ETS investigates claim transit officers ejected people from LRT station into extreme cold

Updated: On Friday, January 7, City Manager Andre Corbould released a statement saying that a review found, based on the information available, that transit officers "followed all required steps during the extreme weather response."

He said the city welcomes feedback from clients to better understand the situation.

"Although the internal review found that extreme weather protocols were followed, it is clear they did not work for everyone."

Edmonton Transit Service is investigating a claim that several people trying to stay warm in a downtown LRT station were expelled by transit officers into the extreme cold early Wednesday morning.  

Michael Sharpe says he, his girlfriend and about 20 others were trying to sleep in the Churchill LRT station when they were approached by officers at 2 a.m.

"There were no more trains running, so they were closing," Sharpe told CBC News. "They told us to find somewhere else warm to go." 

None of the officers offered or mentioned the possibility of transportation to a shelter, he said.

"We wandered around for about three and a half hours," Sharpe said. 

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Earlier in the evening, Sharpe, 40, and his girlfriend had been turned away from the Commonwealth Stadium homeless shelter because it was at capacity, he said. 

"We don't have cell phones or communication," he said. "We were just walking around, hoping for the best I guess." 

The temperature in Edmonton at 3 a.m. was -30.8 C, with a windchill of -41.

"Near-death cold is how it felt," Sharpe said.

"When the doors finally opened again, I felt like my feet were soaking wet, they were so cold. But they weren't actually wet, they were just frozen."

Judith Gale, with the Bear Clan Patrol Beaver Hills House, said she was shocked to find out that so many were sent out into the cold over night. 

"I think that is so inhumane," Gale said. "Everybody needs the necessities of life. Every human being on Mother Earth." 

Mayor Amarjeet Sohi said he was deeply disappointed by Sharpe's account.

"Every single Edmontonian deserves to be treated with empathy, respect and compassion, and this response was certainly not that," he said.

Edmonton Transit to investigate 

The City of Edmonton activated its extreme weather response in mid-December, which is in part designed to avoid leaving anyone out in the cold.

As part of the protocol, a shuttle bus is made available to transport anyone removed from LRT stations when the doors are locked.

The shuttle takes people to shelters or allows them to remain on the bus to stay warm if they don't feel comfortable spending the night in a shelter.

Edmonton Transit Service (ETS) has launched an investigation to determine if the protocol was followed by transit officers in Sharpe's case. 

"I was just made aware of the incident," said Carrie Hotton-MacDonald, ETS branch manager, who described the allegations as "troubling." 

"I've already reached out to my counterparts in the community standards branch, so we will move as quickly as we can to make sure that we get to the bottom of this." 

In a statement to CBC, a city spokesperson said transportation was offered to those in Churchill Station.

"We can confirm that 21 people in total were transported via bus service from Churchill Station over two separate trips and in total, 107 riders were transported to shelters city wide last night on the shuttle route," Geoff Grimble with the City of Edmonton wrote in an email. 

"People at Churchill were offered transportation to shelters, though accepting the support provided is not mandatory nor forced on individuals."

Grimble has not clarified if the 21 people transported from Churchill included those ejected when the doors were locked at 2 am. 

On Friday, City Manager Andre Corbould released a statement saying that a review found, based on the information available, that transit officers "followed all required steps during the extreme weather response."

"Although the internal review found that extreme weather protocols were followed, it is clear they did not work for everyone," he said. 

"The City will work with service providers, and invites feedback from clients involved to better understand what happened and how these circumstances can be avoided in the future."

Edmonton police officers were not involved in the incident, spokesperson Scott Pattison said. Police only remove people from LRT stations if they're being charged in criminal matters, he said.

Meanwhile, Sharpe planned to spend Wednesday resting up inside the relatively warm Churchill LRT station. 

"I'll try to sleep in the day, so if it happens [again] tonight, at least I'm rested," he said.