Brampton mayor worried Ontario is putting vaccine certificate enforcement costs on municipalities
Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown says that he is concerned that costs related to enforcing Ontario’s new vaccine certificate system when disputes arise will inevitably be “put on the backs of municipalities.”
Businesses have already spoken out about the fact that the new system will put the onus on their employees to check documentation and verify vaccination status but during a briefing on Wednesday Brown said that he is worried that there will also be a “huge new workload” for police and bylaw enforcement officers.
“When I look at our bylaw volume, 50 to 60 per cent of our bylaw work right now is COVID-related and that is only going to rise,” he warned. “If the number you call when there is an incident or a disagreement or an enforcement problem is the bylaw department that volume is going to grow. And I'm told when bylaw cannot resolve the matter in a peaceful fashion that's where it gets escalated to the police and once again there'll be costs associated with that. So this is a huge new workload that's being put on the back of municipalities.”
Health Minister Christine Elliott said last week that businesses who felt threatened by a patron during the course of verifying their vaccine status could call 9-1-1 for assistance.
The Toronto Police Service, however, quickly issued a tweet clarifying that 9-1-1 is for “emergencies only.”
Brown said that he does view the vaccine certificate program “as an important policy to get residents vaccinated and create safe spaces but he said that it is “abundantly clear” that municipalities need financial support to help cover some of the costs related to enforcement.
“The province is saying call 9-1-1 or call bylaw and I can tell you there are no resources allocated for this when it comes to the police or bylaw and at some point the province is going to need to reconcile that and make sure that we have the resources to support this provincial policy,” Brown said on Wednesday.
The federal Liberal government has previously promised $1 billion in funding to provinces to help implement vaccine certificate systems, though it is not clear whether any of that money will be redirected to municipalities.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
World seeing near breakdown of international law amid wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Amnesty says
The world is seeing a near breakdown of international law amid flagrant rule-breaking in Gaza and Ukraine, multiplying armed conflicts, the rise of authoritarianism and huge rights violations in Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar, Amnesty International warned Wednesday as it published its annual report.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
U.S. Senate passes bill forcing TikTok's parent company to sell or face ban, sends to Biden for signature
The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would force TikTok's China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers that's expected to face legal challenges.
Wildfire southwest of Peace River spurs evacuation order
People living near a wildfire burning about 15 kilometres southwest of Peace River are being told to evacuate their homes.
U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan with big bipartisan vote
The U.S. Senate has passed US$95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden after months of delays and contentious debate over how involved the United States should be in foreign wars.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.