B.C. tenants evicted for landlord's use after refusing large rent increase to take over neighbouring suite
Ashley Dickey and her mother rented part of the same Coquitlam duplex in three different decades under three different landlords.
A Toronto-based privacy lawyer says an increasing number of Canadian businesses are considering putting policies in place that would require customers to provide proof of COVID-19 jabs before receiving service.
Molly Reynolds says a lot of businesses have been approaching her because they say they want to protect customers and employees as public health restrictions lift across the country.
"There are businesses of really every size, and in really every industry, who are thinking about this," Reynolds, a lawyer with Torys LLP, said in an interview Wednesday.
"(They are thinking) in terms of what should they be doing to protect their customers and protect their employees and then also thinking whether any centralized provincial or federal government vaccine passports might be tools that they can use as part of considering rules around access to their premises."
No tool currently exists and no public health authority in Canada currently requires businesses to ask for proof of vaccination, such as a document or a verbal confirmation. But no one has said they can't do it either, Reynolds said.
"It really places that burden back on businesses to make their own assessments, because there isn't regulatory or governmental guidance that they can align with," she said.
Reynolds noted that businesses considering such a policy should be able to show that the privacy infringement is worth it if it protects communal health.
"Some businesses may say it is necessary, for example, because they serve vulnerable populations that may be particularly at risk for COVID-19 infections."
Some organizations and businesses have already made vaccine policy decisions to protect their patrons and staff.
Organizers of the Calgary Stampede will require people who want to hear live music at its popular Nashville North venue to provide proof of vaccination to get in. The 10-day cowboy festival starts Friday.
"We will require guests to show proof of vaccination or take a free rapid (COVID-19) test to gain entry to Nashville North," vice-president Jim Laurendeau told reporters this week. "This will be unique among Calgary's live music venues this Stampede and provide a high level of assurance to our guests."
Bodhi Tree Yoga in Regina says it will require its patrons to provide proof of vaccination to get moving in their studio after Saskatchewan reopens on Sunday.
The co-owner of the yoga studio, Colin Hall, said he has received an overwhelming amount of support and more than 500 messages from people who think the new rule will keep them and their neighbours safe.
"The primary risk for us is ... how do we make sure that people have taken the step to go and get fully vaccinated, to make sure that they're safe," said Hall, who also offers therapeutic yoga classes for cancer patients with his wife.
"How do we as a business make our contribution to that as well and this is ultimately what we came up with," he said in a phone interview.
Along with the yogis, some Calgarians are also on board with Stampede's decision to require proof of a jab.
"I think it's a smart move. I think it's the kind of stuff that should be done to even get on the grounds," said John Whitnack, who has been living in Calgary for 45 years and has attended Stampede in the past.
"I don't know if it's a practical long-term solution but, at this juncture, I think it's prudent because there are enough people out there that aren't vaccinated and don't see the point or risk, so putting that burden on our health system isn't fair to anyone else who has medical issues or emergencies."
Ismail Naciri, who moved to Calgary from Quebec six months ago, also supports showing proof of COVID-19 vaccine.
"I think this is a good procedure because, with the pandemic, with this situation, people can get sick," he said.
"I wouldn't go if I wasn't fully vaccinated. I would feel very, very worried."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 7, 2021.
---
This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Facebook and Canadian Press News Fellowship.
Ashley Dickey and her mother rented part of the same Coquitlam duplex in three different decades under three different landlords.
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
As Donald Trump was running for president in 2016, his old friend at the National Enquirer was scooping up potentially damaging stories about the candidate and paying out tens of thousands of dollars to keep them from the public eye.
After Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the federal government would still send Canada Carbon Rebate cheques to Saskatchewan residents, despite Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe's decision to stop collecting the carbon tax on natural gas or home heating, questions were raised about whether other provinces would follow suit. CTV News reached out across the country and here's what we found out.
A Montreal actress, who has previously detailed incidents she had with disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, says a New York Court of Appeals decision overturning his 2020 rape conviction is 'discouraging' but not surprising.
Caleb Williams is heading to the Windy City, aiming to become the franchise quarterback Chicago has sought for decades.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
A property tax bill is perplexing a small townhouse community in Fergus, Ont.
When identical twin sisters Kim and Michelle Krezonoski were invited to compete against some of the world’s most elite female runners at last week’s Boston Marathon, they were in disbelief.
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
A local Oilers fan is hoping to see his team cut through the postseason, so he can cut his hair.
A family from Laval, Que. is looking for answers... and their father's body. He died on vacation in Cuba and authorities sent someone else's body back to Canada.
A former educational assistant is calling attention to the rising violence in Alberta's classrooms.
The federal government says its plan to increase taxes on capital gains is aimed at wealthy Canadians to achieve “tax fairness.”
At 6'8" and 350 pounds, there is nothing typical about UBC offensive lineman Giovanni Manu, who was born in Tonga and went to high school in Pitt Meadows.