‘Nobody should have to be reporting to work in an environment where traumatic incidents are happening on a day-to-day basis’
The union representing employees at Winnipeg’s Millennium Library is warning it may take legal action against the city unless immediate safety improvements are made, following a fatal fall inside the facility earlier this month, according to a report.
On Aug. 6, a 40-year-old man died after jumping from a fourth-floor balcony — the second suicide at the downtown library in eight years. Railings at the site are about stomach height, with no additional barriers in place, reported CBC.
Gord Delbridge, president of Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 500, said the incident has caused significant trauma for staff, framing the issue as a workplace health and safety concern.
“Nobody should have to be reporting to work in an environment where traumatic incidents are happening on a day-to-day basis,” Delbridge said in the report. “That’s got to stop.”
CUPE is calling for immediate hazard controls, including:
- Physical barriers or other prevention measures on upper-level balconies.
- Reinstatement of the Community Connections space, previously staffed with crisis workers, which closed in late 2024 after funding cuts.
- Replacing private contracted security with community safety officers trained in mental health intervention.
- Changes to the lobby layout to improve sightlines for monitoring.
Since the closure of Community Connections, safety and security incidents at the library have increased sharply — 309 incidents were recorded from January to March 2025, up nearly 69 per cent from the same period the previous year.
CUPE plans to survey library staff for recommendations, noting that worker input is “absolutely crucial” to hazard prevention planning, according to the CBC report.
Mayor Scott Gillingham called the death a tragedy and noted recent safety upgrades, including additional security measures, the hiring of crisis workers and safety hosts, and collaboration with the Downtown Community Safety Partnership. He said he is open to exploring a dedicated city service for responding to mental health-related calls.
The Manitoba Library Association and advocacy group Millennium for All have also urged the city to implement balcony safety controls and restore the Community Connections program.
OHS professionals note that workplaces accessible to the public, such as libraries, must still meet the same safety obligations under provincial legislation — including identifying hazards, implementing controls, and ensuring workers are protected from foreseeable risks, according to the report.
