Re: MBOT Position on Proof-of-Immunization

Dear Prime Minister Trudeau, Minister Hajdu, Premier Ford and Minister Elliott,

On behalf of the Mississauga Board of Trade and our members, thank you for your continued leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic.

As Canada’s vaccination rate continues to rise, a safe and sustainable reopening of our economy is on the horizon. We support a centralized, Canada-wide approach to COVID-19 proof-of-immunization that could be easily used to confirm vaccination status for international and domestic use.

Without inter-provincial harmonization, Canada risks a piecemeal approach, making life more difficult and unpredictable for individuals and employers during an already uncertain time. However, in absence of a national standard for proof-of-immunization, the Ontario government should review and assess the applicability of Manitoba’s model in Ontario.

A federal or provincial approach should avoid creating additional red tape or barriers to reopening, particularly for small businesses. Existing reopening privileges should be maintained under Ontario’s Roadmap to Reopen, while providing an option for expanded benefits for individuals who are fully vaccinated.

In the ongoing management of this crisis, we also ask government to consider alternative methods of addressing the possibility of future outbreaks while avoiding the economic damage of locking down the province as a whole. For instance, if case counts rise in a particular region, a new framework could specify measures to reduce individual contacts and outline capacity restrictions for public-facing businesses in that region. This framework must be science-based and informed by public health officials. In addition, reopening guidelines should be applied fairly and consistently to all businesses regardless of sector or establishment size.

The Mississauga Board of Trade also stresses, any program or technology, must not compromise a business’s operations or ability to function or impinge on their economic activity. We also recommend, the use of any program(s) or technology by business, be on a voluntary basis.

We would be happy to discuss these issues further and look forward to continuing to work with you on solutions that support the health of Canadians and our economy.

Yours truly,

David Wojcik President & CEO

Mississauga Board of Trade ceo@mbot.com

Direct Line: 905-273-3527