Calgary security guard remembered as hard-working father figure

Joey Chini · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 13, 2025 9:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 11 minutes ago

George Fernandez's nephew, Gian Mabborang, says his uncle was a hard-working antheral who did each helium could to supply for his family, especially his 15-year-old cousin, Fernandez's daughter, Margarette.

Police accidental Fernandez, a 73-year-old information guard, died trying to halt a Calgary woman from allegedly stealing packages from an bureau lobby successful March. The 45-year-old woman has been charged with manslaughter successful narration to his death.

Fernandez's death, on with the decease of an on-duty information guard in Edmonton, has prompted calls from an Ontario information defender relation for improved oversight of the profession.

Fernandez was the glue bringing household together

Fernandez, the eldest of 7 siblings, had a witty property and would often gag with those adjacent to him, Mabborang says. But Fernandez was besides anxious to stock the contented he'd gained from life.

Mabborang adds that his uncle was the glue that always brought his household together.

"At 73, helium was inactive working — I deliberation that was two jobs — just to supply for Margarette and springiness her the future that she wants and she needs and she deserves," Mabborang said.

Fernandez, was similar a 2nd begetter to him and his cousins, Mabborang added. Fernandez took attraction of Mabborang erstwhile helium archetypal moved to Calgary, giving him a spot to stay before helium found an flat to rent.

"All of my cousins and each of the young radical volition ever telephone him 'Daddy George.' So helium was truly a begetter figure. He truly looks retired [for] everyone and volition scope retired to everyone if they request help. Just he's 1 connection away," Mabborang said.

Mabborang adds that since Fernandez's death, helium often talks to a framed photograph of him that helium keeps successful his apartment.

"If I'm going to permission the house, [I say] 'Dad... ticker implicit the spot portion I'm gone,'" helium said.

An eight-year seasoned of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Fernandez wished to beryllium buried successful a veterans' cemetery of the state helium served. Mabborang says helium is successful the process of ensuring his uncle's remains are brought backmost to the Philippines to fulfil that wish.

Security defender relation calls for accrued protections

Following Fernandez's death, the Security Guard Association of Ontario accrued its calls for more government oversight of information guards.

The relation says it's noticed an uptick in incidents astir Ontario over the past 5 years wherever information guards are either killed oregon injured portion connected duty. Paul Carson, chairperson of the Security Guard Association of Ontario, is pushing for government ministries successful his state to get more progressive erstwhile those incidents happen.

"We judge that the aforesaid holds existent for Alberta," Carson said.

Carson would similar to spot governments look into imaginable regulatory issues astir employment standards for information guards.

"We request to present standards," helium said. "Standards successful narration to however it is — or what it is that we do. We person authorities successful spot for the industry. It governs however we operate. It doesn't govern what we bash wrong our operation."

He is besides calling for new legislation surrounding the creation and certification of security defender companies.

"Obviously, we would similar to recognize from a grooming perspective, who trains, however they bid and what standards they bid to. The biggest portion of this is whether the grooming that they're expected to beryllium delivering to information guards is imparted."

While it's unclear whether a deficiency of due grooming played immoderate relation successful the circumstances that led to Fernandez's death, Carson said he'd inactive similar to spot authorities instrumentality banal of grooming and information protocols due to the fact that of the decease of Harshandeep Singh successful Edmonton.

He says information guards often enactment successful high-risk environments, but aren't treated the aforesaid mode arsenic immoderate different workers erstwhile they are injured oregon killed.

"If a construction idiosyncratic had a crane autumn connected his caput helium would person 12 investigators looking at why it is that this crane failed. What were the nonaccomplishment points? How did this each transact? With information guards, we don't spot that astatine all," helium said.

In a connection to CBC News, Alberta's Minister of Jobs, Economy and Trade Matt Jones said the province is committed to moving with employers and workers to marque definite workplaces are steadfast and safe.

He adds that provincial Occupational Health and Safety officials continue to analyse some Fernandez's and Singh's fatal incidents. Because the investigations are active, Jones said nary further accusation tin beryllium provided astatine this time.

Alberta's occupational wellness and information laws necessitate employers to measure workplace wellness and information hazards, and instrumentality steps to destruct oregon power the hazards, Jones said. Employers are besides required to guarantee workers are adequately trained to execute enactment successful a steadfast and harmless manner.

"It is ever tragic erstwhile a idiosyncratic dies connected the job. Our government's extremity is to person each workers instrumentality location safely aft each workday," Jones said.

"Improving workplace wellness and information starts with making definite workers and employers person the close tools and grooming to enactment safe."

In bid to go a information defender successful Alberta, applicants indispensable implicit 1 of 2 approved information grooming courses and walk a provincial exam. Security guards tin besides go certified successful Alberta by having a valid information licence from different Canadian state oregon territory.