Library workers in Saskatchewan face growing dangers from drug-related violence, prompting their union to press Premier Scott Moe’s government for urgent action on addiction and community services.
Union Highlights Workplace Hazards
The union representing library staff states that public libraries across the province are functioning as de facto shelters, exposing employees to overdoses and brutal assaults, including machete attacks that have resulted in lost fingers.
Kent Peterson, president of the Saskatchewan division of the Canadian Union of Public Employees, addressed the issue at a news conference in Saskatoon alongside NDP health critic Vicki Mowat. “Library workers don’t want to turn people in need away, but they are not addictions experts, they aren’t security guards and they aren’t mental health counselors,” Peterson stated. “It’s dangerous for library workers and it’s dangerous for library patrons.”
Last year, two Saskatoon library branches shut down temporarily amid surging drug use and violence. Mowat emphasized that the toxic drug crisis is worsening, with the city’s homeless population expanding. “Library workers are not first responders, and they should not be left to do the job of the provincial government,” she said.
The speakers called for enhanced support to keep workers safe and efficient, alongside broader efforts to combat homelessness, addiction, and crime at their roots.
Government Outlines Response Measures
Social Services Minister Terry Jenson notes that the province has expanded treatment spaces and deployed outreach teams in Saskatoon to assist individuals experiencing crises and direct them to appropriate services.
“This is not something that is going to be solved with a snap of the finger,” Jenson told reporters in Regina. He stressed the need for ongoing collaboration among municipalities, the province, the federal government, Indigenous partners, and community organizations to achieve lasting change.
