Crisis in the North End

This week, I learned from my husband that there has been a major flare-up of gang activity here in the North End.  Probably everyone in Winnipeg knew it before I did.  I don’t follow the news much.  I just live here, doing the day-to-day.  I had a bit more trouble going to sleep the night he told me.  Seems I was hyper-sensitive to every sound I heard.  Last night I kept a fan running.  I don’t know if it was the white noise, or just a few days of realizing that life is much the same, but I wasn’t as paranoid.

I’ve been much more preoccupied with a different crisis going on this week.  I’m sure the kind of crisis I describe goes on all over my community in numerous ways all the time.  It’s the kind of thing that happens when money is tight.  All it takes is one event to set off a chain of events that jeopardize everything.

My neighbours experienced this kind of crisis.  The loss of a job left them with the possibility of losing their home.  Their lives were in the balance.  And a cheque was slow in coming.  Would we lose them as neighbours?  Would they lose their chance to be together as a family?  How would they rebuild?  Who would the landlord get to replace them?

Their story just reached a happy ending this week.  The cheque came at the last possible minute and it was more than they expected.  We celebrated with a collaborative BBQ complete with fancy summer drinks and ice cream.  I’m thankful for this crisis.  Not that I wish this kind of stress on anyone, but I’m grateful for how it taught us not to take our good neighbours for granted and how it brought us closer together.  

The story I just shared is one of many.  I share it because I think it’s important for people to know that there’s more to the North End than what typically gets reported: senseless destruction, loss of life, and crime.  The North End is full of people who are living their lives day-to-day, working hard, struggling with loss, helping each other out, and celebrating small and big victories.  

Life in the North End is fragile.  The environment we live in can be hostile.  When we enter into each other’s difficulties, our lives become rich and we become stronger for it.  That reminds me of a popular song:

“Lean on me, when you’re not strong. And I’ll be your friend.  I’ll help you carry on. For it won’t be long, ‘til I’m gonna need somebody to lean on”.