Smart Serve sexual violence training welcome for Timmins bar, bartender
The addition of new training on how to handle sexual violence in the Smart Serve program, officially announced Friday, is a welcome one for bars and bartenders in Timmins.
For Kim Sergerie-Donovan, general manager of the Surge Sports Lounge, it's a move that she was surprised hadn't come sooner.
"I think it should have happened a long time ago," said Sergerie-Donovan. "Sexual harassment in the workplace or violence has been in workplaces forever, so I'm glad they added it to the Smart Serve."
Pre-COVID Statistics Canada numbers show that the most common location for reported cases of serious unwanted sexual behaviour is in restaurants and bars.
The new training module takes people through different scenarios where sexual harassment and drug-facilitated sexual assault could be taking place, highlights issues to look out for and suggests ways to handle them.
Local bartender Ben Nash said he's always tried to be diligent about noticing and dealing with unwanted sexual advances in his work. Having some additional guidance is helpful.
"We're always down with things that are going to make people feel more safe with coming out to the bar," said Nash, adding it's also important for customers to alert staff when they're feeling unsafe.
"Obviously, that's part of our job to make people feel safe and welcome, so ... if it helps other people, it helps us out and it keeps everything running smoothly."
The new module is meant to be complementary to existing sexual violence policies and people already Smart Serve certified don't need to retake the program.
Sergerie-Donovan said she's hoping to update her staff about the module when the bar gets a routine visit from the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, which oversees the program.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
First court appearance for boy and girl charged in death of Halifax 16-year-old
A girl and a boy, both 14 years old, made their first appearance today in a Halifax courtroom, where they each face a second-degree murder charge in the stabbing death of a 16-year-old high school student.