'I can't put my staff through that': Comox Valley pub owner threatened over vaccine cards
The owner of a Cumberland, B.C., pub closed his business for two days to avoid confrontations over the government’s new vaccine passport requirements but that didn’t stop his business from being attacked online.
Waverley Hotel owner Don McClellan posted a notice on his company’s Facebook page saying his business would be following mandatory requirements to check patrons for their vaccine passports and says he was threatened repeatedly over the issue.
“I’m just a small business trying to get by. One of the hardest-hit [industries] in the province has been hospitality and the fitness industry and we’re both being asked to do this vaccine mandate,” he says.
McClellan says the messages came from a Victoria man who told the business owner “I’m coming after you” and “you know what happened to Nazis.”
He says the comments also became more vulgar and threatening. “You’re going down and I’m going to be on the right side of history and I’m going to have an alibi.”
McClellan has been in touch with RCMP and a spokesperson confirms a file has been started over the threats.
“We’re very concerned about our business,” he says. “If he just wants to harm us on social media, that’s his own prerogative but it sounds like he may be wanting to cause damage to my actual business. It’s very concerning.”
McClellan is also unsure why the individual has targeted a Cumberland business given that he appears to reside in Victoria.
“There’s hundreds of restaurants in Victoria that are following the mandate, unless he’s choosing to harass everybody in the province, I don’t know,” he says.
McClellan also says the province has put pub and restaurant owners in a terrible position.
“It’s a lot to put on a small business,” he says. “My staff has been through so much in the last 18 months, they’re literally afraid to have to do this. I’m going to be the one here for the next while asking people to show me their passport because I can’t put my staff through that.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
'It was joy': Trapped B.C. orca calf eats seal meat, putting rescue on hold
A rescue operation for an orca calf trapped in a remote tidal lagoon off Vancouver Island has been put on hold after it started eating seal meat thrown in the water for what is believed to be the first time.
Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
B.C. judge orders shared dog custody for exes who both 'clearly love Stella'
In a first-of-its-kind ruling, a B.C. judge has awarded a former couple joint custody of their dog.
Saskatoon police to search landfill for remains of woman missing since 2020
Saskatoon police say they will begin searching the city’s landfill for the remains of Mackenzie Lee Trottier, who has been missing for more than three years.
Shivering for health: The myths and truths of ice baths explained
In a climate of social media-endorsed wellness rituals, plunging into cold water has promised to aid muscle recovery, enhance mental health and support immune system function. But the evidence of such benefits sits on thin ice, according to researchers.