'We don’t want you in here': small business refusing fully vaccinated customers
A small shop selling beads and herbal medicines in Windsor Ont., is asking customers if they’re vaccinated, before allowing them to shop.
Anastasia Timakis is one of the people turned away at the door, by a man she believes to be the shop owner.
“When I told him (the store owner), yes I’ve been vaccinated for both, he said you have to leave,” says Timakis.
She was curious about the store, when she noticed there was no business name on the outside, just a dozen pandemic related notices all over the front window; many of them against government-ordered protocols.
A small shop selling beads and herbal medicines in Windsor Ont., on Tuesday, Sept. 7, 2021. (Michelle Maluske / CTV Windsor)
“There was maybe 10 or 15 people in there and not one of them had a mask on,” says Timakis.
“So little bells and whistles went off in my head saying ‘Anastasia something’s not right here.’”
Timakis accuses the man of being hostile and saying to her “we don’t want you in here”, because she is fully vaccinated.
“I was afraid for my health and safety,” says Timakis. “Not because they weren’t vaccinated, because we were very far away, but just his whole attitude.”
CTV News attempted to speak with the owner, but he refused to answer questions, on the basis of vaccination status, and we were asked to leave the store.
Back in April, when some anti-vaccine notices first went on the door of Herb Plus Beadworks, the owner, Tony Pantalleresco, told CTV News his belief is the vaccines aren’t tested, and as such, are dangerous.
“We don’t have enough data right now, to say that these things are safe,” says Pantalleresco.
Doctors, scientists, researchers and leading medical officers across Canada have maintained for months, saying the vaccines are based on decades of research and they are safe for the vast majority of people.
Timakis is worried the store is sending the wrong message during a crisis.
“Whether I agree with what the government does or does not do, what these people are doing is very wrong,” says Timakis. “I’m disgusted.”
In a statement to CTV News, the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit (WECHU) says they follow up on 100 per cent of all complaints regard the Reopening Ontario Act.
The statement also reads “The WECHU has taken enforcement action at the business in the past and will be following up on this complaint.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
How quietly promised law changes in the 2024 federal budget could impact your day-to-day life
The 2024 federal budget released last week includes numerous big spending promises that have garnered headlines. But, tucked into the 416-page document are also series of smaller items, such as promising to amend the law regarding infant formula and to force banks to label government rebates, that you may have missed.
Which foods have the most plastics? You may be surprised
'How much plastic will you have for dinner, sir? And you, ma'am?' While that may seem like a line from a satirical skit on Saturday Night Live, research is showing it's much too close to reality.
opinion I've been a criminal attorney for decades. Here's what I think about the case against Trump
Joey Jackson, a criminal defence attorney and a legal analyst for CNN, outlines what he thinks about the criminal case against Donald Trump in the 'hush money trial.'
$3.8M home in B.C.'s Okanagan has steel shell for extra wildfire protection
A home in B.C.'s Okanagan that features a weathering steel shell designed to provide some protection against wildfires has been listed for sale at $3.8 million.
Diver pinned under water by an alligator figured he had choice. Lose his arm or lose his life
An alligator attacked a diver on April 15 as he surfaced from his dive, nearly out of air. His tank emptied with the gator's jaws crushing the arm he put up in defence.
Psychologist becomes first person in Peru to die by euthanasia after fighting in court for years
A Peruvian psychologist who suffered from an incurable disease that weakened her muscles and had her confined to her bed for several years, died by euthanasia, her lawyer said Monday, becoming the first person in the country to obtain the right to die with medical assistance.
Mystery surrounds giant custom Canucks jerseys worn by Lions Gate Bridge statues
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
Celebrity designer sentenced to 18 months in prison for smuggling crocodile handbags
A leading fashion designer whose accessories were used by celebrities from Britney Spears to the cast of the 'Sex and the City' TV series was sentenced Monday to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty in Miami federal court on charges of smuggling crocodile handbags from her native Colombia.
Wildfire leads to evacuation order issued for northeast Alberta community
An evacuation order was issued on Monday afternoon for homes in the area of Cold Lake First Nation.