Manitoba doubles down on school safety after St. Vital bathroom incident

A harrowing incident at a Winnipeg school last week was the catalyst for the provincial government to increase safety measures at schools across Manitoba.

Police said a young student at a St. Vital-area elementary school was grabbed by an adult male who was hiding in a bathroom stall Thursday afternoon.

A suspect was later arrested, and the student wasn’t physically hurt, but Premier Wab Kinew says the government is now looking to increase school safety measures.

“Immediately, we’ve given money to the Manitoba School Boards Association (MSBA) for every school in Manitoba to look at their safety plans and do what needs to be done in light of what happened last week,” Kinew said Monday.

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“We’re encouraging schools to implement controlled access if they haven’t already.”

Kinew said the province is also looking to support the use of school resource officers, or other security options, depending on individual communities’ needs.

Education Minister Tracy Schmidt said the $500,000 provincial investment will require all school divisions to update their emergency preparedness plans and report back to the province by Dec. 25.

“As a parent, I know nothing matters more than your child’s safety,” Schmidt said in a statement Monday.

“Families deserve certainty every single day. That’s why we are acting quickly and working closely with school divisions to reinforce controlled access measures, so every child in Manitoba is supported and protected.”

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Provincial officials say further safety measures will come in future, but for now, all 37 Manitoba school divisions will be given safety assessments to help identify any vulnerabilities. They’ll also be given training sessions via the MSBA, with a provincial school safety forum to be held as well.