With the Alberta government’s Restriction Exemption Program (REP) in effect at the Beiseker Arena, a group of residents have sent a letter to the Village in hopes of removing the program, claiming the requirement to be vaccinated for COVID-19 infringes on their human rights.
A letter sent from Grey Wowk Spencer LLP addressed to Beiseker Mayor Warren Wise stated the firm was approached by a group of concerned Beiseker residents to comment on the operation of local recreation facilities, in light of the current province-wide state of emergency.
“Our position is that the Village alone has the authority to determine the best mode of procedure by which to ensure the health and safety of persons entering its facilities,” the letter stated. “We do not, however, support the imposition of a vaccine passport policy as a condition of entry.”
The letter cited a number of different reasons for the residents’ opposition, such as their claim that there is little scientific data regarding the seriousness of COVID-19, and their conclusion that vaccines have not had a significant impact on reducing the spread of the virus.
“In fact, Israel is the most universally vaccinated nation in the world, and yet it is experiencing a huge spike in new cases,” the letter stated.
Another point the letter touched on was the group's argument that either producing proof of vaccination or a recent negative test violates the “fundamental tenet of medicine known as informed consent.”
“By participating in the REP, the Village becomes complicit in this violation,” the letter stated.
The letter went on to say there is no rational basis for making COVID-19 vaccination or proof of a negative test a condition of entry into Beiseker’s recreational facilities.
“Doing so clearly violates provincial, federal, and international human rights statutes, agreements, and conventions,” the letter stated. “Adoption of such a policy would cause great division within the Beiseker community and significantly impair the ability of local residents, especially children, to engage in sport and other forms of indoor recreation.”
The letter concludes the residents trust the Village of Beiseker “shall govern itself in a matter which is in the best interests of the community as a whole.”
Jane Senger-Lang, one of the concerned residents involved in the letter, said a group of long-standing residents endorse a call for the Village to implement a one-third capacity rule for its indoor rec facilities instead of the REP.
“We are not aggressive, nor abusive, nor threatening, nor rude,” she said. “We want to maintain democratic rights and freedoms and choices within the law. Our intent is to open the arena to all, by implementing the option of one-third capacity.”
Senger-Lang said the biggest issue stems from a unilateral decision made by the Beiseker & District Agricultural Society to implement the REP. She claimed the Ag Society acted without any democratic or parental input.
“Numerous attempts and requests to them were given to consider, discuss, and vote on this were ignored, rejected, bullied, and threatened,” she said.
Tyler Metzger, president of the Beiseker & District Ag Society, said the decision to implement the REP was made to keep local youth playing hockey, and to continue allowing the village's senior teams and the facility's concession stand to operate while restrictions remain in place.
“If we operate at one-third capacity, it only allows us to have minor hockey in the building, and no concession, along with only two people from the same household allowed in the facility,” he said.
According to Metzger, the arena is rented by the Beiseker Minor Hockey Association, along with five senior hockey teams. He said if they had opted for the one-third capacity option, that would mean no adult sport would be held in the arena this winter. That equates to about $15,000 in revenue that the Ag Society would lose.
“If we didn’t put that in, we would have had to charge minor hockey more to make up the difference,” he said. “From what we have heard, there is only about seven per cent of minor hockey parents that aren’t vaccinated.”
Metzger said the most important part of the decision was the ability to keep kids playing hockey and bring in funds that allow the facility to remain open.
“I’m vaccinated, but I am not trying to push it down everybody’s throat,” he said. “It doesn’t bother me one bit, we are just trying to follow the rules.”
He also claimed the number of residents against the REP is the minority in Beiseker.
“It’s a total minority, and getting smaller,” he said. “I would say there is maybe five to 10 of them.”
Senger-Lang said while there may be a vocal minority, there is a silent number of people who agree with what she and other residents are saying.
She also spoke to an event that took place at the arena, where six or seven concerned residents approached the venue to peacefully protest.
“We arrived at the door, and they said we need to show our vaccination cards, and I said no we don’t, we are not going to, and we are going in,” she said. “The facts are being distorted by the emotional and personal Facebookers.”
The protest ended with local RCMP officers arriving to talk with the concerned residents.
“We are standing by our rights, and we want to settle this issue without dividing the community,” she said.
While the topic has been divisive everywhere, Senger-Lang said she just wants the issue to be looked at again.
“We’d like to feel that there is a fair side told here without the emotion,” she said. “This was not gone about in a fair democratic way.”
When reached, Mayor Wise said he couldn’t really comment on the letter that was sent to him, but from his perspective, it served as a possible warning that residents may proceed with a legal procedure in the future.
“I’m not really paying much attention to it at this point,” he said.
Wise said while the arena is owned by the Village and run by the Ag Society, council supported the decision to support the implementation of the REP.
“That is where it stands right now,” he said. “You have to make a stance one way or the other, [and] we are just trying to comply with what we think the Government of Alberta regulations are.”
According to Metzger, the REP will remain in effect at the Beiseker Arena until the Ag Society is told otherwise by the Alberta government.
Jordan Stricker, AirdrieToday.com
Follow me on Twitter @jaystrickz
