Toronto hospitals suggest that staff wear plainclothes when coming into work due to weekend 'Freedom Convoy'

Some Toronto hospitals say they are tightening security around their sites and suggesting that workers wear plainclothes when coming into work this weekend as the city prepares for the 'Freedom Convoy' protest.

The convoy is making its way to downtown Toronto this weekend to oppose vaccine mandates and other public health restrictions. The protests have come under fire due to alleged incidents of threatening behaviour.

The Mount Sinai Academic Family Health Team issued a notice on Thursday afternoon saying all its primary care appointments will be conducted virtually from Friday to end of day on Monday.

“We have been made aware of plans for a protest at Queen’s Park in Toronto involving a convoy of transport trucks beginning,” the notice stated. “Given Mount Sinai’s close proximity to Queen’s Park, we are monitoring the situation closely and making plans should the protest limit access to the hospital.”

“The safety of our patients and staff is our top priority.”

Mount Sinai said it is working collaboratively with the Women’s College Hospital, UHN and SickKids to ensure a coordinated response, along with the Toronto Police Service and various levels of government.

In Ottawa, the protests have approached a second weekend, a situation that police have called “intolerable.” The protests came under fire after some members were seen holding signs and flags with hateful symbols.

The Women’s College Hospital sent out a memo on Thursday afternoon, saying they are monitoring the situation very carefully and that security will be present at the hospital all weekend.

“While this is a rapidly evolving situation, the safety of our staff, physicians, learners and patients, as the security of the hospital site, are paramount,” the memo stated. “We have established the hospital emergency operations committee as a Code Orange stage 1 to place us on standby.”

The hospital advises its staff to have their employment identification with them to access the site. They also noted that Toronto police recommended staff to not wear clothing that identifies them as a hospital worker when coming to work -- a recommendation the police service later denied it made.

The hospital also said that only those staff who are working over the weekend should come to the city’s downtown core. Access to the hospital will be limited, and “out of an abundance of caution, the hospital said it will close its COVID-19 assessment centre on Saturday and Sunday”.

The hospital’s Family Practise Health Centre will also cancel its urgent care clinic on Saturday. 

SickKids sent a similar memo advising staff "should wear street clothes when coming to the hospital – not clothing which identifies them as a hospital worker."

It also stated workers should have their hospital badge with them at all times.

In response to the planned protest and subsequent directives issued by hospitals in the area, Health Minister Christine Elliott said in a tweet published Thursday evening that any "intimidation" of health-care workers or their patients "will not be tolerated."