Thunder Bay isn't immune to transit violence, officials say, as union calls for task force

Thunder Bay's city manager is calling for mental health and social service funding to address the root cause of escalating violence on public transit.

While statistics regarding violent incidents on Thunder Bay transit were not available, city manager Norm Gale said in a statement that the city is aware of "recent incidents of violence against workers and riders on public transit systems in Toronto and across the country."

"The City of Thunder Bay always makes worker and passenger safety a top priority, and any incidents that occur are promptly investigated."

Nationally, Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Canada President John Di Nino said the union receives between 2,000 and 3,000 reports of violence against transit workers every year.

"That's only those that are being reported," he told CBC News. "There are thousands of unreported assaults, things like being spat on, slapped, punched, threatened, intimidation."

"That goes on to the riders as well," he said. "This is a huge problem right across this country, in every province, in every municipality, in every jurisdiction."

For example, the Toronto Transit Commission has seen a number of violent incidents recently. On Wednesday, a 16-year-old boy was stabbed on a Toronto bus, while a woman in her 20s was stabbed multiple times on a streetcar on Tuesday.

"It's really hard to pinpoint exactly why these things are escalating and why they're happening," Di Nino said. "We've just come [off] a very difficult time with the pandemic. We know ... there's a number of citizens who are dealing with mental health issues. We know that the economy is probably at an all-time low, interest rates are at an all-time high."

Public transit agencies have also reduced services, he said, and some riders are taking their frustrations out on frontline staff.

While Toronto police have said they're deploying more officers to patrol Toronto's transit system as a response, Di Nino said that is a short-term solution.

"We need to look at the social elements, the housing, the mental health crisis," he said. "We need to look at where people are in the economy."

"We've been talking about public transit from different perspectives, but fundamentally, the decision makers, every political ally that we have, whether it's the provincial, municipal or federal levels, need to understand that public transit is a mobility right for Canadians across this country."

"We service schools, people going to work, marginalized in low income communities and and those living with disabilities and we need to make some staunch investments and plans on how we can continue to provide that safe, reliable, affordable and accessible transit for all Canadians."

The ATU is calling for the formation of a national transit task force, that would examine the issues behind the surge in violence. Di Nino said the union was following-up with other levels of government last week to request meetings to discuss the next steps.

In Thunder Bay, meanwhile, Gale said the city has recently established an Employee Safety Task Force, which includes representatives of Thunder Bay Transit, and worker safety is regularly discussed at meetings of the city's health and safety committee and labour management meetings.

But he too said more provincial support is needed to address the root causes of violence on public transit.

"We know that transit systems are where unhoused people go for shelter, especially in the winter months — indicating a lack of social safety net for those in need," Gale stated.

"Communities across the country have a long history of inadequate supports to address violence and other social well-being issues. The root causes of violence in our community, and across the country, are very complex. It will take a multi-faceted approach to address, and reflects much larger social issues."

"We continue to lobby the Provincial Government for funding — both for police, and for investments in social services and mental health."