Portage safety chair reflects on year of growth

Portage la Prairie councillor and chair of the Public Safety Committee, Colin Doyle, is highlighting a year of expanding community safety efforts, planning milestones, and regional cooperation as city leaders look ahead to continued progress in 2026.

In a recent year-end discussion, Doyle points first to the growth of Portage’s Community Safety Officer (CSO) program as a defining achievement.

“The expansion of that with more officers, more vehicles, more equipment, and expanded hours, which was huge,” he says.

Local businesses have responded positively to that growth.

“I've talked to lots of local business owners, and they're just so thrilled with the program, thrilled with the officers,” he adds.

The visibility of the CSO program has become a regular part of daily life in the city.

“It's hard to go anywhere in this city and not see either the vehicle or have the officers on patrol, on foot patrol,” he continues.

Doyle notes that while the program started with a learning curve, it is now firmly established and well-received.

Looking ahead, the Public Safety Committee chair says additional expansion of the program is a key interest for both council and community members.

Working with a steering committee for the past two years, Doyle says the much-anticipated Community Safety and Well-Being Plan is close to being finalized.

The plan, expected to be presented in the early new year, is designed to provide a framework to support public safety, prevention, and social services across the city.

“It'll be a small, easy-to-read document, and that's what we'll be referencing when it comes to the well-being of the city,” he adds.

After years of work, Doyle says seeing the project come together is particularly rewarding.

“Two years is a long time to be working on something, and to have it finally come to fruition is pretty exciting for me,” he continues.

Despite the focus on strategic planning and public safety, Doyle says he also sees momentum in the city’s development and community pride.

“I have seen a shift in the perception in our city,” he notes.

Part of that shift, he says, is evident along Saskatchewan Avenue, where infrastructure upgrades and new business activity have helped reshape the downtown core.

“You can see the face of Saskatchewan Avenue has changed, whether it be new buildings, new businesses, or just everyone seeming to take a little bit more pride in their businesses,” he mentions.

Doyle credits investments in lighting and beautification projects for contributing to that renewed energy.

“I think we're rolling in the right direction, and I think we keep that momentum going,” he says.

Collaboration with neighbouring municipalities is another highlight for Doyle this year.

“I just think it's an exciting and necessary move to work together because what's good for the city of Portage is good for the surrounding area,” he adds.

He emphasises that finding common ground on issues like economic development benefits the broader region.

“If we can find some common ground on certain subjects, economic development, it's to everybody's benefit in our region,” he remarks.

As council members prepare to build on achievements from 2025, Doyle says the focus remains on maintaining forward momentum and strengthening community safety and quality of life in Portage la Prairie.