Calgary council committee votes against exploring its own vaccine passport

City of Calgary votes against exploring vax passport City council voted against exploring a vaccine passport but some remain uneasy about easing restrictions. Jordan Kanygin reports

With the provincial government ending its Restriction Exemption Program as of midnight Wednesday, the city's bylaw expired at the same time — and administration won't explore implementing its own program in Calgary.

A council committee voted 10-4 against asking city officials to look into what its own vaccine mandate bylaw would look like on Wednesday afternoon.

Only Mayor Jyoti Gondek and councillors Gian-Carlo Carra, Courtney Walcott and Kourtney Penner voted in favour of the idea.

"Without something more comprehensive, how can we make the decision on whether or not a vaccine passport is valuable for Calgary?" asked Penner, the councillor for Ward 11.

"I think introducing it at council on Tuesday would've given the business community, or residents or other individual citizens, (the opportunity) to come and speak to the item as well," she said.

Other councillors say they've been receiving dozens of phone calls and emails from residents who are in favour of vaccine passports coming to an end.

"I just don't feel it's our place to be putting in confusing jurisdictions and, confusing to the public, what the rules are going to be on the REP," said Ward 6 Coun. Richard Pootmans.

"I didn't getting any more information about the topic would serve any useful purpose."

However, council did vote in favour of another motion to have the mayor request the provincial government share the data used to make Tuesday's decision to ease restrictions in a three-step process. The mayor will also formally ask that the city be provided with recommendations made by Alberta's Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Deena Hinshaw.