Millennium Library, 251 Donald Street (GOOGLE STREET VIEW)
WINNIPEG — The Millennium Library will slowly begin resuming service on Friday following a fatal stabbing earlier this month.
The library will be open for holds pickup and return services only, but customers won’t have access to enter the branch.
The City of Winnipeg is working with stakeholders to address safety concerns before a full reopening occurs in the future.
“Our libraries need to be welcoming places for all Winnipeggers, and that begins by ensuring the safety of staff and visitors,” said Mayor Scott Gillingham. “We also need to look at how changes at Millennium Library fit within the overall approach to improving downtown safety.”
City officials are undertaking a comprehensive risk assessment and safety audit of Millennium Library, while exploring the layout of the library and a permanent redesign of the lobby that supports a controlled environment without the use of “hostile architecture.”
In early 2019, the city implemented security screening at the library to check for prohibited items like weapons or alcohol. The security measures were later removed after customer complaints.
The library’s lobby will also remain open Friday for skywalk and parkade access, and for members of the public to warm up in during periods of cold weather.
A date when the Millennium Library will fully resume services isn’t yet known.
Four teens have been charged in the fatal stabbing of Tyree Cayer, who was 28. Winnipeg police say Cayer was in the library on December 11 when he became involved in a verbal dispute with a group of youths and was stabbed.
Three teen boys, aged 14, 15 and 16, have been charged with manslaughter. A fourth boy, 14, has been charged with second-degree murder.
