B.C. considering tougher laws to protect patients, students from anti-vaccine protesters
The B.C. government is considering tougher laws to discourage anti-vaccine protesters from disrupting the daily operations of schools and hospitals in the province, Premier John Horgan said Thursday.
Vaccine opponents have been involved in a number of concerning demonstrations in recent weeks, including last Friday, when protesters allegedly barged into several schools in Salmon Arm.
District officials were forced to place the schools under "hold and secure" measures as a result, meaning children weren't allowed to enter or leave for the remainder of the school day.
"I think all British Columbians are perplexed that people who have a different point of view – a minority view – would choose to disrupt children in education settings or patients in health-care settings to get their point across," Horgan said.
"I'm hopeful that we've seen the last of that type of behaviour but we want to ensure that that doesn't happen again."
Attorney General David Eby and Solicitor General Mike Farnworth are discussing the province's options, which include introducing new legislation or updating existing regulations, the premier said.
The "hold and secure" measures imposed last Friday in Salmon Arm continued through Monday, which was a scheduled professional development day.
When students returned on Tuesday, the district said it had "encouraged schools to limit their number of entry points," and to keep main entrances locked after the opening bell.
There were also the Sept. 1 protests staged outside several B.C. hospitals, including Vancouver General Hospital, which prompted angry backlash as reports emerged of patients having difficulty accessing their appointments. A number of health-care workers also shared their frustrations over the decision to hold loud demonstrations directly outside the buildings.
During a subsequent election campaign stop in Vancouver, Justin Trudeau promised the Liberals would introduce tougher laws to prevent protesters from blocking access to hospitals or intimidating employees.
“To know that a nurse, going into a late shift, crossing a parking lot, might be afraid that there’s going to be someone there to spit on her or shout obscenities at her – that’s not OK,” he said at the time.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Indian envoy warns of 'big red line,' days after charges laid in Nijjar case
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
U.S. paused bomb shipment to Israel to signal concerns over Rafah invasion, official says
The U.S. paused a shipment of bombs to Israel last week over concerns that Israel was approaching a decision on launching a full-scale assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah against the wishes of the U.S.
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
Susan Buckner, who played spirited cheerleader Patty Simcox in 'Grease,' dead at 72
Susan Buckner, best known for playing peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 classic movie musical 'Grease,' has died. She was 72.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
Alcohol believed to be a factor in boating incident after 2 men die: N.S. RCMP
Two Nova Scotia men are dead after a boat they were travelling in sank in the Annapolis River in Granville Centre, N.S., on Monday.