World leaders have united in condemning those behind the terrorist attack in England. The attack in Manchester has left many to wonder, if it could happen there – could it happen here?
On Tuesday, defenseless teens and children were the targets of terrorism as they left a concert in Manchester.
READ MORE: How parents can help their kids cope with what happened in Manchester
A powerful blast left 22 dead, including an eight-year-old girl, and more than 50 injured.
“The act is just appalling in every way,” Canada’s Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale said.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims and their loved ones as they grapple with their grief at this difficult time.”
Saskatoon Mayor Charlie Clark said as a parent, he can only imagine how frightening and awful it would be to have been there.
Flags at all Saskatoon facilities were lowered at the mayor’s request to pay tribute to the victims of the Manchester attack.
“We need to stay together and keep working to identify where any threats are and build strong unified communities,” Clark said.
READ MORE: Will Montreal event venues increase security in the wake of Manchester attack?
Intelligence officials are now triple-checking that everything is being done, and done properly, to keep Canadians safe.
“The officials inform me there is no basis upon which to adjust that threat level in Canada, it remains at medium where it has stayed since the fall of 2014,” Goodale said.
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At SaskTel Centre, which would be considered a “soft target,” there could be upwards of 16,000 concertgoers at a sold-out show.
“We take crowd management very seriously and we analyze every event,” SaskTel Centre executive director Scott Ford said.
There is a command centre inside, multiple cameras, and a zone surrounding the exterior of the building where vehicles are prohibited to park.
Emergency procedures are known by all staff from ticket takers and concessionaires to medical staff, and training exercises are conducted at the venue two to three times a year.
“So we run through the scenarios and then we do a recap afterwards, what we did right, what we did wrong and what we could improve.”
READ MORE: Manchester explosion highlights terrorism threats ahead of NATO summit, G7
Staff visually screen patrons as they enter the building and sweeps of the building are done prior to every show. Ford added that there is security at all points of entry to the building and incidents reported to staff, logged then investigated.
“Part of our entry policy is we do bag checks for all events,” Ford said.
“We don’t allow knapsacks into the building, we don’t allow bags that are larger than a cubic foot.”
READ MORE: Canadians, going to a concert soon? Here’s how you can stay safe
Searches can include full pat-downs or involve wands at the request of an artist. There is also a no re-entry policy at the venue so once you leave, you aren’t allowed back in.
Officials on all levels are cautioning Canadians to be vigilant, if you see something suspicious – say something.
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