District council discussions surrounding a vaccination policy for District of Muskoka staff proved to be spirited on October 18 with several councillors calling on a mandatory vaccination policy for staff.
The issue came up when District director of human resources Catherine Glover recommended a vaccination policy that would ask for vaccination verification or require weekly testing, rather than mandatory vaccination. In other words, staff would have to provide either proof of vaccination, proof of vaccination exemption, or undergo education and weekly testing.
Glover told council staff were not recommending mandatory vaccination due to the uncertainty involving the legal implications of such a policy as well as the possibility of running into staff shortages as a result of such a policy and the impacts that would have on the operations and responsibilities of the upper-tier municipality.
“If the District is able to obtain free rapid antigen tests, those will be provided to unvaccinated employees at no cost. However, if free tests are not available, then any associated costs for testing will [be]the responsibility of the employee. For employees on an approved accommodation plan under the Human Rights Code, any associated costs for testing will be borne by the District,” added Glover in her report.
“I just can’t cower down to these individuals,” said Councillor Paul Wiancko who called on mandatory vaccination for staff. “If they don’t want to get the salaries they get from the… District and all the benefits for their families then maybe they should go somewhere else. The only way you’re going to force these individuals to get vaccinated is to basically threaten their livelihood and so on.”
Wiancko also pointed to Glover’s report which suggests spending $40,000 for a six-month period on a position that would monitor compliance with the proposed policy, and referred to it as having to hire a “babysitter.”
“What happens after six months? I don’t think these anti-vaxxers are going to continue doing the testing in the long term. We are a public organization. We meet the public every day. We should only accept the best for our staff…” he said, again calling on mandatory vaccination.
Councillor Heidi Lorenz expressed similar sentiments. She said staff who refuse to get vaccinated should get tested on their own time and wanted any policy adopted by council to reflect that.
“If this is the policy that we’re going to be going with I definitely think that they should be footing the bill for this. You know, if we’re paying money for somebody to babysit them, I think they should be paying the bill regardless if there are free tests available,” she said. “I’ve had it with these people. They’re the reason we’re still in this…”
In terms of nondisclosure policy, Lorenz said she’d like to know when someone isn’t vaccinated because they have a higher likelihood of getting it and spreading it. “Quite honestly, I don’t want to be around them. I don’t want to be in a room with them because they have a higher chance of carrying the virus and I don’t want to take it to my older family members…”
However, she said having some sort of policy in place is better than none at all and would be voting in favour of the policy at hand but would prefer to see mandatory vaccination. “These are good jobs, I’d suggest they’re some of the best jobs in the District and quite frankly if you can’t do something that you’re healthy enough to do, considerate enough to do, and smart enough to do, are these the people we really want working for the District?” she questioned.
Councillor Nancy Alcock said she concurred with much of what Lorenz and Wiancko had to say. For those who choose not to be vaccinated, she said getting testing every week isn’t enough.
Councillor Phil Harding also weighed in and said save for medical exemptions he also thought vaccination for District staff ought to be mandatory. He also said staff should be tested on their own personal time and suggested they ought to be tested more frequently at least every 48 to 72 hours.
“I too feel the way to go is mandatory vaccinations,” wighed in Councillor Tim Withey who was also joined by councillors Peter Koetsier, Peter Cooper and others in calling for mandatory vaccination.
Withey said if council sticks to the suggested policy, he also wants to see more frequent testing at staff’s own time and expense. “I believe in making it as inconvenient as possible for these people,” he said.
Koetsier said he’d rather have unvaccinated employees quitting due to mandatory vaccination than those who get vaccinated getting sick because of the unvaccinated “and having to take sick leave for lengthy periods of time.” Koetsier went as far as stating that those who choose not to get vaccinated “are choosing not to participate in our society. They should choose to hand in their OHIP card. Maybe that’s a little harsh but I’m sorry, to be part of this community means you should have yourself vaccinated to help protect the community.”
