Three-quarters of Saint John businesses surveyed not in favour of vaccine passports: Chamber

SAINT JOHN, N.B. -

A survey of over 1,000 businesses in the Saint John region shows the majority are against some type of vaccine passport for their customers.

Saint John Region Chamber of Commerce says 75 per cent of businesses do not want a vaccine passport, and of the 25 per cent who are in favour, only 13 per cent of them would actually ask customers for it.

“There is a fear that it’s going to create undue burden on the business and their business employees and the second challenge is that legal and risk come into play,” said David Duplisea, CEO of the Saint John Region Chamber of Commerce. “They’re really quite unsure as to how to approach that.”

The survey gives decision-makers an idea of how, at least some, are feeling about the so-called passports or cards, which are now required in other Canadian jurisdictions to enter theatres, restaurants and gyms.

While the passports don’t exist in the Maritimes yet, proof of vaccination will be required to attend big events, like the Harvest Music Festival in Fredericton or a Halifax Wanderers soccer game.

All three Maritime provinces have expressed interest in adopting a passport system for international travel, something the federal government is working on.

“There wasn’t a big appetite for this when it was felt like we were winning. But when we see the Delta variant and sort of a possible fourth wave, the priority placed on the public’s health tends to make everything secondary,” says Charles Murray.

Murray is N.B.’s ombud and privacy commissioner, and says international vaccine passports, like the one for yellow fever, have been around for years.

But Murray cautions that people’s privacy should be considered with anything that goes further.

“It’s a very different thing to say, as is the case now in France, that you can’t sit down at this café and enjoy your morning coffee and croissant without showing some proof of vaccination,” he said. “That raises much different concerns than a border checkpoint and speaking with customs officers.”

Duplisea says the feeling among business owners he’s spoken to and surveyed is that those who are not vaccinated are making a choice.

“I think the general business community is saying, you know what? We’re doing everything we can to protect our people, the rest is on you.”