Regional Government in BC Drops COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate for Volunteer Firefighters

A pharmacist prepares a dose behind a counter lined with vials of COVID-19 vaccines in Toronto on June 18, 2021. Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press

A local government in the Southern Interior of B.C. has dropped its COVID-19 vaccine mandate for volunteer firefighters, says a legal advocacy organization.

In a press release on Oct. 27, the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms announced that the Columbia Shuswap Regional District (CSRD) ended its COVID-19 vaccination policy for volunteer firefighters in September.

The ending of the mandate means Craig Nygard, who volunteers at the district’s fire department, is able to work without the requirement of pre-shift testing for COVID-19, the Justice Centre noted.

“It was a win to have Mr. Nygard reinstated in his position, both personally for Mr. Nygard, and also for the community served by CSRD,” Justice Centre lawyer Charlene Le Beau, who represented the volunteer firefighter, said in a statement.

“It was an even bigger win to see that CSRD has dropped the mandate altogether.”

Le Beau had sent a legal warning letter to CSRD’s Protective Services in April, demanding Nygard be accommodated in his request for a religious exemption from the district’s mandatory COVID-19 vaccine policy, after he was suspended for not taking the shots.

The CSRD granted the exemption. In July, Nygard was reinstated to his position but on conditions he had to undergo a rapid COVID-19 test prior to each shift, according to the Justice Centre.

‘Realize the Harms’

Le Beau’s letter stated that Nygard had sought out the exemption “on the basis of sincerely held religious beliefs, as well as on the basis of having natural immunity to the SARS-CoV-2 virus” after he tested positive last August.

The letter also said the volunteer firefighter “has informed himself of the risks and benefits of receiving a COVID-19 vaccine.”

“He has learned that the COVID-19 vaccines available at this time carry substantial risks including severe allergic reactions and death, and they have warning labels from Health Canada for the conditions of myocarditis, pericarditis, blood clots, and Bell’s Palsy,” Le Beau wrote.

The release on Oct. 27 said at least 30 volunteer firefighters in CSRD lost their positions due to their refusal to receive the vaccine, causing a shortage of firefighters in the district as a result.

“To the best of my knowledge, not a single firefighter, except for Mr. Nygard, was reinstated after being fired from their positions for refusing the COVID-19 vaccination,” said Le Beau, while noting that the shortage of firefighters “puts communities at risk.”

The release said Le Beau also learned that the district is not ready to end the vaccine mandate for “other CSRD personnel” anytime soon.

“In addition, CSRD has proclaimed its right to reinstate the policy if supported or recommended by the B.C. Provincial Health Officer,” it said.

Le Beau said it’s imperative that governments and organizations “realize the harms they are causing society by the imposition of mandates that restrict people’s bodily autonomy.”

“People are not going to stand for the erosion of their rights and freedoms in circumstances where the science is unsettled, where there is evidence of potential personal harm by complying with the mandate, and/or where the mandate goes against the person’s religious, moral, or conscience beliefs,” she said.