This release was issued under a previous government.

“This was a preventable tragedy and my thoughts are with Mr. Holmes’ family. Everyone should be able to feel safe in their home, and the safety of all Albertans remains a priority for our government.

“We are committed to working with agency staff and our community partners in service delivery to continue making improvements and implementing best practices. We must learn from this incident and do more to consider credentials and training in the PDD service delivery sector. We will be examining this sector as part of the second phase of our PDD safety standards consultation to address qualifications, recruitment, and retention in this valued workforce. Meanwhile, PDD service providers follow specific safety obligations and procedures set out by the Alberta Council of Disability Services’ accreditation standards.

“Every Albertan deserves to live safely, with dignity, and to be cared for in a manner that ensures their well-being. Our ongoing consultation on home safety with persons with developmental disabilities, their families and guardians, service providers, health and safety professionals, landlords, and other stakeholders is part of this work.”