City hires security consultant for safety audit of downtown library

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This article was published 16/01/2023 (964 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It’s still not clear when patrons could return to browse for books at the Millennium Library but a new security consultant is now working to help make the site safer.

The city’s flagship library branch has been closed since Dec. 11, when 28-year-old Tyree Cayer was stabbed to death inside the building. Four teenage boys have since been charged in his death.

The downtown library reopened to limited services on Dec. 23, allowing patrons to pick up and return items that they reserve online. Folks who need to warm up during cold weather can also now do so in the lobby.

By Monday, the city had hired a consultant to conduct a safety audit of the site, part of a continued effort to get it reopened safely, according to the union that represents city library staff.

“They’ve hired an independent safety consultant to come in… and we want to get the library open as soon as possible,” said Gord Delbridge, president of the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 500. “Our members want it open. We know that it’s a valued public service.”

Delbridge said the consultant will add to progress the city has already made in recent weeks, though he’s unaware of any specific new security steps that have been finalized.

“They’ve been working on it since (the library) closed,” he said.

In an emailed statement, city spokesman Adam Campbell confirmed a comprehensive risk assessment and safety audit of the Millennium Library is “underway with the help of a third-party consultant.”

“The consultant will determine areas of risk, recommend security measures to mitigate risk, and determine whether security or other related measures should be upgraded or considered, including exploring the layout of the facility to determine potential changes for consideration…. The work undertaken by the consultant will attempt to strike a balance between safety and security while ensuring that the library remains an accessible, welcoming environment for all users,” wrote Campbell.

While the city previously hoped to fully reopen the facility by now, Campbell said no he had no details on a new target date or any new safety measures that will be in place when it does.

“We know how important the Millennium Library is to residents, and it’s our objective to fully resume services as soon as we can do so safely,” he wrote.

joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca

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Joyanne Pursaga
Reporter

Joyanne is city hall reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press. A reporter since 2004, she began covering politics exclusively in 2012, writing on city hall and the Manitoba Legislature for the Winnipeg Sun before joining the Free Press in early 2020. Read more about Joyanne.

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