Waterloo Region businesses preparing for vaccine passport launch
Businesses and municipal facilities across Waterloo Region are preparing for the launch of Ontario's vaccine passports on Wednesday.
Starting Sept. 22, a printed or digital copy of a vaccine receipt along with a piece of ID is needed to enter restaurants, gyms, movie theatres and more.
The policy will also apply to recreation centres in the region.
"This has been a moving target for the last couple of weeks with the regulation clarifications," said Steve Scherrer, Waterloo's manager of recreation facilities.
He said city staff are ready to begin checking proof of vaccination for those 12 and older, adding security will be present to ensure compliance.
"If there is a confrontation, I really don't want frontline staff to deal with confrontation," Scherrer said.
Under Ontario's vaccination certification program, proof of full vaccination – two weeks after a second dose – must be presented to access certain non-essential businesses and services.
A copy of a COVID-19 vaccination receipt can be accessed using an online portal. The province plans to switch to using a QR code and app by late October.
At Fetter Fitness in Kitchener, patrons will be required to show proof of vaccination to their fitness instructors.
"They don’t have to show it to me every time, once they showed it to me once then we're all good," said owner Danny Fetter.
He said each trainer is in charge of ensuring compliance within their own clientele.
"You're putting the onus on the small business man all over again," Fetter said. "Every time they bring on something new it's throwing it back on us."
Vaccine passports are also required for indoor dining.
"At the end of the day if it gets us further down the road to getting back to some sort of normalcy, we're all for it," said Neil Robinson, managing partner at Borealis Grill and Bar in Kitchener.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Ukraine uses long-range missiles secretly provided by U.S. to hit Russian-held areas, officials say
Ukraine for the first time has begun using long-range ballistic missiles provided secretly by the United States, bombing a Russian military airfield in Crimea last week and Russian forces in another occupied area overnight, American officials said Wednesday.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
All Alberta wildfires to date in 2024 believed to be human-caused: province
There are 63 wildfires burning in Alberta's forest protection area as of Wednesday morning and seven mutual aid fires, including one in the Municipal District of Peace.
7 surveillance videos linked to extortions of South Asian home builders in Edmonton released
The Edmonton Police Service has released a number of surveillance videos related to a series of extortion cases in the city now dubbed 'Project Gaslight.'
Suspects waving weapons, smashing glass in Toronto jewelry store robbery caught on video
Arrests have been made after five men were captured on video rampaging through a jewelry store in Toronto, waving weapons and smashing glass display cases.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
New evidence challenges the Pentagon's account of a horrific attack as the U.S. withdrew from Afghanistan: CNN exclusive
New video evidence uncovered by CNN significantly undermines two Pentagon investigations into an ISIS-K suicide attack outside Kabul airport, during the American withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.