Passport price tag: Community centre budgets strain to pay for vaccine enforcement
Three times a week, Rick Corby hits the ice at the Huntington Hills Community Centre.
It’s just one of several activities the 71-year-old engages in every week to stay in shape.
Each time he arrives, he needs to show proof of his COVID-19 vaccination.
“Everybody says it’s going to be a way of life,” he says, “I go here but I also go to Thornhill pool and I walk the dog in the park –if you go inside there, you also have to show your vaccine proof to security.”
Rinks, community centres and other small businesses have hired extra staff to enforce the province’s vaccine passport program.
That means someone posted at the door, making sure everyone who comes inside is fully vaccinated.
The government offered a $2,000 grant to each of them to offset the costs, but most say that money has long run out.
“We need someone here morning to close,” says Rick Lundy, who runs the Huntington Hills Community Centre, “We have curling, we have an arena as well, we have gyms, we have school care so we are a very busy facility…there is a cost to that. So far it has cost us about $ 20,000 dollars – its $5,000 a month to have someone at the front door checking vaccinations.”
THE SQUEEZE OF RESTRICTION ENFORCEMENT
Many of those businesses feeling the squeeze of restriction enforcement are hoping the province will top up the grants it gave out last fall - but the premier says that’s not the plan, at least not yet.
“We'll take a look at that,” says Jason Kenney, “But I hope that won't be necessary in the foreseeable future…I know it's been a pain, it's been a hassle, but they've been doing their part to help to keep the families going to their community rink safely. And so I really want to thank them for the effort and sacrifice they've made.”
Rick Corby says he’s just glad the rinks and the pools are doing what they can, and paying what they can, to stay open so he can stay active.
“I’ve got to do this," he says, after finishing another lap on the ice, “I’ve got to do this or I go crazy and can’t sleep at night. It’s important for me to stay moving.”
The province hasn’t said when the vaccination passport system will wind down, though the premier says he hopes to do that in March.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Budget 2024 'likely to be the worst' in decades, former BoC governor says
Without having seen it, former Bank of Canada governor David Dodge believes that Tuesday's 2024 federal budget from Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland is 'likely to be the worst budget' in decades.
What's at stake for Canada after Iran's unprecedented attack on Israel
Following the Iranian missile and drone strikes against Israel over the weekend, Canada should take the threat of Iran and potential escalation of the conflict seriously, one global affairs analyst says.
Former B.C. school trustee's 'strip-tease artist' remark was defamatory, judge rules
A controversial former school trustee from B.C.'s Fraser Valley who described a political rival as a "strip-tease artist" during an election campaign has been ordered to pay her $45,000 for defamation.
'A sense of urgency': Sask. man accused of abducting daughter calls himself to the stand during trial
Michael Gordon Jackson, the man on trial after being charged with contravention of a custody order for allegedly abducting his daughter in late 2021 to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, called himself to the stand Monday.
Kingston, Ont.'s Aaliyah Edwards drafted into WNBA
After four years at the University of Connecticut, Edwards was selected sixth overall by the Washington Mystics in the WNBA draft Monday night.
NASA confirms mystery object that crashed through roof of Florida home came from space station
NASA confirmed Monday that a mystery object that crashed through the roof of a Florida home last month was a chunk of space junk from equipment discarded at the International Space Station.
A knife attack in Australia against a bishop and a priest is being treated as terrorism, police say
Horrified worshippers watched online and in person as a bishop was stabbed at the altar during a church service in Sydney on Sunday evening.
Body of 14-year-old boy pulled from Lake Ontario, police say he drowned while swimming
The body of a 14-year-old boy has been pulled from Lake Ontario after police say he drowned while swimming near Ashbridges Bay Park on Sunday night.
'Rust' armourer gets 18 months in prison for fatal shooting by Alec Baldwin on set
A movie weapons supervisor was sentenced to 18 months in prison in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer by Alec Baldwin on the set of 'Rust.'