'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
BREAKING New York appeals court overturns Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction from landmark #MeToo trial
New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
BREAKING Monthly earnings rise, payroll employment falls: jobs report
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Metro Vancouver mayors call for serial killer Robert Pickton to be denied parole
A dozen mayors from around Metro Vancouver say federal Attorney General and Justice Minister Arif Virani should deny parole for notorious B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton, and reassess the parole and sentencing system for 'prolific offenders and mass murderers.'
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
2 military horses that broke free and ran loose across London are in serious condition
Two military horses that bolted and ran miles through the streets of London after being spooked by construction noise and tossing their riders were in a serious condition and required operations, a British government official said Thursday.