Mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policies for some sectors and public spaces are quickly emerging as one of the key proposals being put to Canadian voters during the first week of the federal election.
Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau, who is running for re-election as prime minister, doubled down on Wednesday over questions about his plan to require proof of vaccination for all those looking to travel domestically as soon as this fall, amid a fourth wave primarily driven by unvaccinated people.
Trudeau was asked on the campaign trail specifically whether people without a medical reason for not getting vaccinated will still be allowed to board a plane or train with accommodations.
He said no.
“Canadians know that the way to get through this pandemic is for everyone to get vaccinated. So unless people have a medical exception, they will not be able to board a plane or a train in Canada if they are unvaccinated,” he confirmed.
“That is about protecting our young people. It’s about protecting Canadians. We are absolutely unequivocal on that because this is how we get through this pandemic.”
3:59 COVID-19 vaccine to be mandatory for all federal workers
COVID-19 vaccine to be mandatory for all federal workers
Two days before asking the governor general to dissolve Parliament and call an election, Trudeau’s government unveiled new policies that require vaccination for domestic travellers, require federal workers to be vaccinated, and that set the expectation for federally regulated industries to do the same.
While Trudeau has said there will be “consequences” for federal workers who refuse to get vaccinated without a medical reason, he has not said whether he thinks they should be disciplined or fired.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh pushed for as much earlier in the week, saying that collective bargaining agreements between the government and unions include options for discipline and termination.
He defended that stance on Wednesday after one of the major public sector unions pushed back.
“If someone doesn’t get vaccinated and they need to get vaccinated — it’s mandatory — then they’re not able to be in that position,” Singh said. “So that would be one of the potential consequences.”
In a statement issued Tuesday night, the Public Service Alliance of Canada said while it supports requiring vaccination, it doesn’t believe that should be enforced through discipline.
“PSAC supports vaccination requirements for federal workers to ensure the safety of our members in their workplaces, and to protect our communities, but using discipline and termination to enforce them is unacceptable,” said the union, which represents roughly 200,000 public service workers.
“If there are workers who are unable or unwilling to be vaccinated, the government must temporarily reassign those employees to other duties where possible or allow for alternate work arrangements such as remote work,” the union continued.
“Where required, other measures should be explored, including regular screening and rapid testing.”
Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole has argued against mandatory vaccine requirements, suggesting rapid testing and masking are “reasonable” alternatives.
The highly contagious Delta variant now accounts for the majority of cases infecting Canadians.
Several provinces have paused reopening plans as the virus continues to spread rapidly among unvaccinated Canadians and raises concerns about the impact on those such as young children who are not yet eligible for any of the approved vaccines.
Dr. Kieran Moore, Ontario’s chief medical officer of health, warned of a “difficult fall and winter” ahead because of the Delta variant and the spread among unvaccinated Canadians.
Breakthrough cases can happen in fully vaccinated people but are rare, and the vaccines are incredibly effective at preventing severe outcomes like hospitalization and death.
As of Aug. 13, the last date for which federal data is available, 71 per cent of the total Canadian population has at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, while 62 per cent of the total population is fully vaccinated.
LONGUEUIL, Que. – People in a part of Longueuil, Que., were being asked to stay indoors with their doors and windows closed on Thursday morning after a train derailed, spilling an unknown quantity of hydrogen peroxide.
Police from the city just east of Montreal said it didn’t appear anyone was hurt, although a CN rail official told a news conference that three employees had been taken to hospital as a precautionary measure.
The derailment happened at around 9 a.m. in the LeMoyne area, near the intersection of St-Louis and St-Georges streets. Mathieu Gaudreault, a spokesman for CN rail, said about eight cars derailed at the Southwark rail facility, including four that toppled over.
“As of this morning, the information we have is it’s hydrogen peroxide that was in the rail car and created the fumes we saw,” he said, adding that there was no risk of fire.
François Boucher, a spokesman for the Longueuil police department, said police were asking people in the area, including students at nearby schools, to stay indoors while experts ensure the air is safe to breathe.
“It is as a preventive measure that we encourage people to really avoid exposing themselves unnecessarily,” he told reporters near the scene.
Police and fire officials were on site, as well as CN railworkers, and a large security perimeter was erected.
Officers were asking people to avoid the sector, and the normally busy Highway 116 was closed in the area. The confinement notice includes everyone within 800 metres of the derailment, officials said, who added that it would be lifted once a team with expertise in dangerous materials has given the green light.
In addition to closing doors and windows, people in the area covered by the notice are asked to close heating, ventilation and air exchange systems, and to stay as far from windows as possible.
Gaudreault said it wasn’t yet clear what caused the derailment. The possibilities include a problem with the track, a problem with a manoeuvre, or a mechanical issue, he said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 14, 2024.
HALIFAX – Nova Scotia’s Liberal party is promising to improve cellphone service and invest in major highways if the party is elected to govern on Nov. 26.
Party leader Zach Churchill says a Liberal government would spend $60 million on building 87 new cellphone towers, which would be in addition to the $66 million the previous Progressive Conservative government committed to similar projects last year.
As well, Churchill confirmed the Liberals want to improve the province’s controlled access highways by adding exits along Highway 104 across the top of the mainland, and building a bypass along Highway 101 near Digby.
Churchill says the Liberals would add $40 million to the province’s $500 million capital budget for highways.
Meanwhile, the leaders of the three major political parties were expected to spend much of today preparing for a televised debate that will be broadcast tonight at 6 p.m. local time.
Churchill will face off against Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Houston and NDP Leader Claudia Chender during a 90-minute debate that will be carried live on CBC TV and streamed online.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 14, 2024.
TORONTO – A group of hotel service workers in Toronto is set to hold a rally today outside the Fairmont Royal York to demand salary increases as hotel costs in the city skyrocket during Taylor Swift’s concerts.
Unite Here Local 75, the union representing 8,000 hospitality workers in the Greater Toronto Area, says Royal York employees have not seen a salary increase since 2021, and have been negotiating a new contract with the hotel since 2022.
The rally comes as the megastar begins her series of six sold-out concerts in Toronto, with the last show scheduled for Nov. 23.
During show weekends, some hotel rooms and short-term rentals in Toronto are priced up to 10 times more than other weekends, with some advertised for as much as $2,000 per night.
The union says hotel workers who will be serving Swifties during her Toronto stops are bargaining for raises to keep up with the rising cost of living.
The union represents hospitality workers including food service employees, room attendants and bell persons.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 14, 2024.
