Edmonton council will not bring in its own vaccine passport program

Edmonton city council has rejected the notion of bringing in its own municipal Restrictions Exemption Program (REP), days after the province lifted its own.

Earlier this week, City Council voted unanimously to have administration return to council with options for and detailing the implications of implementing a municipal REP including options for both city-owned and -operated facilities and citywide private businesses.

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At a special Edmonton City Council meeting Friday afternoon, council voted in favour of not moving forward with bringing in such a program.

The vote was nine in favour, four in opposition.

“Administration does not recommend implementing a restriction-exemption-equivalent bylaw in its own facilities or for private businesses in Edmonton,” a verbal report stated.

Administration pointed to the following reasons for not implementing the city’s own version of a REP:

Proof of vaccination does not equate to an absence of COVID-19
Measures difficult to define and quantify
Lacks complementary public health measures previously in place
Not supported by the business community or regional partners
Resource intensive with significant challenges on enforcement

Additional considerations included the perception of safety influencing consumer confidence, privacy impacts with collecting requested information, private businesses having the ability to create their own rules, and the cost of implementing an REP.

“We may frankly endanger our relationship with the provincial government,” said Ward sipiwiyiniwak councillor Sarah Hamilton, adding that proceeding with a city REP would create some issues with the province.

“I am disappointed,” said Mayor Amarjeet Sohi. “A municipal version of this program will not work in the same way the provincial program worked,” he added.

At a COVID-19 update earlier this week, Premier Jason Kenney announced the province would be removing the REP effective 11:59 pm on Tuesday, February 8.

The REP, Alberta’s version of a vaccine passport, was first brought into the province during the Delta wave in the fall.

Yesterday, Strathcona County council voted to bring its masking bylaw in line with the province’s meaning it will expire at the end of the month, and to not bring in a REP.