Mayor Patrick Brown open to expansion of vaccine mandates in Brampton provided they don’t infringe on human rights
Published December 15, 2021 at 10:16 am
Mayor Patrick Brown would support expanding vaccine mandates for Brampton businesses, provided it doesn’t infringe on the rights of citizens.
“I think it would be helpful to have more environments where we know individuals are vaccinated and that it’s safe,” he said during a press conference on Wednesday (December 15). “If there are more environments that are legally permissible to have those requirements, I would support implementing them.”
Presently, the Province has implemented vaccine mandates only for businesses that are deemed non-essential.
These include sporting events and concert venues, movie theatres, restaurants, and gyms.
However, the Province hasn’t forbidden other businesses from implementing their own vaccine requirements.
Additionally, when vaccine mandates were first announced, the Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) announced they did not violate the Human Rights Code.
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Further, the OHRC ruled that employers can deny equal access to employment or services to those who have not been vaccinated and that would not violate the Code.
The caveat is that employers may only adhere to these policies during a health crisis such as a pandemic.
With the Omicron variant poised to become the dominant strain in Ontario potentially before the end of the year, Brown said he would welcome additional restrictions to keep residents safe.
“The higher the percentage of our population that gets vaccinated, the better we’re going to be able to handle any new challenges,” he said.
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