Timmins police will focus on educating people about vaccine passports before laying charges
As the Province of Ontario gets ready to roll out its vaccine passport, police agencies throughout the province will be on standby to enforce the rules.
Beginning Sept. 22, proof of vaccination status will be required to eat indoors at restaurants and bars, to work out in gyms, go to movie theatres and other event spaces.
The province said a variety of officials will be expected to enforce the use of the passports, including police, special constables, First Nation constables, bylaw officers and public health inspectors.
The province said enforcement will be gradual, much like it has been throughout the pandemic.
Timmins Police Service officials said so far throughout the pandemic, it's been more effective to educate people first before any enforcement takes place.
"We have laid a number of charges, but those were last resort," said Marc Depatie, communications coordinator for Timmins Police Service. "Most typically, our officers tend to try and educate first, make people aware of the fact there is a law in place and they are in fact in breach and if we gain compliance, then the matter is resolved. If we don’t then a more stern enforcement approach has to be adopted.”
He added the Timmins Police Service has had some calls to 911 about people breaking COVID regulations -- customers not wearing masks, disobeying physical distancing rules and refusing to leave premises.
And, he added, some charges have been laid.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.