From this Earth: NECRC & the evolution of a development system in Winnipeg's North End

Abstract

The power and promise of the community development corporation (CDC) lies in the way residents can use it to co-ordinate and focus the energy that people and organizations, near and far, are willing to pour into local revitalization. How does such a sophisticated instrument arise out of the organization of a distressed community and remain true to citizen engagement? Winnipeg's North End Community Renewal Corporation reads like a textbook example of the evolution of a multi-stakeholder, multi-functional CDC. It is useful to review this case alongside that of RESO (Richard, 2004) since this Winnipeg CED organization modelled itself along the same lines, adapting the structures and lessons of Montreal to the very different urban context of north end Winnipeg. Also important to note is that just as this organization concluded its developmental phase, the provincial government designed and initiated financing of a policy and several programs that provided for long term core support for neighbourhood-based CED organizations (see Perry, 2002).