Councillor Karin Terziano said she would also prefer to see mandatory vaccination. “I don’t believe once a week is satisfactory.” She said in Huntsville a mandatory policy was also discussed but other circumstances factored into council’s decision (a discussion held in closed session) to stay away from mandatory vaccinations at this time.
Councillor Graydon Smith had a different stance. He said the issue should be between the District CAO and staff. “We are not human resource managers and a bunch of anecdotal stories or opinions about why we think someone should or should not do something I don’t think adds a lot to the decision-making. But be that as it may, here we are.”
Based on a question from Smith, Glover said a rough calculation taking into consideration existing vacancies at the District and the number of staff who have reported that they continue to be unvaccinated, if District were to institute a mandatory vaccination policy it could translate into about a 20 per cent vacancy rate, said Glover. “So that I think will have implications on operations and customer service going forward,” she added.
Smith said although he’s fully vaccinated, council needs to consider possible vacancies in any policy surrounding vaccinations. “We have services to provide to the general public and if we can’t do that then we’re going to have a hell of a problem.”
He said council will have to come up with a plan on how to fill those vacancies as well.
Councillor Sandy Cairns also called on mandatory vaccinations. She said she’s worried and concerned about those who choose not to get vaccinated.
“The science tells us that the vaccines do work regardless of what people think.” Cairns was willing to put a motion on the floor to make vaccination mandatory, if not, she said she wanted the suggested testing frequency to increase.
Councillor Brian Thompson said given all the protocols around sanitation and the wearing of masks the District has been doing, it appears it has worked. “I think the number of occurrences we’ve had have been minimal if at all, I’m not aware of any,” he said. Thompson said he felt comfortable with going ahead with the recommendation before council while increasing testing frequency.
“Again, if we follow through with the protocols that we’ve been following for the last 18 months or so I don’t think we’re really endangering ourselves any more than we’ve been endangering ourselves or our public over the last 18 months…”
Councillor Terry Glover said he is in support of everyone being vaccinated but he’s also aware of concerns surrounding service levels and said he was comfortable moving forward with staff’s proposal.
He said it is obvious that council is looking for more testing and asked Catherine Glover whether she had a recommendation. She suggested twice per work week.
District chair John Klinck weighed in and said he was proud of council members for getting vaccinated and made it known that he personally also supported mandatory vaccination.
Council continued to debate the issue. Councillors Bob Lacroix and Rick Maloney reminded council that they were dealing with their staff.
“I know this issue is splitting our communities and our family… I think we’ve lost a little bit of empathy for people who have issues whether or not it’s mental [health]issues or just a strong stance against vaccinations. You know everyone has their beliefs. We certainly live in a society that bends towards helping everyone but in this case we don’t seem to want to bend, but to me, it’s a personal choice. I’m double vaccinated and I wish everybody would get double vaccinated but I still believe that it should be up to the individual,” said Lacroix.
Councillor Mike Peppard said he is also double vaccinated and said he believes everyone should be. “And the few people I’ve spoken to who are anti-vaxxers have absolutely no good reason for not doing it except for misinformation on the Web. Having said that, I don’t want to alienate five, 10 per cent of the population and make them feel like they’re not part of society. I think giving them the option to [take]the test a couple of times a week is something that we need to do at this point in time.”
In the end, council agreed to move forward with a policy that would require staff who don’t want to be vaccinated to get tested every 48 hours starting November 1 at their cost. Council also reserved the option to revisit the issue in the future, gather more information, and/or implement mandatory vaccination at that point.
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John Pantaleo says
(“I just can’t cower down to these individuals,” said Councillor Paul Wiancko who called on mandatory vaccination for staff. “If they don’t want to get the salaries they get from the… District and all the benefits for their families then maybe they should go somewhere else. The only way you’re going to force these individuals to get vaccinated is to basically threaten their livelihood and so on.”)
