Staff at Providence University College and Theological Seminary are taking steps to improve safety at their Winnipeg campus after five of their students were injured late last month. 

On Wednesday, February 28, 2023, staff at Providence learned that several students from the Providence Downtown & Buller School of Business campus, located in the 200 block of Main Street in Winnipeg, were assaulted, with three suffering injuries. 

“From what we understand, one was taken to the hospital and was more injured than the other two. But all of them were released, said Dr. Nicholas Greco, Provost of Providence. "We're glad about that and that there appears to be no lasting injury to those students."

After hearing about this incident, the VP of Student Life and the chaplain from their main site in Otterburne, Manitoba, visited the school and provided counselling to anyone who needed it. They also cancelled classes this week on Monday and Tuesday. 

"We resumed classes on Wednesday," said Greco. "Now that might seem strange with this event happening last week, but we're trying to figure out how to actually be with our students.” 

Moving forward, staff at Providence are working to have more security at their downtown Winnipeg campus. They are also modifying class schedules to allow students to leave earlier. 

"Originally, our classes ran till 9 pm at our downtown campus, but we're moving those classes ahead by an hour or hour and a half. That way, they could get out of the downtown core earlier."

This is the first time an incident like this has been reported from their downtown campus, which opened in May 2022. 

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With files from Adi Loewen