'Not as welcoming': Secure entrance added to 2nd Winnipeg Liquor Mart

A new secure entrance has been added to another Liquor Mart in Winnipeg, a month after the first one made its debut.

The store atPortage Avenue and BurnellStreet in the West Endnow has asecurity station, where customers are required to show photo ID, which is scannedbefore they are allowed through the locked inner doors.

Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries has been working to equip all of its stores in Winnipeg with newhigh-security entrances after two years of surging thefts, many of which involved groups of people swarming in and grabbing bottles before running out again.

The Tyndall Market Liquor Mart, in the city's Tyndall Park area, was first to open with the enhanced security, on Nov. 27.

It was initially chosenbecause the entryway was large enough to support the installation of a security booth, while still remaining wheelchair accessible without major renovations.

The new security entrance was already under construction when the store became the scene of aviolent robbery on Nov. 20.

Three employees at the store were assaulted in anunprovoked attack. They werepunched in the head or face, with oneknocked unconsciousand sent to hospital.

A 15-year-old boy has been charged in connection with the incident.Twomales who were with him have not yet been located by police.

JothamPenner, whohad his infant daughter with him, wasturned away Monday morning from the Portage and Burnell storebecause the new rules prohibit minors from entering.

"I didn't realize they had started carding people and that they wouldn't let babies in even," he said. "It was a bit of a challenge, but I found a way around it."

Pennerwent across the street to the wine store at DeLucas instead.

"It can really interrupt your Christmas plans if you're just going out by yourself, with your child, and you're hoping to just grab something quick. You have to kind of plan around it now," he said.

There's also a much larger security presence at the store now in terms of personnel, he said, noting there was a city police officer and a private guard on Tuesday.

"It's not as welcoming a place anymore."

At the same time, Pennersaid the changes are understandable.

"I think it's completely reasonable. I think that changes had to be made," he said. "Overall, I think the safety for everyone is the most important thing."

While he intends to make sure he doesn't have his daughter with him when he's going out to get alcohol in the future, Penner lamented that's not an option for everyone.

"A lot of these policies tend to leave out people who are less privileged, people who don't have the resources of the middle class and upper middle class," he said.

"It would be nice if there was a way that security, safety and equality could all happen at the same time. Hopefully, our policy makers can figure something out along those lines."

MLLtight-lipped on changes

More anti-theft measures will be added to other Liquor Mart locations over the coming weeks and months, MLL says. But theCrown corporation isn't offering up any details.

"We will not be disclosing any other information regarding the controlled entrance rollout timeline, the effectiveness of any one measure at a particular location, or any of our security processes and procedures that are followed by our employees," a spokesperson stated in an emailed response to CBC.

"The controlled entrances are in place for the safety and security of our staff and customers. We will not compromise their effectiveness by sharing details for publication by media."

For that same reason,MLL is not commenting more about the new entrance at the Portage andBurnell store.

Everything it is willing to share with the public is on the Liquor & Lotteries website.

New security measures at a second Winnipeg liquor mart are getting the thumbs up from customers

5 years ago

Duration 1:41

The Portage and Burnell liquor mart has been outfitted with a security station a month after the first one made its debut at a location in Tyndall Park.