GoodLife Fitness sparks debate after saying it won't require proof of COVID-19 vaccination

The decision by GoodLife Fitness not to require proof of vaccination from its employees and members has touched off a heated debate online.

The nationwide chain of gyms, which was finally able to open its doors Friday as part of Step 3 of Ontario's reopening plan, has been under fire since Monday. That's when its Twitter account stated the company's policy on immunization.

"At this time, we are not planning to require Associates or Members to be vaccinated to enter our locations. For privacy reasons," the company tweeted in response to a question.

"GoodLife will not disclose information regarding any individual Associate's vaccination status."

The tweet provoked an uproar, with some members threatening to cancel their memberships, while others said to deny service based on vaccine status would be unfair.

In a statement to CBC News, GoodLife president Jane Riddell said the company encourages everyone to get vaccinated but that as a private business, enforcing vaccination is "not as simple as it sounds.

"Especially for a national business like ours that spans all provinces, there are significant legal and privacy concerns," she wrote.

Riddell added that direction from government or health officials is necessary for vaccine passports.

"We call on Premier Ford, the provincial and federal governments to provide clear direction, leadership, and support for the businesses as we navigate through this challenging time," her statement reads.

GoodLife members react to policy

As the debate over vaccine passports continues online, CBC News asked its readers for their opinions on GoodLife's policy.

Brad Smith, a GoodLife member of three years, said he will cancel his membership if the policy is not reversed.

Smith said indoor fitness environments and unvaccinated staff or clients increase the chance of catching COVID-19, a risk he is not willing to take.. 

"I have managed risk my entire career. If you can mitigate risk you should," he said.

He added the provincial government should be stepping in and "showing leadership" to mandate that indoor environments such as gyms, require vaccination. 

Several other people agreed, telling CBC News they were planning to cancel their memberships or knew people who had already done so.

Other commenters said it would be difficult or unjust for GoodLife to enforce proof of immunization.

Nick Doelman, a Goodlife member since 2011, said although he is vaccinated and believes in the vaccine, he is not worried about GoodLife's policy.

"There will always be some folks that do not want to get vaccinated. That is their choice and there will be no convincing them," he said.

"We need to learn to live with Covid and manage risks appropriately, like everything else in life."

Another GoodLife client, Klayton Labate, said requiring proof of immunization would be coercive and may breed further mistrust of vaccines. He said asking people to reveal their vaccination status is a barrier for people with disabilities. 

"There are those who cannot take vaccines for medical reasons, and so if these individuals are forced to disclose this medical information against their will, then that is a barrier for service," he said.

Ongoing vaccine passport debate

GoodLife's policy decision is part of a larger debate over vaccine passports that is roiling the province as COVID-19 restrictions continue to ease.

The idea of a vaccine passport was shot down by Premier Doug Ford, who told reporters he did not want to create a "split society" at a news conference on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Toronto Board of Trade president Jan De Silva called on the provincial government to create a vaccine passport system for non-essential businesses while speaking on CBC's Metro Morning this week..

"We want to give our businesses every chance to reopen safely, remain open safely and avoid future lockdowns," she said.

As of Friday, nearly 80 per cent of Ontarians have received their first COVID-19 vaccine shot and 60 per cent are fully vaccinated.

Riddell said GoodLife will continue to call for further guidance from the government but for now GoodLife will allow members to freeze their memberships as COVID-19 restrictions and policies evolve.