Paul Griffin, Ward 1, West Lincoln 2022

Paul Griffin, Ward 1, West Lincoln 2022

I know many members of West Lincoln may not be fully aware of the Township’s Mandatory Covid-19 Vaccination Policy as the majority of West Lincoln residents are not affected directly by this policy.

This policy was developed by the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) and COVID-19 Recovery Table (CRT), groups predominantly composed of staff members, and only one elected Council representative. Council, as a whole, was never made part of the decision to implement this policy, which runs contrary to ‘The West Niagara Emergency Plan’, which states that it is Council’s responsibility to “provide overall policy direction” and “change/amend bylaws or policies as required”. Our current Council has thereby neglected their responsibilities in this matter, despite the desire presented in recent statements from councilors about how great it would be to get rid of this policy.

I am suggesting that the reluctance to remove this policy, and even its implementation, was highly political and not as much for safety. The policy is supposedly based “upon legal obligation under the Occupational Health and Safety Act [OHSA]” and “consistent with public health directives issued locally and provincially.” Unfortunately when asking for clarification on these comments, the Township has responded that they “will not debate [their] management authority to have introduced the policy.”

I wonder how, if the mandate is legally required under the Provincial OHSA, how did Grimsby, other municipalities and private businesses, all within the Province of Ontario, get away without having to implement mandatory vaccines. I wonder, what health directives issued by the Province required the Township of West Lincoln to mandate vaccination.

You may wonder what affect this policy has had on West Lincoln. To start with, unfortunately people were fired from the TWL for various Covid-19 Vaccination Policy related non-compliance reasons, which we can assume has affected many families and working teams.

Furthermore the policy has shown that council members with differing views are forced into a limited ability to perform their duties, which sets a precedent that should concern many, as these things not only keep your elected officials from performing their jobs properly, but it places a road block to citizens who want to be heard.

You may wonder what evidence I can bring to demonstrate that this policy was intended to interfere with your municipal democracy. In paragraph 1.3 of the Covid-19 Vaccination Policy, it states very clearly that “all newly … elected [officials] are required to be fully vaccinated.”

In my opinion, this means that the unelected bodies, the Emergency Operations Centre and Covid-19 Recovery Table, have taken upon themselves to determine who you are allowed to elect as your representatives.

It says to me that the mindset of the people who wrote and implemented this policy, as well as the council that allowed it, was that unvaccinated individuals have no place in the Township of West Lincoln.