THUNDER BAY - A Toronto-based non-profit is training local bars on how to run a safer operation.
The Dandelion Initiative, a survivor-led program which began in 2016, is providing education to Outpost management and staff, as well as other departments within Lakehead including Human Rights and Equity, Security, Student Health and Wellness and some external organizations who offer programming relevant to alcohol assisted sexual assault or who service vulnerable populations.
The initiative focuses on preventing harmful behaviours that put students at risk of sexual violence and sexual assault.
Lakehead staff participated in alcohol-related violence training on Thursday to learn how to promote safer drinking environments on campus.
“A university is a learning space, a place where we start to learn our values, and there is a lot of harm that can occur on campuses when people are exposed to alcohol for the first time,” the Dandelion Initiative's safer bars and spaces manager Sarah Barrable-Tishauer said.
The initiative at Lakehead is presented in collaboration with the Thunder Bay Drug Strategy and the Thunder Bay District Health Unit.
“The hospitality industry is faced with a lot of issues around sexual assault and sexual violence,” Barrable-Tishauer said.
With the Ford government now allowing licensed establishments to begin serving alcohol at 9 a.m., and advertise various "happy hour" promotions, Barrable-Tishauer says now is a more important time than ever to raise awareness and educate.
“We hope this education spreads beyond the faculty,” she said. “Educate yourselves on how you can intervene, talk and listen to the people who are more at risk, and look out for your friends.”
