Approximately 20 new Community Safety Hosts will graduate as the internationally recognized Winnipeg initiative continues to grow
WINNIPEG, Manitoba — The award-winning Community Safety Host Initiative (CSHI) will celebrate the graduation of its 4th, 5th and 6th cohorts on November 17, 2026, welcoming approximately 20 new graduates to Winnipeg’s growing community-led approach to public safety.
The graduation comes just months after CSHI received the International Downtown Association’s 2026 Pinnacle Award in the Public Space Management and Operations category. The Pinnacle Award is IDA’s highest recognition and honours the most innovative and inspiring projects in urban place management.
The initiative began five years ago with three graduates completing their practicum with a single site partner, Winnipeg Public Libraries. Today, CSHI works with seven site partners across twelve sites, currently employs 39 Community Safety Hosts across Winnipeg, and is preparing to welcome approximately 20 more graduates.
The Community Safety Host Initiative is a community-led alternative to conventional security that creates safer, more welcoming access to public spaces and essential services. Developed by Zoongizi Ode and Persons Community Solutions, the initiative employs and invests in people with lived experience, equipping Community Safety Hosts with extensive training in trauma-informed care, harm reduction, crisis intervention, de-escalation, system navigation and relationship-based safety.
Grounded in Wahkohtowin, a Cree word describing the interconnectedness of people and relationships, CSHI shifts safety from an enforcement-first model toward one built on connection, dignity and practical support. At the same time, the initiative addresses barriers to employment and creates meaningful career pathways by recognizing lived experience as expertise.
The impact of this approach is reflected in CSHI’s outcomes.
Between August 2022 and September 2026, Community Safety Hosts worked 87,242 hours, made 89,444 new connections, provided 19,689 referrals to resources, and de-escalated 78% of 6,353 recorded escalated incidents without requiring police involvement.
By emphasizing early intervention, relationship-building and de-escalation, Hosts can support people experiencing crisis while reducing unnecessary reliance on emergency and law-enforcement resources.
“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.
The November graduation recognizes not only the accomplishments of approximately 20 Community Safety Hosts, but the continued growth of a Winnipeg-developed approach to safety that is now receiving international recognition for its emphasis on community knowledge, extensive training and human connection.
