Security to be increased at Winnipeg’s MTS Centre after Manchester bombing

Security is being enhanced at Winnipeg’s MTS Centre in the wake of the fatal bombing at an Ariana Grande show in Manchester, England. (Photo by Wpg guy (Own work) [CC0],)

True North Sports and Entertainment will start by bringing in an explosives specialty dog for a sold-out Red Hot Chili Peppers show this Friday.

Kevin Donnelly of True North tells CTV Winnipeg that the Manchester bombing, which killed at least 22 people and wounded dozens more, “changes everything.”

He says terrorist attacks have also taken place at shopping malls, train stations, airports and sporting events.

He says True North is always looking to “increase, enhance and stay current” with security standards around the world.

True North partners with the Winnipeg Police Service to provide security at large events.

Const. Rob Carver says Dante, an eight-year-old Belgian Malinois, will patrol the MTS Centre before, during and after Friday’s show.

Carver says anytime there’s an incident on the international landscape, security changes are implemented and they’re rarely ever ratcheted down.

However, aside from having Dante in attendance, police weren’t able to talk about exactly what changes they’re making in Winnipeg.

“We don’t talk about the details of security enhancements,” Carver says. “We have other things as well, but they’re not things we’re going to be discussing to the public because it’s part of our security strategy to make sure that we’re looking at things, we’re deploying the resources, we’re changing tactics as we often are.”