American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
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.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
The judge presiding over the trial of a man accused of fatally running over a Toronto police officer is telling jurors the possible verdicts they may reach based on the evidence in the case.
Nearly half of China's major cities are suffering 'moderate to severe' levels of subsidence, putting millions at risk of flooding especially as sea levels rise.
Cabinet minister Dominic LeBlanc says he plans to run in the next election as a candidate under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's leadership, amid questions about his rumoured interest in succeeding his longtime friend for the top job.
A male columnist has apologized for a cringeworthy moment during former University of Iowa superstar and college basketball's highest scorer Caitlin Clark's first news conference as an Indiana Fever player.
Health Canada will change its longstanding policy restricting gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned. The federal health agency has adopted a revised directive removing the ban on gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, effective May 8.
Prince Harry, the son of King Charles III and fifth in line to the British throne, has formally confirmed he is now a U.S. resident.
The United States has vetoed a widely backed UN resolution that would have paved the way for full United Nations membership for the state of Palestine.
Sophie Kinsella, the best-selling author behind the 'Shopaholic' book series, has revealed that she is receiving treatment for brain cancer.
Kevin the cat has been reunited with his family after enduring a harrowing three-day ordeal while lost at Toronto Pearson International Airport earlier this week.
Molly Knight, a grade four student in Nova Scotia, noticed her school library did not have many books on female athletes, so she started her own book drive in hopes of changing that.
Almost 7,000 bars of pure gold were stolen from Pearson International Airport exactly one year ago during an elaborate heist, but so far only a tiny fraction of that stolen loot has been found.
When Les Robertson was walking home from the gym in North Vancouver's Lower Lonsdale neighbourhood three weeks ago, he did a double take. Standing near a burrow it had dug in a vacant lot near East 1st Street and St. Georges Avenue was a yellow-bellied marmot.
A moulting seal who was relocated after drawing daily crowds of onlookers in Greater Victoria has made a surprise return, after what officials described as an 'astonishing' six-day journey.
Just steps from Parliament Hill is a barber shop that for the last 100 years has catered to everyone from prime ministers to tourists.
A high score on a Foo Fighters pinball machine has Edmonton player Dave Formenti on a high.
A compound used to treat sour gas that's been linked to fertility issues in cattle has been found throughout groundwater in the Prairies, according to a new study.
While many people choose to keep their medical appointments private, four longtime friends decided to undergo vasectomies as a group in B.C.'s Lower Mainland.