Ontario Premier Doug Ford changes stance on COVID vaccines and other mandates after freedom convoy gains traction

02/17/2022 / By Ramon Tomey

The premier of Canada’s Ontario Province walked back on Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine mandates and restrictions. Ontario Premier Doug Ford suddenly reversed course on restrictions despite previously lauding them.

LifeSiteNews elaborated on Ford’s sudden reversal, with the Ontario leader claiming that getting the COVID-19 vaccine is a “choice” and that “everyone is ‘done’ with the measures.”

Ford told reporters on Feb. 15 that it “doesn’t matter” if someone was injected with one shot or ten shots. “You can go to Costco [or] Walmart, you can go shopping. You don’t know if the person beside you has a shot or not, but we also know that it doesn’t matter if you have one shot or ten shots, you can [still] catch COVID,” he said.

The Ontario premier also insisted that his government is about “freedoms” and “liberties.” He added: “I bet if I asked every single person in this room: ‘Do you want these masks or do you want them off?’ They want them off, they want to get back to normal. This is about, again, democracy and freedoms and liberties. Everyone’s done with this. We are done with it.”

Ford made his remarks in response to a question about when the province’s vaccine passport scheme will end. He first announced the mandate in September 2021 that required Ontarians to show proof of vaccination before entering bars, restaurants and other venues. However, he did not give a definite date for the vaccine passport system’s end. Ford also did not give a date as to when mask mandates in Ontario will be over.

“[We need to] move forward. We can’t stay in this position forever. We’ve got to learn to live with this [virus] and get on with our lives.” (Related: WOW: Canadian provincial leader actually admits officials “got it wrong” with widespread COVID lockdowns in tearful apology.)

Ford espouses shaky stance on mandates

Back in September 2021, the Ontario premier announced the province-wide vaccine passport mandate that became effective on Sept. 22. Proof of vaccination was required before Ontarians can enter all indoor settings where face masks cannot be worn for the duration of the visit.

Ford has defended mask mandates in Ontario as recently as the last week of January. During an interview with Ontario radio station CJBQ, the premier claimed he could not say face mask requirements will be lifted anytime soon. Ford justified prolonging mask mandates in the state by saying that it “really protects people” from COVID-19.

Ford’s shaky stance toward COVID-19 vaccine mandates contrasted with that of Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe. The premier of the western Canadian province once imposed lockdowns on the population. But seeing the error of his ways, Moe assured citizens that no more new restrictions would be put in place.

“We’re avoiding the economic and psychological harm and the infringement on personal freedoms that are often caused by lockdowns,” the Saskatchewan premier told reporters on Jan. 23. He added that while COVID-19 is not going away, many other diseases exist that are often addressed without “locking down, taking away people’s freedoms and disrupting everyone’s life.”

Moe added that the province would no longer “impose significant restrictions that cause significant harm, for no significant benefit.” The only COVID-related action Saskatchewan took was an extension of its mask mandate. Originally set to end on Jan. 31, the provincial government moved its end date to Feb. 28.