Wednesday, April 25, 2018
On Monday afternoon, Torontonians—and all Canadians—were devastated by the senseless killing spree that occurred in north Toronto when an angry and troubled young man allegedly drove a cargo van down the sidewalk of Yonge Street, striking more than two dozen pedestrians, and killing at least 10.
Having spent most of my public service career in Ontario’s land ambulance programs, I have too often experienced the kind of carnage and suffering that emergency services personnel handled so efficiently in this tragic circumstance. In an evolving society, we often critique (as we should) our police services in the performance of their duties. Toronto Police Services’ non-violent response was nothing short of exemplary. Kudos to Toronto and York Emergency Medical Services (and Fire) for so proficiently triaging, treating and transporting so many critically ill—to hospitals full of waiting medical professionals. We are fortunate to have so many dedicated and skilled public servants watching over us. Lastly, we should also acknowledge our politicians and our media, who we also often critique; for maintaining calm, for reporting the facts and for respecting the dignity of those lost.
Approximately 800 AMAPCEO members work along the Yonge Street corridor between Finch and Sheppard. Many of our members were witnesses to this incident, and exposed to the extremely violent and upsetting scene. We are all familiar with the shock and devastation that traumatic incident can cause. However, it’s also important to recognize that the loss of security, anxiety and sorrow that one feels when this occurs in their ‘own backyard’ is also worthy of attention. I’m pleased to report that the Employer has conscientiously arranged for crisis counsellors to be available on site at offices in North York. All employees and their families can also access resources, including counselling, through the Employee & Family Assistance Program. Information on how to access this program can be found below.
Monday’s tragedy and our response to it was a test of our collective character and our values. Torontonians rose to the challenge in the moment by bringing food and water to survivors and first responders and assisting those without transportation. Fellow public servants pulled together in AMAPCEO workplaces by accounting for one another and by seeing to each other’s well-being. And, in the aftermath, we as a society remained calm, resisted the urge to speculate or to cast bias, and upheld the values of our community and our society.
Over the past two days, #TorontoStrong has exhibited the values we share as a union, and as public servants: those of compassion, inclusion, and care for the collective. While heavy-hearted for our grievous loss, our community fabric is tighter-knit for having reminded ourselves of who we are, of what we share in common and of the society we all so value. Once again showing that we are always stronger together.
Sincerely,
Dave Bulmer
President