Each week we will post a summary of interesting and representative 211 calls. This week, we have a connection from Manitoba.

Manitoba:

A man called 211 and he was very concerned. He had been on a city bus and had seen someone with what he described as a knife at his side. He wanted to know where to report this because he believed this was illegal. The person had not been threatening at all, but the caller believed it was illegal to carry such a knife.

The Service Navigator spoke with the caller and asked a few questions. He learned that the man had been wearing a head covering and the caller described it. The Service Navigator realized that the caller must have seen a Sikh man wearing a kirpan at his side. He let the caller know that kirpans are religious symbols and that they are not for aggression. The caller was very relieved to hear this and was glad that he had not mistakenly reported the incident to the police. He thanked the 211 Service Navigator profusely and said he would call back in the future if he had any other concerns.