WELLINGTON COUNTY – With the recently implemented proof of vaccination requirement, members of local chambers are working to support their businesses the best they can.
Sally Litchfield, general manager of the Centre Wellington Chamber of Commerce, said it continues to be a challenging time for many businesses.
“Impacted businesses and organizations have entered another learning curve and have had to establish their own processes to ensure compliance with the proof of vaccination mandate, and this is often in addition to creating and implementing their own workplace policies as well,” she explained.
She noted the chamber is continuing to advocate for the province to support businesses by providing clear guidelines on workplace vaccination policies.
The chamber is also waiting for further information on the digital proof of vaccination system, set to launch later this month, which they hope will make implementation of the program easier for businesses.
She added the chamber is working to ensure businesses have the tools and information necessary to make their own decisions.
“Ultimately we hope and advocate for no more business lockdowns, and for clear and timely communications on the policies and mandates that continue to impact small businesses.”
She said she received feedback from a business which noted its employees are concerned they will run into more conflict upholding the vaccination mandate.
At this time they’ve only experienced a handful of negative feedback from one customer.
Based on the feedback, businesses have faced issues with additional staffing required to address passport screening which is at the same time, challenged by the labour shortage.
She said on a positive note, the business said there’s been a lot of engagement from customers saying they’re more comfortable to be out knowing everybody in the space is also vaccinated.
In addition, for vaccinated employees, many have expressed they also enjoy knowing their customers are vaccinated.
The Minto Chamber of Commerce, although they support the mandate, refrained from comment on the impact it’s had on businesses in the community.
“We do support it, but we don’t want to put words in our businesses mouth and speak for them because each business is so different – a retail store doesn’t have to deal with what a restaurant has to deal with,” Somer Antonopoulos, business development coordinator at the Minto Chamber of Commerce, said.
In terms of the impact the mandate has had on the Mapleton community, Mapleton Chamber of Commerce coordinator Gina Dobbin said none of the businesses have reached out with specific concerns to the chamber.
“A lot of our businesses just want to operate and are going to do what they need to do to be able to operate,” she explained.
She added the Mapleton chamber shared the poster the government created on vaccine mandates and that she’s seen the posters printed and hanging in the town’s various locations that require vaccines, so it was well received.
In an email statement, Mount Forest Chamber of Commerce administrator Stacey Stevenson explained the new policies have affected local businesses differently between each sector.
“Some have had the struggle of implementing required proof of vaccination and some have had to adjust their numbers or enforce rapid testing when needed.
“We ask that everyone takes a minute to realize the staff and owners who are enforcing these rules in each location as this is not your typical job duty,” she continued, adding nobody wants to turn away customers or clients from a business, “but we are all in the same boat when it comes to COVID protocols.”
The Advertiser also reached out to the Arthur Chamber of Commerce, which directed questions on the vaccine mandate to Wellington North.
