Festival du Voyager denies allegations made by woman injured in Fort Gibraltar walkway collapse

A section of collapsed walkway (centre right, behind tent) is shown at Fort Gibraltar in Winnipeg, Wednesday, May 31, 2023. Seventeen schoolchildren and one adult were taken to hospital after a fall at the popular tourist attraction. THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Woods

Festival du Voyager is denying allegations made in a lawsuit by a woman who was injured in the walkway collapse at Fort Gibraltar last year, which sent 18 people from St. John’s-Ravenscourt School to the hospital.

The original joint lawsuit against Festival du Voyager and the City of Winnipeg was filed in the Court of King’s Bench on behalf of Angelina Constantine on March 28, 2024.

According to the suit, the city is the registered owner of the property, and the festival leases and operates the site.

The lawsuit noted, that due to the walkway’s sudden collapse, the plaintiff incurred numerous and permanent injuries, including a fracture to her thoracic spine, injuries to her neck and right foot, and psychological injuries.

Constantine claimed, that as a result of the incident, she suffered past and future loss of income, pain, loss of enjoyment, and incurred medical expenses.

She is seeking unspecified punitive, aggravated, and exemplary damages.

Court documents also stated the incident was caused “solely and by the breach of duty and/or negligence” of the two parties.

In response, the festival filed a statement of defence on May 17. 2024.

According to court documents, the festival denied that it “breach any duty if care owed to the plaintiff as alleged or at all, or that it was negligent in relation to the Incident.”

The festival claimed it had no knowledge of the extent of injuries allegedly suffered by the plaintiff.

Court documents also noted, “No act or omission of the festival was the cause of any legally compensable loss or damage,” and requested the statement of claim be dismissed with costs.

Constantine’s lawsuit is the third that has been filed in the wake of the May 31. 2023 incident. The other two separate ones were filed by parents whose children were injured in the walkway collapse.

None of the allegations have been proven in court.

The city has not yet filed a statement of defence.