Meet Me at the Bell Tower celebrates five years

A weekly event that helps knit together a sometimes fractious community is celebrating five years meet-ups.

Meet Me at The Bell Tower's five-year anniversary drew dozens out on Friday to celebrate.

Co-founder, Michael Redhead Champagne, said the group has lived up to its mission of reducing violence in the North End.

"In 2011, the year that it started, we got together just as many times as a community but it was at funerals, it was as hospitals, and it was at vigils. But today in 2016, we have celebrations like Meet Me at the Bell Tower, we have opportunities like Got Bannock, the Bear Clan Patrol," said Champagne.

The Bell Tower meetingsserveas a model, he said, to other organizations looking to lift up and empower people, especially young people.

"Bell Tower exists to amplify our young people's voices," Champagne said. "I'm so proud."

Last year, Meet Me at the Bell Tower was given theAnnual Human Rights Commitment Award by the Manitoba Human Rights Commission and other civil liberty groups.

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Meet me at the Bell Tower meets every Friday night at 6 p.m. on Selkirk Avenue and Powers Street.