Council calls urgent meeting to debate vaccine passport bylaw

An urgent meeting of city council has been called for Wednesday afternoon to discuss the possibility of a bylaw mandating that certain businesses and indoor public spaces check patrons for proof of vaccination.

Mayor Naheed Nenshi said Tuesday that the provincial government “botched” the implementation of its so-called Restrictions Exemption Program, putting much of the onus on businesses and municipalities to decide whether to adopt the policy. He said the city should step in to clarify rules and close loopholes.

“I am recalling city council (on Wednesday) even though we're supposed to be done for the term. I'm recalling city council (on Wednesday) to consider a city bylaw to bring clarity to the issue, to get rid of all of these loopholes, so that every single person knows exactly what they're doing,” Nenshi said.

“Let's just do this correctly and do it right and stop trying to tie ourselves in knots.”

Nenshi said he spoke Tuesday with a “very upset and very nervous” group of Calgarians representing live music venues and small businesses in the city. He said they weren't opposed to vaccine passports but would prefer a simple program that would allow customers to feel comfortable knowing that the patron at the next table was also vaccinated.

“It's exactly the right thing to do,” said Nenshi.

The special meeting comes amid rising COVID -19 hospitalizations and in the wake of a formal request by Alberta Public Safety Minister Ric Mciver to the federal government for assistance in responding to the crisis.

The city also launched a mobile vaccine outreach program Monday, coinciding with federal election day. The city deployed a vaccination van to federal polling stations in time for Monday's vote, a city spokesperson confirmed. The van visited Western Canada High School and Marlborough Community Association.