‘We have to do something to change that’: Centre Flavie dealing with wave of crime

A crime wave is hitting a St. Boniface charity hard. Danton Unger explains.

The irony of the crime is not lost on Gilbert Vielfaure.

Two people broke into the Centre Flavie parking lot in St. Boniface, cut the locks on a trailer and helped themselves to the donated items inside—items meant to be given away for free.

“A lot of what they’re looking for, they could simply line up the next morning and come in and get it for free anyways,” Vielfaure, the centre’s executive director, told CTV News.

Centre Flavie collects donated items and gives them away free of charge to anyone who needs it. Everything from clothes to household items and furniture—if it’s at the centre, it’s free.

“We help between usually 100 and 150 families a day,” Vielfaure said.

This most recent theft happened last Wednesday, but he said it is just one in a wave of crimes over the past few years costing the charity thousands of dollars.

“We’ve seen smashed windows, drilled gas tanks, 13 catalytic converters (stolen), cut locks, spray painting,” Vielfaure said, adding the catalytic converter thefts alone cost the centre $13,000.

He said police don’t usually come in person when the crimes are reported, as they are not deemed a high priority. Which is why the organization is looking to beef up its own security.

“We want to build a 5,000-square-foot storage/garage kind of building, so that we can put the trucks inside for one thing, to avoid the damage,” Vielfaure said, adding he estimates the project will cost about $600,000.

But first, he needs permission from the city to rezone the properties.

Area councillor Matt Allard (St. Boniface) said he isn’t able to comment. He’s on the committee deciding the fate of the centre’s rezoning application.

“Normally I would give you a more extended answer, but at this time, because there is a public hearing process happening, part of the rezoning, I have the moral and fiduciary obligation to keep an open mind during a rezoning process,” he told CTV News.

Vielfaure is hopeful there won’t be any roadblocks at city hall so the organization can curb the crime.

“Every cent going that way doesn’t go this way, and we have to do something to change that,” he said.

The application is set to go to the Riel Community Committee at city hall on Friday.