City of Quesnel employees and potential applicants got a message of relief just before Chrismast last year.
The city decided to suspend their mandatory Covid-19 vaccine policy which was in place since late 2021 and applied to employees, contractors, and visitors.
Effective December 1, 2022, the City of Quesnel rescinded its Mandatory Vaccination Policy. “Mandatory vaccination against the COVID-19 virus will no longer be required for City staff, volunteers, and contractors. ” it said in a statement posted on November 24, 2022
“My immediate response is that I’m very happy to see that,” said mayor Ron Paull who will soon be able to access his office. “It is about time. It went on for too long.”
Several workers were not “fully vaccinated”, and 10 of them were fired in February 2022, leading to a $20 million civil lawsuit against the city.
BC Supreme Court recently tossed the civil claim against the city and province and now sits as a completed labour arbitration process with CUPE, which is subject to confidentiality agreements.
Quesnel City Manager Byron Johnson shows no remorse employees lost their livelihoods over a chose of not getting the shot or individuals that chose not to disclose their vaccination status exercising their right to medical privacy.
“From our perspective at the city, those employees who are gone were legally terminated, and there’s no intention to bring them back,” Johnson said.
The City said in its statement because Covid-19 is wide-spread in the community that’s why they are suspending the Covid-19 vaccine policy.
“COVID-19 has now become one of several respiratory illnesses that are prevalent locally and the impact of the virus on our community and the City of Quesnel organization is changing.” a City of Quesnel news release says
The City says it will continue to monitor the situation and “take every precaution reasonable to safeguard employees from workplace hazards, including COVID-19.” and continues to encourage everyone to keep getting jabbed to prevent themselves “and others” from severe illness.
On October 27, 2022, four weeks prior to announcement by the City of Quesnel the Covid-19 vaccine mandate will be suspended BC Rise reached out inquiring about when the mandate would be lifted but did not get any response from the city.
This is what BC Rise wrote to Quesnel City Hall:
“I am a independent journalist for local online newspaper BC Rise and have a wuestion [typo: question] for the city and trying to get a answer for.
The federal government, all other provinces including their cities and many cities in British Columbia have dropped their employee and contractor covid-19 vaccine mandate and most recently announced just yesterday the Shuswap Regional District dropped its mandate.
When does Quesnel plan to drop their mandate since all the science is showing the covid-19 vaccine doesn’t stop or prevent transmission or infection?
Please also keep in mind Dr. Bonnie Henry has also acknowledged a large number of vaccine injuries in British Columbia. The first person to be awarded a vaccine injury case win is in British Columbia, the man became paralyzed after getting the Covid-19 vaccine.”
This doesn’t mean BC Rise influenced any policy change but rather it shows the City was being asked.
Several cities in British Columbia suspended Covid-19 vaccine mandates for workers last year including the some of the biggest municipalities like Vancouver, City of Victoria, and City of Richmond,