Councillor Paul Wiancko you should resign
Anna Bertelsen says
I believe everyone should be fully vaccinated if they are to work for the Town of Huntsville. We are taxed rather high here and we, the people, are paying high wages for “our employees ” and therefore we demand they be fully vaccinated.
There are lot of people who’d love to have these high paying jobs with benefits for them and their families.
So I say stop being so wimpy and put down your foot. I think they would choose vaccination for unemployment.
Wendy J Brown says
I agree with mandatory vaccinations ,they work for us so they should protect us. If they don’t want the shots then they should go , and I’m sure there are .lots of other people who would love to take a good job like these. And as snow plow drivers im pretty sure all of them are smart enough to already have shots, if they don’t honestly im sure they won’t put there winters wages in jeopardy. And Paul Wianko good for you for speaking for all of us that no one in Huntsville council listened to, when we said make them have shotsfor the workers in our town.
Kelly Zytaruk says
“In terms of nondisclosure policy, Lorenz said she’d like to know when someone isn’t vaccinated because they have a higher likelihood of getting it and spreading it. “Quite honestly, I don’t want to be around them. I don’t want to be in a room with them because they have a higher chance of carrying the virus and I don’t want to take it to my older family members…””
Vaccinated or unvaccinated you can still carry and spread the virus. The science supports this. If you want to be safe then ALL staff both vaccinated and unvaccinated should be getting weekly tests to keep the public safe.
Gene Evans says
am appalled by the comments made by some of the District Councillors. Really, ” I just can’t cower down to these individuals” and “I’ve had it with these people. THey’re the reason we’re still in this…..”, are you kidding me! This is how you treat your fellow Canadians? We all have our reasons if we are not vaxxed, how dare you treat us like second-class citizens. We are the ones that vote you in, we are the ones that pay your salaries at the District and Municipal Level, we are the ones that can make a difference in the 2022 election.
Do we look at you any different because of your choice to get vaccinated…NO! So how dare you talk about your dr, your nurse, your civil servant, your grandchild’s teacher, your waitress, your snowplow operator that ensures your roads are safe at 2 am in the morning in the middle of a storm, and your family like we are the lowest of the low, how dare your “force” people (humans) into something where there is vaccine hesitation, not anti-vaxxers. Shame on you!!!!
Please look at these staff members that you want to “threaten their livelihood” and tell them that sorry but you are fired because of your free choice. Put faces and families to these words, tell them that they can no longer have a job to provide for their families, to pay for medication for their children, or put food on the table. Instead of staff being the bearer of bad news, stand up and look at each staff member in the eye and tell them their fired after serving you and the constituents of each municipality for years and decades. Tell them they are not worthy because of their decision.
As a Councillor you are to speak on behalf of all constituents. You don’t know what goes on behind close doors of any home so I truly hope that you think about the cruel, disgusting comments you made about the human race that has a different opinion.
At least Councillor LaCroix can see that people should have a choice, it would appear that he at least speaks for ALL of his constituents not just what he thinks he should say.
Come on Councillor Wiancko and Councillor Lorenz look at those employees in the eye and tell them they are not worthy of employment because of your beliefs.I
Gene Evans
Michael Lavine says
Does a single vaccinated person on the council know even one ingredient in the injection they just put into their body? Are they aware that the pharmaceutical giants who produced these vaccines are the same companies that paid the biggest criminal fines in human history for bribery, rackateering and negligence involving death?
If the vaccine works, why are some council members so cluelessly scared about getting and transmitting it? If the vaccine doesn’t work, why try and belittle and discriminate those who CHOOSE to not be injected? Absolute insanity
Shiloh Lee says
The discrimatory statements made during this meeting are absolutely unacceptable. I’m shocked at the verbiage used by several of our so-called ‘upper-tier’ municipal workers. Let’s review some of the most offensive, shall we?
Paul Wiancko: “If they don’t want to get the salaries they get from the District and all the benefits for their families then maybe they should go somewhere else. The only way you’re going to force these individuals to get vaccinated is to basically threaten their livelihood and so on.”
