The Manitoba Association of Health Care Professionals is calling for increased safety and security measures after one of its members was attacked on Portage Avenue Monday outside Deer Lodge Centre in Winnipeg.
An internal memo to staff later that day, obtained by the Free Press, said a woman was pushed and chased by “a community member acting very aggressively.”
“This incident is being taken very seriously, and appropriate followup has occurred,” according to a second memo from Deer Lodge chief operating officer Arle Jones on Tuesday. “Violence is something no staff member, patient or visitor should have to worry about or experience.”
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A woman was pushed and chased into Deer Lodge Centre Monday morning.
Winnipeg police confirmed an incident occurred around 8 a.m. Monday. Officers attended, but the suspect had already fled. Police said Tuesday they could not provide further details.
In a statement, the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority said the incident began on Portage Avenue near Deer Lodge, where the woman was pushed and then chased into the health-care facility.
“Any form of assault is unacceptable and has a significant impact on all staff,” a spokesperson for the WRHA said. “Deer Lodge Centre and the WRHA extends its support to the staff member impacted by the event and is working with them to provide any support they need.”
The Manitoba Associated of Health Care Professionals (MAHCP), which represents more than 7,500 allied health professionals in the province, is calling for improved safety protocols, including stronger health and safety programs, better reporting and investigations, infrastructure investments to reduce risk and clearer employer leadership.
“It’s terrible to hear about an MAHCP member, or any front-line worker, facing incidents like this,” said MAHCP president Jason Linklater. “We know health care is among the most dangerous places to work, and that’s based on the number of (Workers’ Compensation Board) claims we do see and, in particular, violence.”
In a statement, Manitoba Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara said: “No one should feel unsafe going to or from their workplace, especially those who dedicate their lives to caring for others. While this incident did not occur on-site, we take the safety of health-care workers seriously, including as they arrive at and leave work.”
The union says incidents such as Monday’s prompted it to file for a writ of mandamus with Manitoba’s Court of King’s Bench in February — a legal order that compels a government body to fulfil its duties. The application seeks to force safer working conditions in parts of the provincial health-care system.
The MAHCP argues employers, including Shared Health, have failed to meet legal obligations to provide safe workplaces, particularly amid staffing shortages and excessive workloads, which they say put both workers and patients at risk.
“It’s our firm belief that incidents like (Monday’s) are going to continue to rise while the health system isn’t funded proportionally to address the addictions and mental health issues that are rampant throughout our province,” Linklater said. “Instead, what we see is people left untreated creating dangerous situations to the public at exponential cost.”
The application seeks to compel the government to enforce the legislation, ensure safety committees are in place and properly resourced, and require consistent reporting of violent incidents. The MAHCP also wants greater focus on safe staffing and workload issues, which it says are closely tied to workplace safety.
The provincial government has not yet filed any response to the application in court.
Shared Health said Tuesday it does not comment on matters before the courts.
Monday’s incident is the latest in a series of safety concerns at Manitoba health-care hubs.
Last year, the Manitoba Nurses Union grey-listed Health Sciences Centre, Thompson General Hospital and St. Boniface Hospital — discouraging nurses from working there as a last-resort tactic — while Seven Oaks General Hospital nurses are considering the same.
The move followed a string of reported assaults at HSC, prompting added measures including 24-7 police in the emergency department starting Nov. 1, and the launch of the “Shared Health SAFE” app in October to alert staff to danger and allow location sharing. The province has also set aside $5 million in its 2026-27 budget for further safety improvements and staffing.
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“There has been some good things happen,” Linklater said. “But in terms of the big picture, where there is really big pieces missing, things like violent incidents not being reported or investigated properly … paramedics not having workplace health and safety committees in place. It’s a huge problem.
“I acknowledge all the good work employers have done, but there’s just so much more to do.”
Monday’s incident is the latest in a series of safety concerns at Manitoba health-care hubs.
Last year, the Manitoba Nurses Union grey-listed Health Sciences Centre, Thompson General Hospital and St. Boniface Hospital — discouraging nurses from working there as a last-resort tactic — while Seven Oaks General Hospital nurses are considering the same.
scott.billeck@freepress.mb.ca
Scott Billeck is a general assignment reporter for the Free Press. A Creative Communications graduate from Red River College, Scott has more than a decade’s worth of experience covering hockey, football and global pandemics. He joined the Free Press in 2024. Read more about Scott.
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