The Northern Health Region announced on March 23, 2026, that security guards are now stationed 24 hours a day at hospitals with inpatient units, including St. Anthony’s General Hospital in The Pas, Manitoba. This move is part of a larger plan to keep patients, visitors, and staff safe in healthcare buildings across the north.
Along with St. Anthony’s General Hospital, these round-the-clock guards are also working at hospitals in Thompson and Flin Flon. A regional security manager was hired in December 2025 to lead these safety efforts and coordinate security for the first time in the region’s history.
Thompson General Hospital is receiving extra support through five full-time Institutional Safety Officers who are already patrolling the building. These officers are licensed as Peace Officers and have special training to handle crisis situations, search for items, and help talk down heated arguments.
Starting March 25, 2026, the Thompson hospital will also use a single security checkpoint at the main entrance for all patients and visitors. The Manitoba government is funding 128 of these new safety officer positions to improve security in hospitals throughout the province.
These updates follow a push for better safety from the Manitoba Nurses Union after several dangerous incidents. This included a situation on Christmas Eve in 2024 where a man fired a rifle inside a hospital chapel in Thompson before being stopped by security.