“I just can’t cower down to these individuals, If they don’t want to get the salaries they get from the District and all the benefits for their families then maybe they should go somewhere else. The only way you’re going to force these individuals to get vaccinated is to basically threaten their livelihood and so on.”
Heidi Lorenz: “If this is the policy that we’re going to be going with I definitely think that they should be footing the bill for this. You know, if we’re paying money for somebody to babysit them, I think they should be paying the bill regardless if there are free tests available,” she said. “I’ve had it with these people. They’re the reason we’re still in this…”
“Quite honestly, I don’t want to be around them. I don’t want to be in a room with them because they have a higher chance of carrying the virus and I don’t want to take it to my older family members…”
“These are good jobs, I’d suggest they’re some of the best jobs in the District and quite frankly if you can’t do something that you’re healthy enough to do, considerate enough to do, and smart enough to do, are these the people we really want working for the District?”
Tim Withy: “I believe in making it as inconvenient as possible for these people”
Peter Koetsier: Koetsier went as far as stating that those who choose not to get vaccinated “are choosing not to participate in our society. They should choose to hand in their OHIP card. Maybe that’s a little harsh but I’m sorry, to be part of this community means you should have yourself vaccinated to help protect the community.”
Regardless of your stance on vaccinations, we can all agree that the above comments are completely unacceptable and if you agree with any of those comments you’re prejudice, plain and simple. I’m glad there were at least a few Councilors present as well as Mayor Smith who was able to think critically about a topic that is simply not a black and white issue. Their comments reflect their ignorance and I’m absolutely embarrassed that these people are our elected officials. There is outward reference to coercion, threats and frankly I consider many of these comments to be hate speech. I look forward to not voting for any of these Councillors in the next election and I hope many others do the same!
Margaret Lewis says
This article makes me sick. The nerve of these district counsellors to say that unvaccinated individuals should be shunned from society and that life should be made Hard for these individuals is absolutely disgusting. I am ashamed to be a member of this community. The only good thing about this article was the fact that you actually admitted that there were next to no incidences or transmission in the last 18 months. What a horrible group of people
Wendy J Brown says
Well all I have to say is yes im not even sorry to say if my taxes help pay these people they need to get shots or move on. If the coucils are silly enough to let them off with being tested , the employee should have to pay the 3 to 600 dollars a week for the tests. I don’t want my taxes paying for it. Figure it out if there are 300 people , I don’t know the number for sure. That bill for testing would be 90k to 180,000 a week, that’s useing the numbers the government is going to charge returning Canadians from the US. My son was working in Fairvern up until a month ago and getting tested 3 times a week plus he had shots. And if they use rapid tests for these employees the cost is much more and the tests aren’t nearly as accurate. Even the hospital won’t use them, too expensive, an inaccurate they told me. So yes I hope the council gets some gumption and does what’s right.
Elke Scholz says
I agree with freedom of choice. What happened to us that we feel the need to bully and discriminate?
Thank you to those that respect common sense.
Muskoka has experienced incredibly low numbers. Personal hygiene has ALWAYS been key in proactive and active health care.
Thank you to those that respect private medical and psychological information.
The damage this polarization and isolation is doing is long lasting and in many occassions irreversible unlike the “covid illness” . Just look around you. There has been a horrendous climb in suicides, addictions, domestic violence, and mental break downs in the last 18 months. Just ask a therapist , restaurant owner, health care worker……
Please consider the extent of your actions.
Thank you.
Stanley Moulson says
I am absolutely appalled at the biased, bigoted and racist comments made by town council members. Threatening employees, referring to people who have made a choice as “Those people” and “blaming us for still being in this”. If these comments had been made in public or directly to employees they would be punishable under the criminal code of Canada. As for the comment of “Not wanting to be in the same room with them”, let me remind you people that YOU serve US and as for threatening employees with loss of income, I think your all going to see a change in you salaries come next election.