'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
Trend Line Anger, pessimism towards federal government reach six-year high: Nanos survey
Most Canadians in March reported feeling angry or pessimistic towards the federal government than at any point in the last six years, according to a survey by Nanos Research.
BREAKING 14 suspects arrested in grandparent scam targeting seniors across Canada: Ontario police
An interprovincial investigation into a 'grandparents scam' that targeted seniors across Canada has led to the arrest of 14 suspects, Ontario Provincial Police say.
B.C. child killer's lawyer walks out of review hearing
The lawyer representing child-killer Allan Schoenborn walked out of his client's annual review hearing Wednesday – abruptly ending proceedings marked by tense exchanges and several outbursts.
How to avoid the trap of becoming 'house poor'
The journey to home ownership can be exciting, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew warns about the trappings of becoming 'house poor' -- where an overwhelming portion of your income is devoured by housing costs. Liew offers some practical strategies to maintain better financial health while owning a home.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Juror dismissed in Trump hush money trial as prosecutors ask for former president to face contempt
Prosecutors in the hush money trial of Donald Trump asked Thursday for the former president to be held in contempt and fined because of seven social media posts that they said violated a judge's gag order barring him from attacking witnesses.
Why drivers in Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada will see a gas price spike, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
It's the biggest election in history. Here's why few Indians in Canada will take part
In the Indian general election that gets underway on Friday, almost a billion people are eligible to vote, but a vast majority of the overseas Indian community in Canada won't be casting a ballot.
McDonald's customers left with 'zero value' collection of free hot drink stickers after company ends program
It took years for Vinnie Deluca to collect more than 400 cards worth of free McDonald's McCafe coffee, a collection that now has "zero value" after the company discontinued the program.