Downtown Victoria workers offered 'de-escalation' safety training by business association

The Downtown Victoria Business Association is offering its members a free online de-escalation training session this month.

In an email to its members, the DVBA said the hour-long training session will provide business owners and their staff with the tools to "effectively respond to conflict and crisis at work."

The association also wrote that the training session was created "based on feedback from two business forums hosted by the Coalition to End Homelessness earlier this year."

The training will be hosted by the Canadian Mental Health Association.

Graeme Cano, store manger for Ecologyst on lower Johnson Street in Victoria, said the training will be useful if someone is causing a problem.

"Whether that someone is unhoused, someone in a mental health crisis, or for lack of a better word a 'Karen,' or any sort of difficult situation you might run into in customer service, I think having that experience and skillset could be quite valuable and improve safety for all parties involved," he said.

He says he hopes the training will lead to a better experience for everyone who works or visits downtown Victoria.

The online workshop will take place at 9 a.m. on Aug 24. Once the session is over, participants will have a chance to ask questions.

The DVBA says if the workshop is well-received, it may launch similar training sessions again in the future.