I sent a letter to Whistler’s mayor and council on Feb 17, 2022, asking them to reconsider the COVID vaccine mandate at the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW).
I received a reply stating “Council passed a resolution that your correspondence be referred to staff for further consideration. It has been referred to the Chief Administrative Officer.”
But it was to no effect—as of March 9, 2022, 12 of our neighbours and friends have now lost their good jobs with the RMOW because, at this ending stage of the pandemic, they are asking for the right to choose to take a vaccine or not.
To me, this policy makes the RMOW way too authoritarian on staff health policy.
I say to Whistler mayor, council and staff “How about you take a more appropriately targeted heavy-handed approach to ending the shameful bus strike?”
The bus strike is disruptive to our whole corridor and most definitely badly affecting our “guest and resident experience.” This is the type of issue I think our mayor, councillors and chief administrative officer should be spending their valuable time on— not pushing good staff out of jobs that they have devoted years of their lives to.
In Canada and around the world, mandates are being dropped on a daily basis and we have the information that vaccination does not stop transmission.
With this and other emerging information, it seems that we are moving into a time when adults can make their own COVID-19 risk assessment.
Forcing hardworking RMOW employees, who kept the show on the road through the dark days of the pandemic, to take this vaccine now or lose their jobs is in my opinion heavy- handed and too late.
The making of good relationships is based on: 1) Appreciating our similarities and 2) Respecting our differences.
Please make this vaccine a health choice for RMOW employees—this, I feel, is the most responsible and unifying path forward.
Many thanks to all at the RMOW for your work to make Whistler such a great place to live now and in the future.
