Ontario Liberals want only vaccinated people to be allowed at LCBO and cannabis stores
Ontario Liberal Leader Steven Del Duca is calling on the Doug Ford government to make proof of vaccination mandatory for access to LCBO and cannabis stores.
Del Duca made the request during a news conference on Tuesday morning, as he discussed Ontario's plans to begin lifting public health restrictions as of Jan. 31.
NDP Leader Andrea Horwath also made a similar proposal earlier this week.
"In essence, this is my call out to Doug Ford to say given all of the lessons that we have learned during this pandemic, lessons that I would have hoped that Doug Ford himself would have learned this is not the time to be weak and this is not the time to be half-hearted," Del Duca said.
"We need real responsible and competent leadership at this moment to make sure that as the reopening happens and school starts and as the restrictions start to get lifted, that we are positioned to make sure again that we don't have to go backwards."
The Ford government currently requires that Ontarians present proof of vaccination to dine-in at restaurants and bars and access a number of other non-essential settings, including gyms and theatres.
But it has not extended the vaccine certificate requirements to any retail establishments to date.
In Quebec officials have taken that step and as of Monday residents have to provide proof of vaccination to enter big-box stores with a surface area of more than 1,500 square metres, with the exception of grocery stores or pharmacies.
The province also requires proof of vaccination for access to government-run liquor and cannabis stores.
Speaking with reporters, Del Duca conceded that the Ford government has not shown any interest in expanding the vaccine certificate system program and actually had planned to lift the requirements prior to the detection of the Omicron variant.
Del Duca, however, said that he will keep calling for it “because it is the right thing to do.”
The Liberal leader also said that he will lobby the Ford government to alter the definition of fully vaccinated so that three doses are required.
“We know that workers on the frontlines in retail and healthcare and education are beyond the point of fatigue, they are burned out. We need to make sure that every tool available to us is being used and used appropriately to make sure that we don't go backwards,” he said. “I believe this is that moment to take that extra step to show real responsible, competent and strong leadership.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Most of the city is evacuating': Gridlock on Alberta highway after evacuation order in Fort McMurray
Four Fort McMurray neighbourhoods were ordered to evacuate on Tuesday as a wildfire gets closer to the city.
Biden administration moving ahead on US$1 billion arms package for Israel, AP sources say
The Biden administration has told key lawmakers it is sending a new package of more than US$1 billion in arms and ammunition to Israel, two congressional aides said Tuesday.
'Inappropriate' behaviour shuts down Dublin to New York City portal
Less than a week after two public sculptures featuring a livestream between Dublin, Ireland, and New York City debuted, 'inappropriate behaviour' in real-time interactions between people in the two cities has prompted a temporary shutdown.
Maximum payout for LifeLabs class-action drops from $150 estimate to $7.86
Canadian LifeLabs customers who filed an application for a class-action settlement began receiving their payments this week, though at a much lower amount than initially expected.
Sask. police seize 1.5M pieces of evidence, lay 60 more charges in child exploitation case
Saskatchewan RCMP have revealed that a historic sexual assault investigation has led to the discovery of alleged crimes against children dating back to 2005.
King Charles III unveils his first official portrait since his coronation
King Charles III has unveiled the first portrait of the monarch completed since he assumed the throne, a vivid image that depicts him in the bright red uniform of the Welsh Guards against a background of similar hues.
Full List Are these Canada's best restaurants? Annual top 100 list revealed
The annual list of Canada's top restaurants in the country was just released and here are the places that made the 2024 cut.
About 1,000 wildfires confirmed so far this year: Here's a quick look at the situation in Canada
Nearly 1,000 wildfires have burned across Canada so far this year. Here's an overview of the situation in Canada.
American sought after 'So I raped you' Facebook message detained in France on 2021 warrant
An American accused of sexually assaulting a Pennsylvania college student in 2013 and later sending her a Facebook message that said, 'So I raped you,' has been detained in France after a three-year search.