Edmonton man latest victim in string of violent events on Edmonton public transit
An Edmonton commuter said he's scared to use public transit after an LRT assault that sent him to hospital a few weeks ago.
Alex Baril-Blouin, a regular transit rider, was attacked at the Corona LRT Station on the evening of March 22. He said a man he didn't know hit him from behind with a squeegee, striking the side of his head and fracturing the bone around his right eye.
"[I was] getting off the LRT, when this man followed me and decided to attack completely unprovoked. We hadn't spoken at all prior to that," Baril-Blouin said. "I saw him out of the corner of my eye behind me, and before I could react or try to protect myself is when he struck me."
A couple nearby stayed with him and called for help. It took between five and 10 minutes for LRT security to attend to him, he added, and then another 15 to 20 minutes until EPS and paramedics arrived.
STRING OF VIOLENT EVENTS
The attack on Baril-Blouin is one of dozens of acts of violence that have taken place on ETS property in the past year, including a stabbing at a bus stop in west Edmonton and the robbery and assault of a woman at the Southgate LRT station - both of which included the use of bear mace.
- Edmonton mom says she was beaten, robbed in random attack outside LRT station
- Man stabbed, pepper sprayed in 'unprovoked' assault: police
- 'Sucker punched me': Edmonton man describes transit assault, asks for more provincial help
Recently, a 22-year-old man was stabbed at Clareview LRT Station in the middle of the day, and Friday, Edmonton police officers and tactical officers were called to the LRT near the University of Alberta Hospital after reports of a man carrying a gun. It's the same area where an Edmonton senior was pushed onto the tracks in 2022.
- No gun found at Health Sciences/Jubilee LRT station despite initial report: police
- Senior shoved onto Edmonton LRT tracks in 'violent unprovoked assault'
- Lunchtime stabbing at Clareview LRT Station under investigation
Baril-Blouin is still recovering from the assault, but while the swelling has gone, he said the emotional impact of the attack will remain long after the stitches have come out and the bruises have faded.
"How have I been ever since? Generally just a bundle of nerves," he said. "Even standing here right now kind of just gives me a feeling of apprehension and just overall dread."
"It's disheartening to know that grown adults all the way down to small children just aren't able to do their daily commute without being like, 'Is today the day that it happens to me. Is today the day that I suffer injuries and long-term trauma?'"
IMPROVING TRANSIT SAFETY
Coun. Tim Cartmell said he has received "a litany of complaints" about transit safety from Edmontonians.
"They've been threatened, they've been shoved, they've been injured, they've been yelled at. And quite frankly they're sick and tired of not feeling safe on their transit system," he added.
Cartmell said city council is trying to address those concerns and has recently allowed for more transit officers and expanded the community outreach transit team, which pairs transit peace officers with outreach workers to help vulnerable people connect with support resources.
While a three-year extension for the mandate was approved last week, Cartmell said it doesn't address the needs of transit riders now, as more teams take time to train and deploy.
"Those are long-term plays and long-term solutions," he added. "We need step-function solutions and we need them now. We need to restore confidence in our system.
"And I think we, the mayor and council, need to contemplate that."
Murtaza Haider, a director of urban analytics in Toronto (a city with its own transit safety woes), says crimes including violence in transit systems hurt ridership, which can in turn reduce the safety of the system.
Without any kind of standardized data collection, he said it's difficult to improve transit safety - whether perceived or real.
"The reality is that transit systems are safe," Haider said. "But the reality is that the reality gets compromised if the perception differs. And the perception gets influenced by one or [few] incidents of violent crime. . . that alone will do much more damage than a large number of smaller incidents."
Haider said standardized data about violent crimes on transit would benefit the public by giving them the information to make informed decisions about how they travel.
"[They could] avoid the place if they can, take a different route," he added. "Or travel in groups so that they can have security of strength in numbers."
That data can also be presented to municipal and provincial bodies, he added, to secure extra resources to improve safety of the transit system.
"Someone has to authorize the transit agency to deploy more police officers or security personnel, and that costs money," Haider said. "That would only happen if we have this data to demonstrate that there has been an increase in violent crimes on transit property."
Edmonton Police Service (EPS) statistics show a nearly 53 per cent rise in calls for violent crime within the Edmonton Transit System (ETS) between 2021 and 2022.
According to the EPS transit dashboard, so far in 2023, the MacEwan and Stadium transit centres have had the most occurrences involving violence, which make up around 38 per cent of calls to those stations.
The most reports of weapons have been at the Coliseum centre, with more than 13 per cent of 82 occurrences having a weapons violation.
With files from CTV News Edmonton's Nav Sangha
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
How quietly promised law changes in the 2024 federal budget could impact your day-to-day life
The 2024 federal budget released last week includes numerous big spending promises that have garnered headlines. But, tucked into the 416-page document are also series of smaller items, such as promising to amend the law regarding infant formula and to force banks to label government rebates, that you may have missed.
Which foods have the most plastics? You may be surprised
'How much plastic will you have for dinner, sir? And you, ma'am?' While that may seem like a line from a satirical skit on Saturday Night Live, research is showing it's much too close to reality.
opinion I've been a criminal attorney for decades. Here's what I think about the case against Trump
Joey Jackson, a criminal defence attorney and a legal analyst for CNN, outlines what he thinks about the criminal case against Donald Trump in the 'hush money trial.'
$3.8M home in B.C.'s Okanagan has steel shell for extra wildfire protection
A home in B.C.'s Okanagan that features a weathering steel shell designed to provide some protection against wildfires has been listed for sale at $3.8 million.
Diver pinned under water by an alligator figured he had choice. Lose his arm or lose his life
An alligator attacked a diver on April 15 as he surfaced from his dive, nearly out of air. His tank emptied with the gator's jaws crushing the arm he put up in defence.
Psychologist becomes first person in Peru to die by euthanasia after fighting in court for years
A Peruvian psychologist who suffered from an incurable disease that weakened her muscles and had her confined to her bed for several years, died by euthanasia, her lawyer said Monday, becoming the first person in the country to obtain the right to die with medical assistance.
Mystery surrounds giant custom Canucks jerseys worn by Lions Gate Bridge statues
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
Celebrity designer sentenced to 18 months in prison for smuggling crocodile handbags
A leading fashion designer whose accessories were used by celebrities from Britney Spears to the cast of the 'Sex and the City' TV series was sentenced Monday to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty in Miami federal court on charges of smuggling crocodile handbags from her native Colombia.
Wildfire leads to evacuation order issued for northeast Alberta community
An evacuation order was issued on Monday afternoon for homes in the area of Cold Lake First Nation.