Bakeries, diners and bars serve up defiance to Alberta's vaccine passport program
CBC
The tables at Karen's Homestyle Cooking in downtown Peace River, Alta., sit empty.
Owner Karen Greaves would rather turn diners away than participate in Alberta's vaccine passport program.
"I'm just totally done with it. From Day 1, I was done with it," Greaves said Thursday.
"This is not about health and safety, it's about control."
Greaves is convinced the restrictions are a part of a conspiracy to infringe on personal rights.
She maintains that COVID vaccines are an "experimental drug" that pose a threat to human health.
Inspectors with Alberta Health Services ordered her diner closed last week.
The restaurant — the menu features spaghetti, liver and onions and steak — is one of at least 14 establishments issued closure orders or permit suspensions this month for failing to comply with the province's restrictions exemption program.
Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Alberta's chief medical officer of health, urged restaurants to follow the rules during a news conference this week.
"You may think, as a small operator, that the choices you make don't make a difference in terms of the overall impact of COVID on the population," Hinshaw said. "But I would say to those operators, you do matter.
"The actions that you take matter, not only because the risk of infection events is greater when those restrictions are not followed, but also it sets a tone that others see."
Watch: Dr. Deena Hinshaw urges compliance
Greaves said that after the regulations came into effect last month, she continued to serve unvaccinated diners her homemade cupcakes, pies and brownies.
She knew she was risking steep fines, but was taking a stand against the guidelines.
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