City of Ottawa does not have legal ability to impose mandatory vaccine policy on municipal workers, mayor says
As the federal government considers making COVID-19 vaccines mandatory for federal workers, Mayor Jim Watson says the city of Ottawa does not have the legal power to make vaccines mandatory for municipal employees.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Thursday that the government is considering whether to make COVID-19 vaccines mandatory for employees in federal workplaces and in federally regulated industries such as banking, rail and air travel and Parliament.
Watson says the city of Ottawa's legal department advised him that any mandatory COVID-19 vaccine policy for municipal employees would need to come from the Ontario government.
"We unfortunately do not have that legal ability at the municipal level to impose those restrictions," said Watson while speaking with reporters Thursday morning.
"On a personal basis, I think it makes just good common sense that people should be encouraged to get the two doses, because we know the two doses are much more effective than the one dose and obviously significantly more effective than no doses at all.
"While we have seen other jurisdictions in the United States move towards a more forceful regime (on vaccines), that would really have to come from the provincial government."
Watson says people who have contact on a daily basis with the public, including staff in long-term care homes and hospitals and bus drivers, "should be double vaccinated."
"I'm with that side of the community that says the people who have been following the rules and abiding by those rules are tired of always being punished. It should be the people who are not taking medical advice seriously," said Watson.
Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam says discussions are underway on mandatory vaccinations for federal workers.
"I think the federal government being significant workforce is looking at how we best protect our workforce, as well as those around us," said Tam, adding it's really important for workplaces to have everyone vaccinated.
On Thursday, NDP leader Andrea Horwath clarified her stance on mandatory vaccines, saying she supports mandatory vaccinations for health and education workers. Liberal leader Steven Del Duca says the Liberals also support mandatory vaccinations for frontline health care and education workers.
With files from CTV News' Rachel Aiello
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Trump's lawyers try to discredit testimony of prosecution's first witness in hush money trial
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Air traveller complaints to Canadian Transportation Agency hit new high
The Canadian Transportation Agency has hit a record high of more than 71,000 complaints in a backlog. The quasi-judicial regulator and tribunal tasked with settling disputes between customers and the airlines says the backlog is growing because the number of incoming complaints keeps increasing.
U.S. flight attendant indicted in attempt to record teen girl in airplane bathroom
An American Airlines flight attendant was indicted Thursday after authorities said he tried to secretly record video of a 14-year-old girl using an airplane bathroom last September.