Meanwhile, vaccinated Ontarians are handed — or emailed — a sheet of paper with seemingly no security features, just the patient and doctor’s info.
“I think there’s a good reason to worry, but I’m not at all surprised,” said Karen Wendling, an associate professor at University of Guelph who often discusses medical ethics.
“From a Canadian perspective, we can be worried that there are going to be non-vaccinated Americans trying to cross the border.”
Altering or recreating a legitimate document (like a vaccine card), with the intent of using it as real, is a federal crime.
“This can be liable to a variety of offences under the Criminal Code of Canada” said SuJung Lee, criminal defence lawyer at Daniel Brown Law.
“The most applicable, I would say, offence for these types of actions would probably be forgery.”
Lee says this can land you between 18 months and 10 years behind bars. Possessing, using or trafficking the forged document would count as separate offences.
If financial loss is involved, you can also be charged with fraud. That’s between two and 14 years behind bars if convicted, depending on the circumstances of the case.
Due to the devastating global impact of COVID-19, though, Lee suspects courts will go for maximum penalties to those found guilty.
“These types of offences, if they come to the forefront, is something that courts will probably take very very seriously…. They’ll want to signal to the community that (they) will not go unpunished.”
When asked if forged proof of COVID-19 vaccinations was used to enter the country, a spokesperson with the Canada Border Services Agency told Global News: “(CBSA) is aware that some travellers may attempt to use fraudulent documentation when seeking entry to Canada.”
In an email to Global on Tuesday, the CBSA added that 591 travellers arriving in Canada (237 travellers by air and 354 by land) were referred to the Public Health Agency of Canada for “issues related to their proof of vaccination.” This includes people whose proof of vaccination needed further verification, or if they did not meet required criteria, like vaccine date or vaccine type. Note that these numbers are between July 5, when proof of vaccine became required for Canadians and permanent resident travellers, and July 18.
The CBSA would not say how many individuals were suspected to be carrying forged vaccine cards, if any.
When asked how border agents would be able to tell a real vaccine card from a fake one with no security features within the cards, the CBSA would not specify, responding: “Border services officers (BSO) are trained in examination techniques and use indicators, intelligence, and other information to determine a person’s admissibility to Canada. This includes confirming that the documentation required to be found admissible or to meet the criteria for modified public health measures is valid and authentic.”
“All travellers should be aware that providing false information to a Government of Canada official upon entry to Canada or making false or fraudulent attempts is a serious offence and may result in penalties and/or criminal charges,” the agency added.
Nonetheless, Canadians are divided on whether or not proof of vaccine should be required in the first place, with some calling it an “ethical dilemma.”
“The answer is yes, I do believe they should be required. People have been dying from (COVID-19),” said Wendling. “For going across countries, there just is no doubt that’s going to be required.”
Wendling also stressed the need to prove you’re vaccinated in high-risk congregate settings, or in crowded spaces like concerts. However, she thinks this could only be justified for a disease as deadly and far-spreading as COVID-19.
“When it’s a pandemic, you just don’t have the right to harm others,” she said.
Meanwhile, Nancy Walton questions whether a blanket requirement for all scenarios is actually going to work.
“It’s always important to look at the context,” said Walton, the associate dean of graduate studies at Ryerson University and the director of the Daphne Cockwell School of Nursing.
“If we’re looking at a context like a health-care environment, a hospital, a long-term care centre — yes the pros outweigh the cons, definitely. We have an obligation and it’s justified to require health-care workers to be vaccinated.”
But in other contexts like workplaces, concerts, grocery stores or malls, Walton says there are other available options to consider, short of demanding vaccine proof.
“Distancing, personal protective equipment, masking, physical barriers.”
Walton also says inadequate and inequitable access to vaccines, especially in poorer countries, may be a deciding factor on travel restrictions.
“There’s been a lot of discussion about the global supply, and of course that requiring vaccination as part of travel then further restricts people who may already be disadvantaged … so you’re putting additional burdens on people.”
Either way, both Walton and Welding say health officials need to come up with some kind of way to authenticate COVID-19 vaccine cards — as some cybersecurity experts say the demand for forged cards will grow on the dark web.
“There has to be something. It’s not recreating the wheel,” said Walton.
“If I’m going to Germany, for instance, I hope they ask me for something more secure than my printout from Ontario,” said Wendling.
Meanwhile, Lee says being charged with forgery or fraud for faking a vaccine card can be challenged in court, as can any charge.
However, it would be “very difficult” to show the court that being demanded proof of vaccine infringes on your everyday rights.
“In everyday life, we see instances where requiring proof of other kinds of identifying documents — such as driver’s licences to access public or private services — are a commonplace occurrence that are not necessarily rights-infringing, but a cost, for example, of living harmoniously in society.”
2:30 Science advisory table proposes COVID-19 vaccine certificates for Ontario
Science advisory table proposes COVID-19 vaccine certificates for Ontario
REGINA – Saskatchewan Opposition NDP Leader Carla Beck says she wants to prove to residents her party is the government in waiting as she heads into the incoming legislative session.
Beck held her first caucus meeting with 27 members, nearly double than what she had before the Oct. 28 election but short of the 31 required to form a majority in the 61-seat legislature.
She says her priorities will be health care and cost-of-living issues.
Beck says people need affordability help right now and will press Premier Scott Moe’s Saskatchewan Party government to cut the gas tax and the provincial sales tax on children’s clothing and some grocery items.
Beck’s NDP is Saskatchewan’s largest Opposition in nearly two decades after sweeping Regina and winning all but one seat in Saskatoon.
The Saskatchewan Party won 34 seats, retaining its hold on all of the rural ridings and smaller cities.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
Telus Corp. says it is avoiding offering “unprofitable” discounts as fierce competition in the Canadian telecommunications sector shows no sign of slowing down.
