According to Marc Nuckle, a security guard assigned to Montreal’s Notre-Dame Hospital, there have been instances where various weapons, such as metal bars, large knives, hatchets, and hammers, were discovered on patients and their visitors following the installation of metal detectors at the emergency room entrance. The metal detectors were put in place on Christmas Eve to enhance safety in response to acts of violence reported by the regional health authority and staff.
The decision to install a permanent metal detector at the hospital was made in 2024 after consultations were initiated, driven by recommendations from Quebec’s workplace safety board, CNESST. This move was prompted by a stabbing incident involving two patients in 2023, which highlighted the need for increased security measures at the facility.
Isabelle Allaire, the associate director of nursing care at CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l’Île-de-Montréal, mentioned that employees had expressed concerns about their safety due to the presence of aggressive patients, leading to the implementation of the metal detector as part of a series of security enhancements at Notre-Dame Hospital, including the addition of security personnel, patient companion identification bracelets, and surveillance cameras.
These additional security measures have been implemented at Notre-Dame Hospital in Montreal’s Ville-Marie borough following several violent incidents in recent years, as reported by the regional health authority.
Firearms detected on individuals
With approximately 700 patients passing through Notre-Dame Hospital’s emergency room each week, mandatory searches have been enforced for all visitors. Éric Plante, the security and emergency measures coordinator at CIUSSS, emphasized the necessity of systematic screenings for every patient to prevent violent incidents, citing a rise in such events within their environment.
Plante stated that the screening process occasionally uncovers firearms or replica weapons, with only legally permissible items being returned to individuals while prohibited weapons are confiscated.
Loudwige Joseph, the workplace harassment and well-being coordinator for the CSN union federation, disclosed that preventive measures were taken, such as securing garbage bins to walls to prevent their use as weapons. Additionally, disposable utensils and plates were introduced for safety purposes.
Addressing the issue, Isabelle Allaire from CIUSSS clarified that the incidents of violence were not directly linked to the care provided at Notre-Dame Hospital, which caters to individuals facing homelessness and mental health challenges.
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