Hamilton businesses 'nervous' as Ontario's vaccine certificate system rolls out

Ian Chan says he and the staff at Emerson 109, a bar near McMaster University in Hamilton, have turned away tables of potential customers, rejected counterfeit vaccine certificates and even been told to stick their COVID-19 shots somewhere inappropriate.

Those experiences all occurred in the past month, after the bar decided it would only serve those with vaccine doses.

This week, the provincial government catches up with Chan's approach, as Ontario's own rules around proof-of-vaccination come into effect Wednesday.

Businesses are bracing for possible negative interactions, and Chan said his experience may give other owners and staff a sense of what to expect as the jab becomes a requirement for service.

"Most of the pushback has been juvenile kind of things like people leaving us one-star reviews," he said. 

He hasn't faced a lot of big threats or arguments, but added: "We had one person kind of walk off and yell at us to take our vaccine and shove it up our...," he said, finishing the term of phrase.  

The province's COVID-19 vaccine certification system requires people to show proof of shots and matching identification in order to enter businesses including restaurants, bars, sports venues, gyms, theatres and casinos.

"We know that businesses are a bit nervous about the rollout," said Marie Nash, chief operating officer of the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce.

Some Hamilton restaurants, including Caro and The Other Bird, have shared their policies on social media and some have already seen an ugly response, Nash said.

"Unfortunately we've already seen some very misguided, unnecessary comments," she said.

The chamber is particularly concerned about front-line staff bearing the brunt of anger from people without necessary documents.

"It's disheartening," said Nash. "If you disagree with the proof of vaccine policy, direct it to the appropriate people … and that's not the front-of-house staff at a particular establishment."

App for digital confirmation delayed

The province's planned smartphone app, which will allow for digital confirmation of vaccination, won't be in place for another month, something Nash said will make life "difficult" for businesses and employees. 

Chan said he's also disappointed the app won't be ready for some time. His staff have already found instances of faked vaccination documents, including what he described as a "bad Photoshop job."

"It's kind of surprising for me. We're just a humble little bar," he said. "If they're doing that to come here, once everyone wants you to show proof-of-vaccination, then there's more incentive to put in the effort to create a fake one."

Emerson 109 started asking for proof that patrons had their shots back on Aug. 20, long before doing so was required. The first night they had to refuse roughly six tables, said Chan.

That trend has continued since, with two or three groups of guests being told they couldn't eat and drink there just Monday night, according to the owner.

Turning away customers after a year of restrictions and closures isn't easy, but Chan said he feels it's the right thing to do.

"Why am I entertaining the people that are driving the fourth wave and potentially leading to my own shutdown?" he asked.

'Better than another lockdown'

Chan believes some people are still surprised when asked for certification of vaccination. He hopes the province mandating proof will mean people know what to expect and that will temper their reactions.

The Chamber of Commerce is hearing from businesses that are seeing the positive side of a standardized, provincial approach, too.

"Most businesses would rather deal with this extra step than being forced into another lockdown," said Nash.

Chan shared a similar sentiment and said that's part of the advice he has for other business owners getting ready to enforce proof-of-vaccination for the first time.

"Be firm in [your] approach," he said. "Explain that you're doing it to create a safe environment so we can end the pandemic faster."