Vaccine mandates are not meant to be a punishment, federal Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos said Friday at the briefing. Rather they are meant to protect people and incentivize them to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
The move could deny participants a vital source of funds as Ottawa braces for a new wave of protesters slated to arrive in the national capital this weekend. GoFundMe says it supports peaceful protest and that it believes that was the initial intention of the Ottawa event.
Unifor and the Public and Private Workers of Canada say the four-year deal for 900 workers at Canfor will provide a $5,000 signing bonus plus wage increases of 2.5 per cent, 2.5 per cent, and three per cent in the following three years.
There are currently 25,479 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, and 301,573 people who tested positive have recovered. Of the active cases, 946 COVID-positive individuals are currently in hospital and 139 are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation.
Prevalence of cases among both vaccinated and unvaccinated Canadians has led to calls to nix the vaccine passport system by some who question whether the shots make a difference in transmission.
The bill will include the creation of a peace bond to prevent people from continuing to make racist comments or from carrying out hateful threats. The court order would be designed to prevent a hate crime occurring and would include penalties if it is breached, including up to four years imprisonment.