PASSPORT ANGST
They have just weeks to adopt the system and avert possible conflicts with Ontario
Stéphanie Gervais, owner of Astoria Bistro Botanique in Gatineau, says Quebec's decision to introduce vaccination passports is in the public good, but she anticipates run-ins with angry customers.
The Gatineau Hot Air Balloon Festival and the Gatineau Comedy Festival, two weekend-long outdoor events in September, are reeling at the short time frame they have to adopt Quebec's vaccine passport program announced this week.
“It's like a slap in the face,” said the balloon festival's director general, Sandra Cloutier, on Wednesday. The 34th edition of her event is to run Sept. 2 to 6, immediately after the Sept. 1 start date announced Monday for a provincewide vaccine passport program that would apply to festivals, events, gyms, bars and restaurants.
“Asking us to put this in place for Sept. 1 is a very big surprise,” Cloutier said. “It's too early to do all the steps needed to have a good procedure,” she said, adding that she expected more details by Aug. 23 on the system allowing patrons to prove their COVID -19 vaccination status.
“I don't know the what, where, when,” said Alex Van Dieren, co-founder of the three-year-old comedy festival happening the weekend after the balloon festival.
Van Dieren said his event might need more staff or even government financial support to comply with the program. “We need to know what we need to do, before we can say whether we need support,” he said.
Cloutier said her event, which combines concerts, an amusement park and balloon rides, expects up to 5,000 daily visitors, of which 10 per cent might come from Ontario. However, Ontario Premier Doug Ford has said he doesn't favour a vaccine passport system, creating an extra headache for Quebec events and businesses.
On Tuesday, Quebec's Health and Social Services Minister Christian Dubé said his team was in discussions with officials at the Ontario Ministry of Health about Ontarians coming to Quebec. Dubé said it could be possible for Ontarians wanting to visit Quebec restaurants to register their vaccine credentials on a Quebec website. Paper credentials might also be accepted, some have said.
Cloutier said “it's completely ridiculous” that an interprovincial plan has not yet been worked out.
Announcing a vaccine passport plan without considering border communities is “putting the cart before the horse,” she said.
Cloutier suggested the government use her event as a test case for its passport program, and that it should be flexible about festivalgoers who don't have proof of vaccination.
“I really hope that we will not have to do passport control,” she said.
Van Dieren said he's expecting Ontarians among the 1,500 people estimated to visit his event each night. Ontarians “need to get their vaccine, that's for sure,” he said. “There's no scenario where we're not following the law.”
He pondered that reimbursements might be necessary for Ontarians who already have tickets but now might be impeded by the vaccine passport system.
Stéphanie Gervais, owner of Astoria Bistro Botanique on Promenade du Portage in Gatineau's Hull sector, was “conflicted” about the passport system.
“I want the government to take measures to prevent the spread of the disease in a way that will hopefully minimize the impact on our businesses,” she said. “But on the other hand, I don't feel comfortable asking my staff to have those confrontations with those patrons.”
Gervais said she anticipates run-ins with belligerent customers, given the opposition a small minority have voiced to wearing masks and providing contact information.
“We've had some unfortunate experiences,” she said.
Near her restaurant, many federal government employees, including many Ottawa residents, recently returned to their offices. “We can't imagine that they can come and work here, but not come and eat here,” she said.
Sueling Ching, president and CEO of the Ottawa Board of Trade, said her organization and the Ontario Chamber of Commerce support “a centralized, Canada-wide approach to proof of immunization for international and domestic use.”
Along with rapid COVID-19 testing, masking and vaccine promotion, vaccine tracking will help keep Canada's economy open and prevent lockdowns, Ching said.
Vaccine passports would also prompt more Canadians to get vaccinated, she added. “It does incentivize people. They want their life back,” Ching said.
On Tuesday, the Ottawa Board of Trade and City of Ottawa announced a program for business owners to show at entrances and on websites that they're committed to keeping staff and customers safe during the pandemic. After completing a short online questionnaire, businesses would receive posters and decals for the POST Promise campaign.
The business-driven campaign is national in scope, and voluntary. “This is not about any kind of certification or approval from a regulatory body. This is about a promise,” Ching said.