Marlborough's doors remain closed three months after unruly protest, vandalism – Winnipeg Free Press

The Marlborough Hotel has remained closed for nearly three months after protesters ransacked the basement in response to an online video showing a local woman being held by staff.

Meanwhile, the woman at the center of the controversy was arrested in late March on suspicion of leading a car and leading officers on a high-speed chase. The court denied his request for release on April 2, court records show.

It's the latest in more than a dozen charges filed against Gale Karen Annie Bradburn after city police charged her with assault with a weapon Dec. 25 after she allegedly tried to stab a hotel employee.

Bradburn, now 19, came to the public's attention when a video of the incident went viral. The recording, which lasted more than three minutes, showed him holding his hands behind his back as staff prevented him from leaving in the lobby of the Marlborough Hotel.

About four weeks later, dozens of protesters gathered at the hotel, denouncing the man's arrest, saying the basement of the building was a home for a human trafficking ring. Such claims have never been confirmed by the police.

Within an hour of the protest, demonstrators broke into the basement, forced open several locked doors, broke alcohol bottles, overturned furniture, and tore the contents of metal cabinets.

The hotel has remained closed to the public since January 24 and staff have been the target of numerous threats.

Winnipeg Police said they are investigating the threats and damage caused during the protest.

WPS also said the Marlboro staff would not be charged for the handling of Bradburn, but the video, which allegedly showed him touching her inappropriately, prompted a separate investigation.

A police spokeswoman could not confirm Wednesday that investigations were ongoing or that any charges had been laid.

As for the hotel, it no longer accepts reservations or phone calls. The lobby doors are locked, and the exterior consists of broken windows and plywood barricades.

Graffiti, including about a dozen red handprints — the national symbol of protection for missing and murdered indigenous women and girls — covers the walls, windows and front facade.

The rear entrance, a steel door in an alley between Smith and Harry Streets, was damaged in an attempt to open it, and the surroundings were littered with trash, drugs, urine and discarded clothing.

Attempts to reach the building's management team were unsuccessful Wednesday.

A review of business records shows that the numbered company that owns the real estate has remained in default since last July when it failed to file its annual returns with the Manitoba Companies Office.

The Marlborough baker was named in a small claim filed in the Court of King's Bench on April 4 claiming it owes $544.60 for unpaid invoices dated January 9.

The 148-room, nine-story hotel at 331 Smith St. is worth just over $1 million, according to the 2024 property assessment.

The building has been classified as a historic resource under City of Winnipeg regulations since 1998. Do not tamper with it or change its appearance.

Bradburn, who was previously charged by RCMP with assault with a weapon after allegedly stabbing someone in a remote Manitoba First Nation last September, has since violated court-issued release orders nine times.

He was charged in February with two counts of assault on a peace officer.

Bradburn will appear in court on April 19.

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Tyler Searle
Reporter

Tyler Searle is a multimedia producer who writes for the Free Press' city desk. Since joining the paper in 2022, he's traveled by storm, documenting protests and checking under bridges for potential incidents.

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