Why some Quebec businesses want to keep the vaccine passport, even if they don't have to
CBC
With only weeks left to go, some businesses in Quebec say they're not done with the province's vaccination passport, despite the government's recent decision to no longer require it for most public spaces.
The Quebec government announced last week that the vaccine passport would no longer be needed to enter restaurants, gyms, and cinemas, as of March 14.
But some of those businesses say they plan to keep the passport for the foreseeable future, despite the government's decision and ongoing pressure from the public.
"We're not a young people's restaurant. It's a restaurant for people of a certain age," said Eric Luksenberg, the owner of the Chez Eric restaurant in Brossard, on Montreal's South Shore.
"I made that decision to stay safe … for the security of my employees, my customers, and myself."
He's not alone. Alan Gauthier, who owns the Athletica Lac Brome gym in Knowlton, is also planning to keep the vaccination passport past March 14.
"I have people who are immunocompromised, and I have to protect them," he told CBC News.
"There's not much of a decision to make as far as I'm concerned."
Both Gauthier and Luksenberg said they don't understand why the government is choosing to lift restrictions now, when the pandemic is still ongoing.
Gauthier said he couldn't "profess to be in the business of health" while lifting a measure that he believes is keeping his clients safe.
He pointed to what happened last year at the Mega Fitness Gym 24H in Quebec City, where public health officials linked the gym to more than 500 COVID-19 cases after public health measures weren't followed. One gym member, a 40-year-old man, later died in hospital.
"You have to live with yourself at the end of the day," he said.
Their decisions haven't been without consequences. Gauthier said his stance is likely going to cost him and his business financially.
It's also affecting their reputations. Since Luksenberg announced he would not be lifting the vaccine passport, Chez Eric has been bombarded with one-star reviews on Google, with some accusing the owner of discrimination.