Nurses brought to tears after threatening posters found outside Yorkton hospital

Health-care workers at the Yorkton Regional Health Centre were greeted with a series of anti-vaccination posters on outside doors and windows Tuesday, claiming they would be “held accountable” for “war crimes.”

Seeing the posters, according to the Saskatchewan Union of Nurses president Tracy Zambory, brought some nurses to tears.

According to staff and security at the hospital, the RCMP was contacted and the posters were taken down.

Zambory says the posters are a slap in the face to health-care workers who have been working tirelessly over the last 20 months. She says whoever put them up should be “held accountable” for their actions.

“It’s really outrageous,” she said. “It’s shocking. And it’s really a horrible act of … almost a violent attack on our members.

“I know that sounds rather dramatic, but the fact of the matter is it’s a violent attack on their psyche and on all of the hard work that they have been doing and showing up for.”

She received texts and a picture from a nurse Tuesday night, whom Zambory said “was in tears.” The picture was shared via SUN’s Twitter account Wednesday.

It’s not clear from the picture whether any group took responsibility for the messages displayed on the poster.

“(Nurses) can’t believe that at this stage of the COVID nightmare we’re in, this stuff is still coming down,” Zambory added.

She has contacted Yorkton MLA Greg Ottenbreit to ask that he denounce the actions of whoever put up the posters.

Ottenbreit issued a statement in response to the incident.

“Some people have lost common decency in this pandemic and have allowed themselves to be dragged into the worst conduct and interactions, privately and publicly,” he wrote.

“Yorkton is lucky to have some phenomenal doctors and nurses. I have close family that serve every day in health care and I’m thankful for the efforts of all our medical staff.”

In an emailed statement, the RCMP said it’s aware of the incident:

“On November 2, 2021 around 9:30 a.m. Yorkton RCMP received a report of mischief at the Yorkton Regional Health Centre involving posters pasted on the centre’s doors/windows,” the statement said. “The detachment is currently investigating this incident and encourages any members of the public with information to contact them.”

Requests also were made for comment from the Saskatchewan Health Authority.