After a year of relationship building in the streets, Makwa Patrol looking to expand in Kenora, Ont.

A street outreach group in Kenora, Ont., is celebrating the first year of its existence and looking ahead to expand its services and impact with vulnerable people living in the small northwestern Ontario city.

The Kenora Makwa Patrol, which is administered by the Kenora Chiefs Advisory, provides a range of supports to people in need on a 24/7 basis, including handing out meals and water, connecting and transporting people to additional services, and supporting emergency response by police and ambulance services.

"What we're trying to do is form a relationship, and I think we've done that over the past year. We've formed a relationship with those living on the street, so we know what their needs are," said Joe Barnes, the executive director for the Kenora Chiefs Advisory.

He added the street patrol group has actually helped take pressure off police and ambulance services in the city, because people are able to call the Makwa team for support or crisis intervention.

The first iteration of the program was developed after 16-year-old Delaine Copenace went missing in February 2016. While provincial police called off their ground search on March 14, volunteers including members of the Winnipeg-based Bear Clan Patrol continued to look for the First Nations girl.

Copenace's body was found March 22 in Lake of the Woods. Two days later, Ontario's Office of the Chief Coroner said they found no evidence of foul play in her death, although the girl's mother cast doubt on that ruling, telling CBC News she believed her daughter was murdered.

It was shortly afterwards that leaders in the city decided they needed a street patrol group to improve safety in the community and address gaps in service. 

The group didn't have the resources to run consistently, at least until it received funding from the Ontario government and the Kenora District Services Board in 2020 for a one-year pilot project.

The Makwa Patrol has since received funding to extend its services for another two years.

Marshall Hardy, the manager for the Makwa Patrol, says the street outreach group has completed an assessment of the services they provide and are making adjustments for the future.

"Some of the gaps that have been identified is where our location is ... it isn't adequate for anybody to walk into our office for a sandwich or a bowl of soup. So we are moving to a new location," said Hardy.

The group is also hiring more staff and expanding training, because patrollers often are acting as first responders.

"Spending more time with the individuals to get to know them is a big piece that we want to do, and unfortunately, because of our resources and the demand, we don't get a lot of time to spend with the individual," Hardy added.

The group is also looking at expanding their land-based programming as a way to build more connections with the people they serve, as well as helping people seek more permanent solutions to address chronic homelessness or precarious housing.