Over 7,400 needles removed from Winnipeg’s downtown since April: report

The city’s public works department says thousands of needles have been removed from downtown areas thanks to a two-person crew.

Thousands of needles and hundreds of pipes have been removed from city parks and other areas since the spring, according to a new city report.

The report, submitted to the city’s executive policy committee, reveals that a proactive cleanup crew established in April has removed 6,358 needles and 177 weapons—mostly knives or sharpened objects—from assigned sites. An additional 1,064 needles were also removed by other city staff, such as gardeners and refuse collection staff.

The document indicates a collection crew of two staff “regularly visited 16 assigned sites within the downtown area to monitor for and remove dangerous debris” between April 14 and Oct. 3.

Topping the list for most needle-riddled site was Fort Douglas Park—located off of Waterfront Drive in South Point Douglas—with 1,055 needles collected by the crew. The Assiniboine Riverwalk saw 925 needles removed, followed by Central Park with 672 needles.

Other assigned sites included St. John’s Park, Stephen Juba Park, the Millenium Library, Mostyn Park and Bonnycastle Park—all of which were each scattered with hundreds of needles.

“Typically, riverbank parks with encampments had the highest number of needles found,” reads the report prepared by the public works department. It notes that crews were directed to not enter encampments and that Mostyn Park could not be cleaned in July and August due to the encampment’s size.

The report also mentions that the crew removed 1,293 pipes and 659 bags with remnants of drugs from the areas.

“Overall, the program was a success as parks were made safer with needles and other debris regularly removed,” the report reads.

The downtown cleanup program is expected to continue until 2028, though the report mentions six additional locations for consideration: Vimy Ridge Park, Jacob Penner Park, Cornish Library, Alderman John O’Hare Park, Broadway Neighbourhood Centre and the Dynasty Building.

It says expanding the program to those locations would cost an additional $28,200 per year and would add a third staff member to the crew. $62,250 has been spent on the program to date.

The report is expected to be discussed at the executive police committee meeting on Dec. 9.