More calls for vaccine passports at Edmonton mayoral forum
You don’t often hear every candidate in the room agree on a red-hot controversial issue - but it happened Wednesday at a mayoral forum in Edmonton.
The question - mandatory vaccines or daily tests - for City of Edmonton employees.
The candidates - Amarjeet Sohi, Kim Krushell, Michael Oshry and Cheryll Watson - had differing details in their plans, but all agreed to some sort of vaccine requirement for city workers.
All four also teamed up to allege that the UCP government isn’t doing enough to keep Albertans safe - with the province again leading the country in per capita COVID-19 cases.
- Edmonton-area mayors, businesses join Opposition's calls for Alberta vaccine passport
- 'This is not a quick fix': Experts worry vaccine incentive is too little too late for Alberta
“I will work with council to require that city employees be vaccinated, if they’re able to do so. I also call upon the provincial government to implement a province-wide vaccination passport immediately,” Sohi said.
“I’m super frustrated with the fact that the province of Alberta has not taken a strong stand on this issue. We need a coordinated approach across this country with the vaccine passports,” Krushell said.
She started her response with a simple “yes” to whether she thinks city employees should be fired if they refuse the vaccine.
“What happened to everybody doing their part to try to protect their neighbour? To try to protect healthcare workers? So, yes, I do think we will have to go in this direction, and it’s truly unfortunate,” she said.
Oshry included residents in his proposal.
“If someone chooses not to be vaccinated, whether it’s a city employee or a citizen of the city, and they want to use a city service in a building or if they want to work for the city, they’re gonna have to get tested everyday at their own expense,” he said.
Oshry also took a shot at the UCP government’s vaccine strategy.
“We need strong leadership. We can’t try to pay people $100 at a time, we gotta step up and do something,” he urged.
Watson said she’s “pro-vaccine” and “pro-proof of vaccination,” and she was critical of the fact the province has left vaccine requirements up to individual business leaders.
“We have confused citizens, we have confused residents, and not only that we have put the burden of covid decision making, covid impact, directly in the lap of businesses,” she said.
NICKEL DECLINED FORUM INVITE
The event was organized by the Alberta Enterprise Group and hosted by former Wildrose Party leader and PC MLA Danielle Smith. It was livestreamed on YouTube.
Smith announced that candidate Mike Nickel was invited, but he declined to attend.
Nickel told CTV News Edmonton that he was not interested in a “paid for access” event, but he will be participating in at least two upcoming forums.
He has previously said he does not support mandatory vaccines for city employees.
Organizers were selling tickets for up to $60. The City of Edmonton has announced there will be no official debates this election.
The forum was held inside a south side pub. None of the four candidates on the stage were wearing masks, nor was the host, but they were asked to mask up before leaving the stage.
The rest of the event focused on business development, tax rates and major projects like the incomplete Ice District and Blatchford redevelopment.
Edmontonians will vote on Oct. 18.
Diana Steele, Rick Comrie, Brian Gregg, Abdul Malik Chukwudi and Augustine Marah are also running for mayor but were not at the forum.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Person on fire outside Trump's hush money trial rushed away on a stretcher
A person who was on fire in a park outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump’s hush money trial is taking place has been rushed away on a stretcher.
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.
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.
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
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.
Vicious attack on a dog ends with charges for northern Ont. suspect
Police in Sault Ste. Marie charged a 22-year-old man with animal cruelty following an attack on a dog Thursday morning.
The Body Shop Canada explores sale as demand outpaces inventory: court filing
The Body Shop Canada is exploring a sale as it struggles to get its hands on enough inventory to keep up with "robust" sales after announcing it would file for creditor protection and close 33 stores.
Tropical fish stolen from Beachburg, Ont. restaurant found and returned
Ontario Provincial Police have landed a suspect following a fishy theft in Beachburg, Ont.
U.S. FAA launches investigation into unauthorized personnel in cockpit of Colorado Rockies flight to Toronto
The U.S.’s Federal Aviation Administration is investigating a video that appears to show unauthorized personnel in the cockpit of a charted Colorado Rockies flight to Toronto.