Local employer remembers young victim on Facebook, while union leader says, 'Safety in our schools cannot be an afterthought'
Canada’s major unions are urging governments and employers to strengthen school safety and mental‑health supports after the mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge, B.C., calling the event both a community tragedy and a workplace safety crisis.
The appeals come after BC RCMP confirmed that nine people are dead, including a teacher and five students, following an attack at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School on Tuesday.
The incident has shaken the resource‑based community of roughly 2,400 people in northeastern B.C., where the secondary school is both a major workplace and a central community hub.
Local firm Freya Logging shared an image of one victim, 12‑year‑old Kylie Smith, on Facebook at the request of her father.
“Her father has requested that we share her picture to remind everyone that the unbelievable pain that is being experienced by a tight knit community will resonate for decades,” said the company. “Our deepest and biggest sympathy goes out to Tumbler Ridge as they navigate the extremely painful days ahead. As northerners, our hearts are extended to those whose lives have been shattered.”
National and political response
In Ottawa, Prime Minister Mark Carney told the House of Commons that the killings had “left our nation in shock and all of us in mourning,” adding: “These children and their teachers bore witness to unheard‑of cruelty. To the students, the teachers, the parents, every resident of Tumbler Ridge, all of Canada stands with you.”
He praised RCMP officers who entered the school under fire, as well as paramedics, health‑care workers and school staff “who acted with extraordinary courage to protect the children in their care.”
BC RCMP commanding officer, deputy commissioner Dwayne McDonald said additional RCMP resources have been deployed to Tumbler Ridge to support the major crime investigation and day‑to‑day policing. Community members needing support have been directed to the Tumbler Ridge Community Centre.
'Every worker has a right to feel safe'
As the investigation continues, unions are responding with condolences while also emphasizing workplace safety.
Bea Bruske, president of the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC), said families in Tumbler Ridge and across British Columbia were going through something no one should ever have to experience.
“Every student has a right to feel safe in their school. Every worker in a school has a right to be safe. Every family should be confident that when they say goodbye in the morning, their loved ones will come home at the end of the day,” Bruske said.
“Schools are places of learning, of care, of community. They are also workplaces. And no teacher, no education assistant, no custodian, no bus driver, no support staff, no worker should ever have to face violence as part of their job."
As Canadians, Bruske said they will be "unpacking" what happened and how to prevent this kind of violence: "But we must be clear: safety in our schools cannot be an afterthought. It requires real investment, prevention, mental health supports, and strong public services."
Canada’s unions "will be loud voices in the work ahead demanding the protections, resources, and policies needed to keep our communities and workplaces safe."
Workers 'carrying enormous burden'
Teamsters Canada said it was “heartbroken by the violence that has taken place in Tumbler Ridge,” extending condolences “to the parents and families grieving loved ones, to those who were injured, and to everyone living through an unimaginable shock. You are not alone.”
The union, which represents 130,000 members, underlined the impact on workers, including school staff, health‑care professionals and first responders.
“Many workers are also carrying an enormous burden today. School staff, health‑care professionals, and first responders will now live with what they witnessed. We recognize their courage and call for them to receive long‑term support,” the statement said. “No one should have to experience horror in a place meant for learning and safety.”
Scott Lunny, director for Western Canada at the United Steelworkers union (USW), also extended his condolences and solidarity to the community of Tumbler Ridge, B.C.
“Our hearts and solidarity go out to the staff, students and families of Tumbler Ridge Secondary School and all those affected by this tragedy. We extend our deepest condolences to the Tumbler Ridge community, our members and those who work in the area. We stand in solidarity with everyone who is grieving during this unimaginably difficult time,” he said.
Lunny also praised those who responded to the incident, saying the union honours “the courage and quick response of first responders, emergency personnel and front‑line workers who acted with care and professionalism in the face of this unthinkable tragedy.”
‘No joke’: RCMP outlines threats of school violence
School violence has become a serious problem in recent decades in many parts of the world, according to the RCMP.
“It can be subtle and almost go unnoticed (bullying, verbal abuse, threats) and has in some cases escalated to large scale violent acts such as those witnessed at Columbine or École Polytechnique.”
More recent data out of Ontario shows the number of violent incidents in the province’s classrooms has skyrocketed in recent years, according to a 2025 report by Global News.
The rate of violent incidents has risen annually since the 2018-19 school year, with the exception of the COVID-19 pandemic, with more than 4,400 incidents reported in the 2023-24 year alone.
“This is not just a spike—it’s a full-blown crisis,” said Joe Tigani, president of the Ontario School Board Council of Unions in August 2025. “Violence is now a daily reality in Ontario schools.”
Rising violence in K‑12 school workplaces
WorkSafeBC, the province’s workers’ compensation authority, has previously said that K‑12 schools are “unique and complex workplaces” where violence toward staff is an increasing problem.
Between 2015 and 2019, both the number of accepted claims and the injury rate related to workplace violence in B.C. K‑12 schools rose steadily, the agency reports.
Unlike many other sectors, school workers frequently interact with children and youth “who do not yet have the capacity to understand that their behaviour could cause physical and/or psychological injury to others,” it says.
WorkSafeBC has created a K‑12 Workplace Violence Prevention Working Group with partners across the education sector, including the BC Public School Employers’ Association (BCPSEA), BC Teachers’ Federation, CUPE BC, and principals’, superintendents’ and school safety associations.
The group has developed posters, videos and other resources tailored specifically to school environments, all designed to keep violence prevention “top of mind” for districts and staff.
