Haley Collen is no stranger to knives.

She’s not a police officer or chef — she’s a beer vendor manager in Winnipeg. And she’s among the customer-facing workers to say they’ve had a weapon pulled on them while on the job.

Armed robberies and violent encounters within the hospitality industry are a pressing issue, the head of the Manitoba Tourism Education Council says. And demand has led MTEC, a provincial sector council, to launch a training course on armed robbery response.

“It’s not something that we really know how to deal with,” Collen said. Violent attacks might come when an employee tries to prevent theft or when a pedestrian in psychosis enters, she continued.

She’s managed the Norwood Beer Store. Similar incidents are happening across the city. The latest to make headlines occ

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