Thunder Bay Bear Clan looking for more volunteers to help with safety patrols

An organizer with the Bear Clan in Thunder Bay, Ont., says the group is looking for more volunteers as it continues to establish itself in the northwestern Ontario city.

The purpose of the group, which conducts frequent evening walkabouts in areas of the city deemed to be high-risk, is to help keep potentially vulnerable people as well as the community at-large safe.

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"The main objective of starting the Bear Clan now was just to be out there, be extra eyes for the police and maintaining safety in our community," said Anna Betty Achneepineskum, who is also a Deputy Grand Chief with Nishnawbe Aski Nation.

Bear Clan patrols in Thunder Bay have been running since May and Achneepineskum said, despite a strong initial response of people volunteering to conduct them, it has been difficult at times keeping those numbers strong week in and week out.

There [were] a few times where, if myself and one of the other team leads couldn't come out, then pretty well there was no patrol," she said, adding that other outings have been better attended. Volunteering with the Thunder Bay chapter is open to anyone 18 and older, Achneepineskum said.

The Bear Clan announces the dates it intends to patrol on its Facebook page, Achneepineskum said, adding that the goal is to spend anywhere from three to 12 hours per week, walking along areas such as Thunder Bay's waterways, near Marina Park and along some secluded recreation trails. Volunteers generally gather near the Neebing-McIntyre Floodway near the May Street bridge prior to starting their shifts.

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The group's efforts have already helped some people who volunteers have encountered, Achneepineskum said.

"We have found individuals out there, where we had to call the police and take them home, especially the young people," she said. "I think we [have been] able to avoid having them getting into more harmful situations or perhaps a vulnerable situation."

In other cases, patrols give out things like blankets, clothing, bus tickets and other necessities; the group has also made donations to Shelter House, Achneepineskum said, adding that, should it be necessary, the group has also had training in assisting with searches.

1st years can be challenging

Maintaining and growing a roster of people willing to take on the responsibility can be daunting in the first year, according to one of the driving forces behind the return of the Bear Clan to Winnipeg in 2014.

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"The reality was it was very slow going for us in the beginning as well," said James Favel, the executive director of the Bear Clan's parent organization, which is centred in the Manitoba capital. "It's about commitment, it's about staying in the fight and things will grow."

In the just over two years that the Bear Clan has been active again on Winnipeg's streets, Favel said they've gone from nights where they had four or five people out to averaging roughly 20 walkers five nights per week.

Once a chapter is established in a community, Favel said, more people tend to join up.

"We had to earn our respect in [our] community," he said. "The community wanted to know that we were sincere in what we were doing."