2 Alberta MLAs call for return of unvaccinated students to post-secondary campuses
A pair of United Conservative Party MLAs penned a letter calling for the return of unvaccinated students to Alberta's post-secondary schools provided they test negative for COVID-19.
Nine of the province's largest post-secondary institutions currently have strict immunization policies in place where only staff and students who are fully vaccinated may attend on-campus classes and activities.
Thursday's letter signed by Peace River MLA Dan Williams and Deputy Government House Leader/Cardston-Siksika MLA Joseph Schow called for change.
"We have failed to see these institutions demonstrate how their students are any safer from COVID-19 than those on campuses that allow rapid testing instead of proof of vaccination," the letter read. "All post-secondary institutions in Alberta should remove their backward-thinking COVID-19 vaccine mandates."
Neither UCP MLA has responded to CTV News' requests for comment.
The letter, which is addressed to the premier, health minister and minister of advanced education, argues unvaccinated students are being denied the opportunity to receive a higher education.
"(Those students) have seen their education and employment opportunities vanish for making a personal health choice. How can we rise to the demands of a growing economy and the challenges of COVID-19 if unvaccinated students are not allowed to graduate and help build Alberta’s economic future?"
Both MLAs are backbenchers with notable pasts.
Williams was outspoken over the closure of Alberta churches during the pandemic. He made headlines after arguing the GraceLife building should not be "barricaded" after it was closed for repeatedly breaking public health restrictions.
When CTV News conducted a government poll regarding vaccinations, Williams refused to answer multiple requests regarding his immunization status.
Williams also brought forward a controversial motion to give Schow a raise just months after the Cardston-Siksika member was named deputy government house leader.
That $12,000 annual pay bump, which isn't typically associated with the role, brought criticism from the opposition NDP. The party argued the move went against a UCP campaign promise to reduce unnecessary spending.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.