‘How do we create a space that feels more vibrant, more safe?’ Downtown Winnipeg BIZ annual report

Downtown Winnipeg BIZ says more public art, community clean-ups and even a talent show are the initiatives coming to the city’s core in 2026.

Opening the intersection of Portage and Main to pedestrians, transforming Graham Avenue into an active transportation corridor, and starting Portage Place’s redevelopment were major events in downtown Winnipeg this year, and the area’s business improvement zone says there were many other moments worth celebrating too.

Downtown Winnipeg BIZ held its annual general meeting on Thursday to highlight achievements over the past 12 months and preview plans for the year ahead.

For BIZ CEO Kate Fenske, one big, bold question sticks out.

“How do we create a space that feels more vibrant, more safe?” Fenske told reporters at the annual event.

The organization’s annual report outlined some of its 2025 efforts to spruce up the downtown core while addressing safety concerns from businesses, residents, and visitors.

The report said the return of the Downtown Safety Action Plan allowed the Downtown Community Safety Partnership (DCSP) to add over 30 additional staff members to patrol streets. The report stated over 92 per cent of interventions were resolved directly by DCSP teams, and urgent police calls were reduced by 34 per cent.

“The calls for support and response just keep growing, and so, it is so critical that we make sure that we can meet that demand,” Fenske said.

The BIZ report also said it welcomed 30 new businesses into the fold, including several restaurants, coffee shops, and clothing stores. Fenske couldn’t say how many businesses left downtown in 2025 but said they’re “tightening the gap.”

“There’s less overall activity, but we still haven’t seen that net positive and so that’s something that we’re going to be really focused on in 2026.”

She said the customer base in the neighbourhood is growing and said there’s around 3000 residential units under construction or in the works.

Another area of demand was keeping downtown streets clean. The BIZ said its street team picked up over 1.7 million litres of garbage over the course of the year. Fenske said that’s the highest amount they’ve ever recorded.

“It’s about having a strong team that’s really found efficiencies of how to make sure we get it off the street as quickly as we can,” Fenske said. “But it’s also about how we make sure that garbage isn’t there in the first place.”

Fenske said that will include replacing garbage cans throughout downtown. She said Mayor Scott Gillingham helped replace them on Portage Avenue and Main Street earlier this year.

A spokesperson for the mayor’s office said the city has replaced 121 garbage and recycling bins downtown so far.

“But we’ve got 250 blocks,” Fenske said. “There’s a lot more garbage cans out there, and there isn’t enough funding to replace the rest.”

Fenske said the BIZ is advocating for a portion of on-street parking revenue to be reinvested into the neighbourhood. She said the revenue could help pay for everything from crumbling sidewalks and public safety initiatives to art installations and green spaces.

“Calgary has a really great model where they actually reinvest just 10 per cent,” she explained. “I think that’s something that we could really use here in downtown Winnipeg. It makes it more palatable to pay for parking when you know that it’s going into the neighbourhood and making it look better.”

Fenske said some of the rejuvenation work is already underway. The annual report said the BIZ added new lighting along Graham Avenue, commissioned more than 300 linear feet of murals, and installed 270 flower baskets and planters.

“One of the coolest projects this year was with Bees Please, and we added native plantings throughout [downtown],” Fenske said. “So, we’re actually creating little mini gardens for bees to be in our downtown.”

The report also boasted the BIZ drew more than 80,000 people to summer programming, including farmers markets, concert series, and a downtown family movie night.

Looking ahead to 2026, Downtown Winnipeg BIZ is eyeing several initiatives like art and music activations in the Skywalk, more community cleanup events, and a ‘Downtown’s Got Talent’ show.

“We’re hoping that we’ll discover some new talent, and then we want to provide paid opportunities for those musicians, those performers,” Fenske said. “To not only showcase their talent but really bring energy and vibrancy to the public spaces that we have downtown.”