Business owners face confrontations and plead for passport compliance
The owners of the Fireside Grill & Bar said they were ready to check customer vaccination records Wednesday.
And, given their positive experience regarding masking rules earlier in the pandemic, Co-Owner Tom Imeson was not expecting confrontations.
“Part of it is the way you handle it. You can’t get your back up, you've got to stay calm.”
But, just seconds later, as his interview with CTV News London wrapped, Imeson's tactics had to be put to use.
At the front of the restaurant, his business partner Jeff Rowe, had an encounter with an agitated father and his adult daughter angry they were asked to show their vaccination record.
“They basically said we’re not coming back and we’re leaving!” Rowe explained.
He hopes the pair, and others who may follow, come to understand they are not the only eatery refusing eat-in service to those who will not produce their passport.
“You’re not going to another restaurant unless they’re breaking the law.”
Jeff Rowe and Tom Imeson are seen seated in their restaurant, the Fireside Grill and Bar, in London, Ont., Wednesday, Sept. 22, 2021. (Sean Irvine / CTV News)
While it is true patios remain available to the unvaccinated, Wednesday’s weather is not cooperative.
A workout on the patio is also not an option at London’s Fitness Forum.
The gym on Southdale Road East marked its first day welcoming only vaccinated members. One of them, Tony Vandello, says he applauds vaccine passports.
“I have had the COVID, I know what that’s like, so this a great thing to do.”
Vandello did not contract the virus at Fitness Forum, where owner Alex Pinchin says he has worked to ensure pandemic regulations are met.
Tony Vandello, a member of the Fitness Forum gym on Southdale Road East in London, Ont. is seen while working out on Wednesday, Sept. 22, 2021. Vandello battled COVID-19 earlier this year. (Sean Irvine / CTV News)
Pinchin remains frustrated the new rules are not clearly laid out. He also worries about his staff potentially facing an agitated, unvaccinated member.
Still, over the morning hours Wednesday, no confrontations had occurred.
Pinchin says well less than one per cent of memberships have been cancelled over the implementation of vaccination passports.
“We had some people that have emailed us with very poignant discussion about how they disagree, but we have not had that on-site yet.”
And on the contrary, Pinchin believes passports will convince a few members, frightened off since the pandemic began, to return.
“We’re hoping this is the event that puts them in that frame of mind.”
And a new frame of mind is what all business owners impacted by passports must now face.
Back at the Fireside, Rowe implores everyone to not harass his staff for a measure they must follow.
“This is the choice that we have to take to stay in business and stay open.”
Sue Reaume is seen inside the Fireside Grill in London, Ont. on Wednesday, Sept. 22, 2021. (Sean Irvine / CTV News)
And Customer Sue Reaume is among the majority of clientele happy to comply.
“I think it’s a great idea, it should be done. If you’re vaccinated you don’t have any issues.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
How quietly promised law changes in the 2024 federal budget could impact your day-to-day life
The 2024 federal budget released last week includes numerous big spending promises that have garnered headlines. But, tucked into the 416-page document are also series of smaller items, such as promising to amend the law regarding infant formula and to force banks to label government rebates, that you may have missed.
Which foods have the most plastics? You may be surprised
'How much plastic will you have for dinner, sir? And you, ma'am?' While that may seem like a line from a satirical skit on Saturday Night Live, research is showing it's much too close to reality.
opinion I've been a criminal attorney for decades. Here's what I think about the case against Trump
Joey Jackson, a criminal defence attorney and a legal analyst for CNN, outlines what he thinks about the criminal case against Donald Trump in the 'hush money trial.'
$3.8M home in B.C.'s Okanagan has steel shell for extra wildfire protection
A home in B.C.'s Okanagan that features a weathering steel shell designed to provide some protection against wildfires has been listed for sale at $3.8 million.
Diver pinned under water by an alligator figured he had choice. Lose his arm or lose his life
An alligator attacked a diver on April 15 as he surfaced from his dive, nearly out of air. His tank emptied with the gator's jaws crushing the arm he put up in defence.
Psychologist becomes first person in Peru to die by euthanasia after fighting in court for years
A Peruvian psychologist who suffered from an incurable disease that weakened her muscles and had her confined to her bed for several years, died by euthanasia, her lawyer said Monday, becoming the first person in the country to obtain the right to die with medical assistance.
Mystery surrounds giant custom Canucks jerseys worn by Lions Gate Bridge statues
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
Celebrity designer sentenced to 18 months in prison for smuggling crocodile handbags
A leading fashion designer whose accessories were used by celebrities from Britney Spears to the cast of the 'Sex and the City' TV series was sentenced Monday to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty in Miami federal court on charges of smuggling crocodile handbags from her native Colombia.
Wildfire leads to evacuation order issued for northeast Alberta community
An evacuation order was issued on Monday afternoon for homes in the area of Cold Lake First Nation.