Neighbouring downtown bus shelters experiencing serious incidents days apart

Two people are in the hospital following a serious assault on Monday night.

A 19-year-old woman and a 50-year-old man both are in stable condition after being seriously assaulted in a City of Winnipeg transit shelter on Portage Avenue, near Edmonton Street.

When arriving at approximately 9:30 p.m., Winnipeg Police Service General Patrol officers found the pair and administered first aid. Both were transported in unstable conditions to the hospital and have both been upgraded to stable condition. Police are investigating the incident.

This is in the same area bus shelter where days earlier, a woman experienced medical distress and was declared dead when arriving at the hospital. Police say the circumstances of her death are not considered suspicious.

Many people have been using these and other shelters to provide relief from the elements. While there is space at overnight shelters, some people are choosing to sleep rough for personal reasons or concerns over the pandemic.