Joel Harden MPP / Député, Ottawa Centre

Government of Ontario

Ottawa residents cannot wait any longer for vaccine certificates: MPP Harden

Published on August 12, 2021

OTTAWA — With the province of Quebec implementing vaccine certificates for non-essential services in September, Doug Ford needs to provide Ottawa residents with a vaccine passport now, said Joel Harden, MPP for Ottawa Centre. Andrea Horwath the official opposition are calling for a vaccine certificate program to be implemented across Ontario immediately. Harden issued the following statement:

“Ottawa and Gatineau operate as one region, with many families living and working on both sides of the provincial border. Doug Ford’s choice to do nothing on vaccine certificates leaves fully vaccinated Ottawa residents without clear answers on whether they will be allowed to access services across the border.

Ottawans have done an incredible job at going out and getting their vaccines, but now they may not be able to join their families living across the border in Gatineau for dinner at a restaurant or get a hair cut. Doug Ford’s choice to do nothing is harmful to public health, hurts the economic recovery of our region and is just plain confusing for the people living in the National Capital Region.”