Starbucks Osborne Village Temporarily Closes

A sign in the window says Starbucks Osborne Village is closing temporarily. This has led to all sorts of rumours. Some said it is because they don't have a drive-thru. Some said because of safety reasons. The one thing no one is saying is that there was not enough foot traffic. It is a very busy corner with some anchor stores right there as well as parking.

Starbuck has been having a difficult few years. The business model was not heavy on drive-thrus and in the pandemic that didn't work. The Starbucks within bookstores was also bad in this environment. And lastly, they had a lot of locations and their prices were higher than other coffee companies. Add all this up and there are a lot of corporate reasons Starbucks might close. However, this seems different. If it is a crime issue, the company should say so.

There was an assault just the night before steps away from the entrance. This might have been the final straw. Staff from the store are being transferred to other locations which makes it feel like this is something that could be indefinite.  Crime statistics are out of control for the area. There has been a 100% rise in overall crime according to the numbers. Drugs are out of control. Violence is out of control. Even where there are many people present, there is a threat of being attacked. And this isn't just hysterical talk. This is what is happening and what the Osborne Biz is reporting.

There are some good news stories for Osborne. The cat cafe is set to open soon. Some of the new residential units with ground floor commercial units are set to open. However, if addictions and violence continue to affect the area, even very well attended coffee shops might decide to close rather than have someone hurt.

The interviews from people on the street are downright gloomy. Businesses right across the street say they have been broken into in the last days. Seems like police could sit in the area and make a hundred arrests in only a few days. And that might be what needs to happen.  It isn't just a case of helping people with their addictions. We have real safety and violence issues and whatever sympathy someone might have, it can't come at the sacrifice of their personal security and safety. 

Major arrests have been made on dugs and trafficking. Good on Winnipeg Police on that. Lots of money, cars and guns are off the street. They are being pretty cagey about it all but we are likely to see it wind through the courts. It takes months to set these things up and the costs are high. But one vehicle taken by the police was just under half a million. There is a lot of money apprehended by the police and drug route that has been closed.

Police and addictions counsellors though say a drop in the supply equals more desperation though and the use of even more toxic stuff. As for Osborne Village, as the weather warms up it could see more encampments nearby that could be difficult for the community. Even as more efforts are made to find people homes, the sheer volume of addictions threatens to overwhelm. 

The people interviewed all seemed saddened and shocked. There has been a steady stream of long term businesses leaving even as building continues. The helpless feeling was pervasive. Crime will kill the Osborne Village and many other areas if the city can't get a handle on things. You just can't be in a line at the liquor store and get choked or at Shoppers and get stabbed. We'll see what the response is from elected officials. There are a lot of NDP members in the area and city councillors know that Osborne is not the only area in serious trouble.