Sexual assault on Winnipeg worker renews calls for retail safety changes

An alleged sexual assault on a cannabis store worker in Winnipeg is prompting renewed scrutiny of retail safety measures in Manitoba, particularly for employees working alone in cannabis outlets.

A 33-year-old man was arrested on Wednesday after a cannabis store employee was sexually assaulted during a robbery in Winnipeg, police say.

According to the Winnipeg Police Service, Central District General Patrol officers arrested the suspect on May 6 in connection with a commercial robbery at a cannabis store in the 100 block of Isabel Street.

Police say the incident began the previous evening, on May 5, at about 7:15 p.m., when a man entered the retail store and waited for a customer to leave. He then locked the door, leaving himself and a lone employee inside.

Investigators allege the man went behind the counter and sexually assaulted a 24-year-old female employee. Police say the worker pushed him away and fled the store uninjured before contacting officers.

Before police arrived, the suspect fled on foot with an unknown quantity of cannabis products, according to the release.

Shortly before 1 a.m. on May 6, officers located the suspect in the 800 block of Main Street and arrested him without incident.

Police say the 33-year-old man faces charges of sexual assault, forcible confinement and theft under $5,000. He was also arrested on the strength of a warrant for failing to comply with a probation order.

The accused was released on an undertaking and is scheduled to appear in court at a later date

Union flags risks linked to store design and staffing

The United Food and Commercial Workers union (UFCW) says the incident highlights risks it has been raising for cannabis employees since legalization. The union argues that a combination of regulatory and operational factors is leaving staff exposed, according to a CBC report.

Under provincial rules, cannabis retailers must cover their windows so that products are not visible from the street. The union told CBC that stores “pose special problems, because they sell a controlled substance and are required by government rules to cover all windows to the outside.” Covered windows mean workers cannot be seen from outside when incidents occur.

In response, UFCW is calling for several changes specific to cannabis retail. Its proposals include removing mandatory window coverings, prohibiting solo work and installing panic buttons in stores. The union is also urging the province to look at controlled entrances, similar to those used at government‑run liquor stores.

Province considers targeted safety changes

The Manitoba government says it is examining whether existing rules are adequate to protect workers in cannabis outlets. Labour Minister Malaya Marcelino told CBC that the issue has been formally taken up by the province.

“There’s a process, and this is something that is still under consideration at this time,” Marcelino said. She did not provide a timeline for potential regulatory changes or specify which options are being studied.

Officials say the cannabis review is taking place alongside a broader examination of workplace safety. A provincial advisory council has been looking at risks across multiple sectors, including retail, and is preparing recommendations that could influence future policy.

Business groups back review

The Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce says retailers in many sectors have already invested in cameras, panic buttons and other crime‑prevention tools, and are prepared to discuss additional measures. The chamber supports a review of the window‑covering requirement for cannabis outlets.

Chamber president Loren Remillard told CBC that allowing cannabis stores to uncover their windows would ensure workers are not hidden from public view. He said visibility from the street could act as a deterrent to some crimes against staff.

Remillard cautioned, however, that any rule requiring at least two workers on duty at all times could be difficult to meet in the current labour market. 

“It’s easy to say ‘just have more staff,’ but we have to ask where is that staff coming from? It is a challenging environment right now,” he said, according to the report.

Here are the numbers on police-reported sexual assault and robbery in Canada from 2020 to 2024, according to data from Statistics Canada (StatCan) and Statista: