Content
Skip to Main ContentAccessibility Help
Manitoba

Winnipeg mayor appoints senior adviser on homelessness

Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham has appointed a senior adviser on homelessness to consult his office on the street population, addiction and mental health.

Jarred Baker will start new job in June after spending 15 years working in Indigenous social services

CBC News ·
On a blue building, graffiti written in pink spells "Everyone Deserves a Home."
Graffiti on a building near a homeless shelter in Winnipeg declares that 'everyone deserves a home.' Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham says Jarred Baker will work with his office and front-line organizations in his role as senior adviser on homelessness. (Bridget Forbes/CBC)

Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham has appointed a senior adviser on homelessness who will provide assistance with issues related to the street population, addiction and mental health.

Jarred Baker, a member of Sandy Bay First Nation, will start his new job in June 5 after spending more than a decade working in social services, with a focus on the Indigenous community, a news release said Friday.

"I'm really excited but I'm also cautious. I know it's going to take a long time to end homelessness, it's not like an overnight thing," Baker told CBC News in a Friday interview.

Most recently, Baker worked as the executive director of Onashowewin, a culturally based restorative justice organization that works with people in conflict with the law.

Before that, Baker worked for the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, Eagle Urban Transition Centre, Aboriginal Health and Wellness Centre of Winnipeg and Ka Ni Kanichihk.

A man with short dark hair and a goatee wearing a blue Winnipeg Jets polo shirt looks at the camera.
Baker, a member of Sandy Bay First Nation, says he's looking forward to rolling up his sleeves and getting to work to help address homelessness and the root causes. (Submitted by Jarred Baker)

He has also served on the boards of End Homelessness Winnipeg and the Native Clan Organization, and on the advisory council for the Downtown Community Safety Partnership.

"With those relationships that I've built and previous employment, I think it's going to give me a good vision of what some of the challenges are," Baker said.

"I've always been on the delivery side [of social services] … We were always wishing for … someone on the policy side. Now I'm that guy."

Gillingham said he thinks it's important to have a dedicated person to advise him and act as a liaison between the mayor's office and organizations on the front lines.

He believes Baker's experience and collaborative nature will serve him well in the role.

CBC's Journalistic Standards and Practices|About CBC News
Corrections and clarifications|Submit a news tip|