Defiant Penticton brewery getting positive feedback on anti-vaccine card stance

After a Penticton craft brewery recently announced it would be snubbing the province's upcoming vaccine card mandate, most of the feedback has been positive.

Bad Tattoo Brewing owner Lee Agur said 95 per cent of the feedback has been positive since he took his stance on the coming provincial vaccine cards.

“To be clear, we followed all the rules up until this point,” Agur said. “The only thing we’re pushing back on is vaccine passports.”

READ MORE: COVID-19 vaccination card coming to attend events, restaurants in B.C.

On Sept. 13, proof of at least one COVID-19 vaccine will be required to attend restaurants, both on patios or indoors. The rule will also apply to indoor sporting events, night clubs, casinos and theatres, to name a few. The measures come into place as the province faces another rise in COVID-19 cases, especially among unvaccinated adults.

Asked if his employees support the policy, he said the decision was made in consultation with staff.

Rather than quietly ignoring the provincial mandate, Agur wanted to share Bad Tattoo’s opposition with the public.

“I just know there’s a lot of people extremely afraid,” he said. “I’m just trying to help some people have a voice.”

In an emailed statement today, Aug. 26, Lee said he’s been receiving a lot of calls after announcing his business would not be "implementing the vaccine passport."

He believes vaccine passports are unconstitutional.

READ MORE: Vaccine card mandate a step too far for some Kamloops, Okanagan businesses

“By enforcing something like the vaccine passport my business is at risk of breaking the law and we could get sued. I have customers that are threatening legal action if I discriminate against them or violate their privacy by requiring personal medical information," his statement reads.

Some of the customers who would be penalized by vaccine passports are the same people who helped keep Bad Tattoo afloat during the worst of COVID restrictions, he said, adding he will not turn his back on them now.

"They have shown us great loyalty and supported us through these extremely difficult times, and we will continue to show them that same loyalty in return, regardless of their very personal medical choices," he wrote.

He also has concerns about the health and safety of the 14- to 17-year-old hosts and hostesses who would be responsible for enforcing the rule because it "is not within the scope of their employment agreement."

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