Toronto parks and rec worker dies on the job

A Toronto parks and recreation employee died on the job Wednesday morning after a suspected medical emergency at a community centre in Scarborough, according to the city.

The employee died while at work at the Oakridge Community Recreation Centre, the city said in a statement. It said Toronto police and Ontario's Ministry of Labour are investigating.

"Our heartfelt condolences go out to his family, friends and colleagues. We recognize the emotional impact this loss may have and are committed to supporting our employees and other impacted individuals during this difficult time," Russell Baker, spokesperson for the city, said in the statement.

Toronto police said in an email Wednesday it responded to a medical call in the area of Pharmacy and Danforth avenues.

"Due to privacy reasons, we would only release information about this call if it was deemed to be a criminal incident," spokesperson Amy Davey wrote.

"A determination on whether this is a criminal matter can only be made after a postmortem examination is conducted and a cause of death is finalized."

CUPE Local 79, which represents city employees, said in a social media post on Wednesday that the person was working alone at the time.

"We mourn the loss of a colleague and extend our deepest condolences to their loved ones and coworkers," the union said.

"This tragedy also demands answers. It is deeply troubling that this worker was working alone."

The union said the city has a working alone policy that is intended to protect workers and ensure immediate help in case of emergency. It said it will work with the city to make sure this policy is enforced and to look at whether the policy is adequate.

"No worker should be isolated, unprotected, or placed in a situation where help is not immediately available. Worker safety is non-negotiable," the union said.

"We honour our fellow member by insisting that every worker comes home safe at the end of their shift."