Albertans can't yet use Canada's vaccine passport system for international travel
Alberta’s current proof of vaccination system does not yet meet the national standards announced by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Thursday, but is expected to before the holiday season.
Canada’s certificate will be a federal document issued by provinces and territories, who hold resident health data.
According to Ottawa, the system will ensure the proof of vaccination issued by each jurisdiction has a “common” look and feel and is easily recognized and validated during international travel.
It’s expected that by November, all provinces and territories’ vaccine passports will meet the national standards so Canadians can travel during the holiday season without issue.
“All provinces and territories have agreed to a national standard that will be an accepted proof of vaccination for destinations around the world,” Trudeau said Thursday.
“It is correct that not every province has yet delivered on that, but I know they are all working very quickly and should have resolved that in the weeks to come, certainly in time for people starting to travel again as we ease off some of those travel restrictions.”
While Alberta has its own system, it does not yet meet the federal standards.
Steve Buick, spokesperson for Alberta’s health minister, told CTV News Edmonton the province is working closely with Ottawa on a new QR code for international travel.
“Provinces will retain the records of their respective residents. Albertans’ data will not be shared with the federal government or with other provincial governments,” Buick said.
He promised Albertans would be able access an internationally recognized QR code by the end of next month, and said they could continue using their existing proof of vaccination.
The systems brought in by Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Yukon, Nunavut, and the Northwest Territories are all already compatible.
The standards Canada is following use the SMART Health Card format recognized by the International Standards Organization and tech companies like Apple and Android.
The passports will have verification measures to prevent falsification and can be used with the ArriveCan app when Canadians return from abroad.
The federal government said it is working with border security services and the countries most visited by Canadians to ensure officials there easily recognize, read and validate Canada’s passport.
With files from CTV News.ca’s Rachel Aiello
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Man who set himself on fire outside Trump trial dies of injuries, police say
A man who doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire outside the courthouse where former U.S. President Donald Trump is on trial has died, police said.
Israeli airstrike in southern Gaza city of Rafah kills at least 9 Palestinians, including 6 children
An Israeli airstrike on a house in Gaza's southernmost city killed at least nine people, six of them children, hospital authorities said Saturday, as Israel pursued its nearly seven-month offensive in the besieged Palestinian territory.
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
The House is on the brink of approving aid for Ukraine and Israel after months of struggle
The House is preparing in a rare Saturday session to approve US$95 billion in foreign aid for Ukraine, Israel and other U.S. allies.
'It was joy': Trapped B.C. orca calf eats seal meat, putting rescue on hold
A rescue operation for an orca calf trapped in a remote tidal lagoon off Vancouver Island has been put on hold after it started eating seal meat thrown in the water for what is believed to be the first time.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
B.C. judge orders shared dog custody for exes who both 'clearly love Stella'
In a first-of-its-kind ruling, a B.C. judge has awarded a former couple joint custody of their dog.