The company said Friday it had fewer net new customers during its third quarter compared with the same time last year, as it copes with increasingly “aggressive marketing and promotional pricing” that is prompting more customers to switch providers.
Telus said it added 347,000 net new customers, down around 14.5 per cent compared with last year. The figure includes 130,000 mobile phone subscribers and 34,000 internet customers, down 30,000 and 3,000, respectively, year-over-year.
The company reported its mobile phone churn rate — a metric measuring subscribers who cancelled their services — was 1.09 per cent in the third quarter, up from 1.03 per cent in the third quarter of 2023. That included a postpaid mobile phone churn rate of 0.90 per cent in its latest quarter.
Telus said its focus is on customer retention through its “industry-leading service and network quality, along with successful promotions and bundled offerings.”
“The customers we have are the most important customers we can get,” said chief financial officer Doug French in an interview.
“We’ve, again, just continued to focus on what matters most to our customers, from a product and customer service perspective, while not loading unprofitable customers.”
Meanwhile, Telus reported its net income attributable to common shares more than doubled during its third quarter.
The telecommunications company said it earned $280 million, up 105.9 per cent from the same three-month period in 2023. Earnings per diluted share for the quarter ended Sept. 30 was 19 cents compared with nine cents a year earlier.
It reported adjusted net income was $413 million, up 10.7 per cent year-over-year from $373 million in the same quarter last year. Operating revenue and other income for the quarter was $5.1 billion, up 1.8 per cent from the previous year.
Mobile phone average revenue per user was $58.85 in the third quarter, a decrease of $2.09 or 3.4 per cent from a year ago. Telus said the drop was attributable to customers signing up for base rate plans with lower prices, along with a decline in overage and roaming revenues.
It said customers are increasingly adopting unlimited data and Canada-U.S. plans which provide higher and more stable ARPU on a monthly basis.
“In a tough operating environment and relative to peers, we view Q3 results that were in line to slightly better than forecast as the best of the bunch,” said RBC analyst Drew McReynolds in a note.
Scotiabank analyst Maher Yaghi added that “the telecom industry in Canada remains very challenging for all players, however, Telus has been able to face these pressures” and still deliver growth.
The Big 3 telecom providers — which also include Rogers Communications Inc. and BCE Inc. — have frequently stressed that the market has grown more competitive in recent years, especially after the closing of Quebecor Inc.’s purchase of Freedom Mobile in April 2023.
Hailed as a fourth national carrier, Quebecor has invested in enhancements to Freedom’s network while offering more affordable plans as part of a set of commitments it was mandated by Ottawa to agree to.
The cost of telephone services in September was down eight per cent compared with a year earlier, according to Statistics Canada’s most recent inflation report last month.
“I think competition has been and continues to be, I’d say, quite intense in Canada, and we’ve obviously had to just manage our business the way we see fit,” said French.
Asked how long that environment could last, he said that’s out of Telus’ hands.
“What I can control, though, is how we go to market and how we lead with our products,” he said.
“I think the conditions within the market will have to adjust accordingly over time. We’ve continued to focus on digitization, continued to bring our cost structure down to compete, irrespective of the price and the current market conditions.”
Still, Canada’s telecom regulator continues to warn providers about customers facing more charges on their cellphone and internet bills.
On Tuesday, CRTC vice-president of consumer, analytics and strategy Scott Hutton called on providers to ensure they clearly inform their customers of charges such as early cancellation fees.
That followed statements from the regulator in recent weeks cautioning against rising international roaming fees and “surprise” price increases being found on their bills.
Hutton said the CRTC plans to launch public consultations in the coming weeks that will focus “on ensuring that information is clear and consistent, making it easier to compare offers and switch services or providers.”
“The CRTC is concerned with recent trends, which suggest that Canadians may not be benefiting from the full protections of our codes,” he said.
“We will continue to monitor developments and will take further action if our codes are not being followed.”
French said any initiative to boost transparency is a step in the right direction.
“I can’t say we are perfect across the board, but what I can say is we are absolutely taking it under consideration and trying to be the best at communicating with our customers,” he said.
“I think everyone looking in the mirror would say there’s room for improvement.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
Two years after the failed launch of a lending program, Canada Post is making another foray into banking services.
The postal service confirmed Friday that it will be offering a chequing and savings account in partnership with Koho Financial Inc.
The accounts will be launched nationally next year, though Canada Post employees will be offered early access as the product is tested.
Canada Post spokeswoman Lisa Liu said in a statement that there are gaps in the banking and savings products available that the Crown corporation looks to fill.
“Canada Post is uniquely positioned to fill some of these demands. Many of our existing financial products help meet the needs of new Canadians and those living in rural, remote and Indigenous communities, but we believe more is required.”
The MyMoney offering will be a spending and savings account where customers will be able to choose between features like high interest rates, cashback rewards and credit-building tools.
A document briefly posted to the Canadian Union of Postal Workers website said it would use a prepaid, reloadable Mastercard that will use money from the account like a debit card but offer the features of a Mastercard.
It said there will be a range of account tiers, including no-fee accounts and paid accounts with more features.
The plans comes after Canada Post launched a lending program with TD Bank Group in late 2022, only to shut it down weeks later because of what it said were processing issues.
Liu said the postal service has since been exploring other possible financial service offerings.
“Utilizing what we’ve learned, we are making a strategic shift from loans toward products more aligned with our core financial service products.”
The new account will be delivered with financial technology company Koho. A few months ago the company paired with Canada Post to allow its customers to deposit cash into their account through post offices.
Koho is also working to secure a Canadian banking license to expand its services.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
