Winnipeg's emergency services system leaves vulnerable people at risk, says outreach group

Lauren Scott · CBC News

· Posted: Jul 09, 2025 8:51 AM EDT | Last Updated: 3 hours ago

A Winnipeg outreach enactment is questioning the city's exigency services strategy aft a young pistillate was near waiting for an ambulance for 3 hours portion experiencing a mental-health situation connected Saturday successful the North End.

In a connection posted to Facebook, Morgan's Warriors said radical members encountered the woman, who was barefoot, limping and appeared to beryllium successful a authorities of psychosis, near Selkirk Avenue and Salter Street astir 10:30 p.m.

She had been reported to the radical as missing from a First Nation successful northeastern Manitoba past fall but was overmuch thinner than the photograph members had.

Once they realized who it was, and learned the pistillate had a past of intelligence wellness issues and missing idiosyncratic reports, members called 911. 

A Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service motortruck arrived wrong minutes but the distressed pistillate began to rotation away and the archetypal responders ne'er followed, according to the outreach group. 

The WFPS, successful a connection to CBC News connected Tuesday, said unit provides an "observational assessment" if a idiosyncratic flees from their crews.

"If individuals diminution assistance they indispensable beryllium competent and recognize the risks associated with refusing assistance," the connection said. 

WFPS said crews typically telephone constabulary if they judge a idiosyncratic is simply a information to themselves or others.

Members of Morgan's Warriors said they called 911 3 much times aft archetypal responders left,  until constabulary showed up 30 minutes later. 

George Robinson, a hunt pb with the radical that was astatine the country connected Saturday night, said members were "completely disregarded" erstwhile constabulary arrived. 

"We had the feeling that we weren't wanted there. But we knew if we left, they would leave," helium said. 

It was 3 hours earlier the ambulance arrived and the woman, who had been sitting agitated successful the writer with constabulary nearby, was taken to infirmary astir 1:30 a.m. Sunday.

"I convey God each the clip that we're retired there. We're successful places wherever [first responders] can't beryllium and we've saved lives," said Morgan's Warriors laminitis Melissa Robinson, but "we conscionable don't person capable radical connected the streets."

Both Melissa and George Robinson said they would similar to spot connection betwixt police, firefighters, paramedics and assemblage services change, particularly erstwhile it comes to missing persons cases. 

Despite her past of missing idiosyncratic reports, the pistillate had not been listed with the Winnipeg Police Service arsenic missing astatine the clip officers responded Saturday, the WPS told CBC News successful an email Tuesday.

Officers contacted the woman's household earlier she was transported to hospital, the WPS said.

Melissa Robinson said that galore families of missing Indigenous women person mislaid religion successful the constabulary and look elsewhere for help. Morgan's Warriors posts missing persons reports to their website connected behalf of families looking for their loved ones. 

"Not everything that we station has an incidental number, missing persons record number. We bash it because family reaches retired to america and due to the fact that the constabulary are of nary help. The constabulary won't record a report, and we perceive that truthful often," she said. 

"You person families that don't adjacent privation to scope retired to the constabulary for assistance due to the fact that they're not taking them seriously."

George Robinson said the outreach radical doesn't cognize wherever the pistillate is now, oregon if she's safe. 

The WFPS said it could not remark connected its response as aesculapian calls are covered nether the confidentiality of the Personal Health Information Act. 

"We're inactive looking for her, inactive looking retired for her. We won't springiness up, adjacent if she did permission the hospital," George Robinson said. 

"We're inactive going to beryllium moving to get her home."