighbourhood to explain how the group makes connections within the community and advocates for safety.

"I purposely chose the route so I could tell the most stories," said Favel.

"We went to McKenzie [Street]where there's a lot of exploitation and a lot of drug trafficking activities going on, so I took herthere to show her what was going on."

The walk led Payette past where 35-year-old Kenneth Wood was shot and killed over the summer, and down the street where Mavis Ducharme was attacked and killed in 2016.

Favel said he wanted to show Payette the types of struggles the community deals with.

"These are the tragedies that we have to deal with in this community on an ongoing basis and I wanted her to know that," he said.

Payette said she knew of the work the Bear Clan did and wanted to see it first-hand. She told the volunteers that the work they do goes far beyond just keeping the neighbourhood safe.

"You do a lot more than this, you provide hope and belonging" she said.

"Because you are part of the community, you've seen itand you do it for the community, with the community."

'An honour to meet her'

Vanessa Roulette has been walking with the Bear Clan for the past 10 weeks. She wasaddicted to methamphetamine for three years before getting clean and joining the patrol.

She admitted she didn't know much about the Governor General before her visit.

"I didn't know who she was, I did a lot of research for about aweek.I was like, 'Who is this lady?' And then I was like, 'Whoa, she's been to space,'" said Roulette.

"It was an honour to meet her and to walk with her and to show her what Bear Clan does day-to-day."

"She was interested, she asked a lot of questions," she said.

Roulette credits the Bear Clan with keeping her clean and sober and giving her a family to support her.

She wanted Payette to see the powerthe community has when it comes together.

"I was grateful to have her in my group today, it was awesome, that's an experience that I get to take home with me," said Roulette.

Favel said it was the positivity of the community, not the struggles, that he wanted Payette to remember.

"We have wonderful people here that are supportive and helpful and caring and kind and considerate," he said. "And I want that to be the message that goes home with her."

Governor General walks with Winnipeg's Bear Clan Patrol

6 years ago

Duration 0:45

Gov. Gen. Julie Payette met with members of Winnipeg's Bear Clan Patrol Monday evening before taking a walk through the North End neighbourhood they guard.