A neighbourhood watch program is relaunching in Selkirk.
After a break of a few years, the Bear Clan Patrol will once again monitor the streets of Selkirk. Mike Calder and Cheryl Magnusson are starting up the program.
Calder, a residential school survivor, is a member of Peguis First Nation and lived in Selkirk before moving to Winnipeg where he worked for 42 years as the director of Indigenous services of the Behavioural Health Foundation.
Calder moved back to Selkirk last year. When talking with a friend, it came up that Selkirk was in need of the Bear Clan.
“Every community could use extra eyes on the street,” said Calder, an Elder and Knowledge Keeper. “We’re not out there to change the world. We’re just out there to make it a little bit safer.”
The Bear Clan Patrol was first launched in Winnipeg in 1992. After a few years, the patrol took a pause until returning again in 2015.
“It came about as a result of the ongoing need to assume our traditional responsibility to provide security to our Aboriginal community,” the Bear Clan Patrol website states. “The concept behind the patrol, then, is community people working with the community to provide personal security in the inner city in a non-threatening, non-violent and supportive way.”
Selkirk has had a Bear Clan Patrol before but it disbanded a few years ago. Calder said the new Bear Clan plans to be fully launched in May. Until the launch in May, there will be meetings to ensure the program is as effective as it can be.
“The Bear Clan is a group of volunteers that have a commitment to the community they live in, and they just want to see that community thrive,” he said. “We’re eyes for the public.”
The Selkirk Bear Clan has attended a few events in the city, including Holiday Alley, to talk with people in the community about the program. Calder said the RCMP is on board to assist the Bear Clan.
The patrol program is looking for volunteers who are interested in participating in the neighbourhood watch.
“A typical day [when monitoring the streets] would be come out about four o’clock, then we’ll make up two groups of people if we have enough,” Calder said. “We’ll send one group to one quadrant of Selkirk and another group to another quadrant, and then we’ll walk until probably about 11:30 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday.”
Those interested in helping out can search “Bear Clan” in the Meanwhile in Selkirk Facebook group to find out when meetings are.
There are currently about 15 members of the Bear Clan, and Calder wants to thank them for all their work so far. He also wants to thank all of Selkirk for the city’s support.
“They put their trust behind us to get this going and stand behind us,” he said.
