Manitoba

Winnipeg's human rights museum bans selfie sticks

The expandable rods that allow users to hold their cellphones a few feet away, making it easy to take wide-angled self-portraits or group shots, are prohibited out of fears they might damage exhibits or disrupt visitors.
The back of a person holding a phone on a selfie stick.
Selfie sticks, expandable rods that allow users to hold their cellphones a few feet away, making it easy to take wide-angled self-portraits or group shots, have been banned by the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. (Seth Wenig/Associated Press)

The Canadian Museum for Human Rights has banned the use of selfie sticks.

The expandable rods that allow users to hold their cellphones a few feet away, making it easy to take wide-angled self-portraits or group shots, are prohibited out of fears they might damage exhibits or disrupt visitors.

"We want to make  sure that all of our visitors are safe. We've got lots of unusual spaces where things can fall off of ledges or ramps or staircases," said museum spokeswoman Maureen Fitzhenry​. "We don't want any danger of that."

Some of the most famous museums in the world have also banned the sticks for the same reasons.