“To force someone to make a decision to lose their livelihood or their ability to financially support their families, et cetera, is cruel.”
The city is working on policy to require staff, volunteers and contractors to be vaccinated by Dec. 15. Details are expected by the end of the month, including guidelines around what happens to those who aren’t vaccinated, which could include testing requirements or other measures.
Councillors Dale Bass, Sadie Hunter, Bill Sarai, Kathy Sinclair and Arjun Singh — all vaccinated against COVID-19 — said council should lead by example. “You could potentially say that that councillor couldn’t come into a city facility, I guess,” Trawin said. “But they’d still have to be able to allow that councillor, in my opinion, to do their job.”
Walsh said taking the vaccine opens him up to the rare chance of having adverse reactions, adding he has been diagnosed with hepatitis C, impacting his liver. He said he has quit drinking and does not even take Tylenol. He said he worries about unknown long-term effects of the vaccine. Singh said he respects Walsh’s views, but hopes he will change his mind because his fellow councillor’s decision puts council and city staff in an uncomfortable position.
Talarico said the provincial NDP and federal Liberal governments have chosen sides in telling workers that if they do not get vaccinated, they will lose their jobs or employment insurance benefits, which he called “unethical.” He said he represents those who choose to be vaccinated and those who choose to not be vaccinated.