Mayor tight-lipped about firefighter charged with disobeying protection order while on job

Mayor Scott Gillingham said he can’t talk about the case of a firefighter accused of breaching a protection order while on the job this month — a man who has been jailed twice in the past 10 years for harassing two women.

Christopher Goethals was arrested July 21 after breaching a protection order requiring that he not come within 200 metres of a protected person.

Police said Goethals, 59, was in full uniform, driving a Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service fleet vehicle, and was performing “modified duties” on the job when he breached the order.

When asked about Goethals being able to serve as a firefighter under those circumstances, Gillingham called it a human resources issue. He said he wouldn’t get into specifics, but would “look into this matter further.”

He noted the city expects all of its employees to follow its code of conduct.

“We treat that code of conduct seriously, the Winnipeg Police Service, the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service and other departments as well,” he said Friday.

“When they see someone or when they identify an individual, in this case, then it needs to be dealt with accordingly.”

That’s not good enough for Coun. Sherri Rollins. In 2023, she got a protection order against a man accused of stalking her.

On Friday, she said the mayor must explain why the firefighter was allowed to return to work after being jailed for criminal harassment twice.

Rollins described Goethals’ arrest and ability to continue working as disturbing, but not surprising.

“I’m not surprised by much of anything, other than those that are accountable for public safety pointing fingers and not having the words to meet the moment,” she said.

Rollins said the issue is more important than a human resources matter and she accused Gillingham of not “meeting the moment on public safety.”

“It goes without saying there are complex human resource issues here, but when it is the human resource issues that impact services to Winnipeg, where that intersects, we have a duty to talk about that,” she said.

“And when it comes to the protection order … I certainly have questions, and I imagine the public does too, but they want to know that folks are alert to some of these issues.”

Goethals’ union issued a news release Wednesday that said his actions don’t “reflect the character or commitment” of the 1,500 firefighters and firefighter-paramedics who are members of the United Fire Fighters of Winnipeg.

A city spokesman has refused to answer questions about the firefighter, including details about how his convictions have affected his work duties.

Rollins said a number of women in civic leadership roles have dealt with harassment and stalking. Seeking legal protection in court is just one way a person seeks protection. Another, she said, is politicians who condemn violence against women.

“(In) the City of Winnipeg, with a pretty problematic rate of domestic violence relative to other cities, the City of Winnipeg, where the National Inquiry Into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls was headquartered, what’s surprising is the lack of understanding on the tools in this toolbox,” she said.

Fellow councillor Cindy Gilroy said she couldn’t speak about details of the case, but said it warrants a review by the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service, considering the alleged offence happened while the firefighter was on the job.

“This was a real eye-(opening) moment for all of us, and especially for women that, where in a lot of cases, are in fear for their lives, and so that this took place using city resources is concerning, and something I think the city is going to have to follow up on,” said Gilroy (Daniel McIntyre).

A woman was granted a protection order against Goethals in July 2024 that prohibits him from being within 200 metres of her, her home or workplace. He was arrested twice after repeatedly breaching the order. He remained in custody before being sentenced in January 2025 after pleading guilty to two counts of disobeying court orders.

In 2017, Goethals pleaded guilty to criminally harassing his partner and breaking into her home. He was credited with 16 months of time served and sentenced to an additional six months’ custody and three years of supervised probation.

In 2016, Goethals was convicted of breaching a protection order and was sentenced to five months in jail and two years of supervised probation.

He remains in custody. His next court date is July 31.

malak.abas@freepress.mb.ca