MONTREAL -- With a vaccine passport system on its way but few details so far on what that will entail, Quebec business owners are preparing themselves for another dip in business.
At St-Henri's Revolution Hair Studio, owner Tamara Rifai said she feels stuck between a rock and a hard place.
“I'm going to lose customers either way. There's always going to be somebody who's unhappy and I prefer to just be open to everybody and the client can decide if they want to come into the salon or not.”
The pandemic has been especially unkind to Quebec's bar, restaurant and live music industries, with venues and eateries being forced into extended closures.
“We've been through two shutdowns. We've been robbed three times. There's been a lot of stuff going on,” said Turbo Haus co-owner Sergio da Silva.
However, rather than oppose a vaccine passport, which could keep yet more patrons out of his live music venue, da Silva said that if a passport system allows him to stay open, he supports it.
That stance has led to backlash among some patrons.
“It's just another argument you're going to have to have with some people some of the time, which for some people can be a big argument,” he said.
He isn't alone. Quebec Restaurants Association spokesperson Dominique Tremblay said the organization has fielded calls from members who tell them “they had to deal with some angry clients that didn't want to deal with the restrictions and everything already. Adding the passport is going to make things worse.”
On Thursday, Turbo Haus posted on Facebook, saying it wouldn't book any bands whose members aren't fully vaccinated. Da Silva said the post resulted in him being accused of violating human rights and of being a Nazi.
“It's not a human right to play guitar here. It's not a right, you lunatic. It's your right to go to a grocery store, it's your right to get healthcare, it's your right to be safe and happy in your own homes. You don't have a right to my business.”
