Businesses around Prince George have been operating with the new BC vaccine card policy for about a week and a half now.
Gyms, exercise and dance facilities, and studios have been no exception, and two local businesses are saying customers have responded relatively well.
Angel Stewart owns Angels Aerial Fitness which offers pole dancing classes, aerial hoop classes, aerial silk classes, and workout programs.
She says overall, her clients have responded very well to the new policy, and unvaccinated customers have just started taking classes online.
“Out of anybody that has said anything, the vast majority say that they feel better knowing that everybody in the studio is vaccinated. I did have one student message me saying for the first time in her life she didn’t feel welcome at the studio and so I came back and told her it had nothing to do with me not wanting her there, it’s not a choice I’m making I’m just following the rules,” she said.
Businesses and organizations that do not comply with the PHO could be issued up to $2,300 in fines.
Meanwhile, Centre Manager of the Northern BC YMCA in Prince George, Shannon Johnson says members have been very patient.
“I suspect there were a few cases (of people becoming upset) but none to my knowledge that were an issue,” Johnson explained.
She says generally, YMCA customers are just excited to get back into their fitness routines as fitness classes return to the YMCA during the fall season.
Johnson and Stewart both say that getting their facilities and staff members ready for the new policy was a relatively easy process.
Some local businesses predicted that they’d see a drop in customers with the new policy in place, however, Stewart says she actually noticed the opposite.
“I didn’t expect to see it but we’ve had a handful of students we haven’t seen since the start of the pandemic that are now coming back because they know everyone will be vaccinated so they feel safer coming back. The handful of people that are unvaccinated have just switched to virtual so it’s not really a huge issue.”
Even though Stewart has seen a generally pretty positive response with Angels Aerial Fitness, she doesn’t expect every business across Prince George to have the same outcome.
“I think the demographic and the clientele, and the relationship people have with their customers or clients depending on the business will make a big difference. I can speak for myself and the staff that we physically care about everyone there and we want everyone there and it’s not a matter of exclusion it’s a matter of safety and we’re just following the rules. I followed all the mandates from the beginning, I’m not going to stop now because I don’t want to get fined or have a breakout in the studio, or get shut down.”
She says when the possibility of an immunization record policy was discussed early on in the pandemic, she was very against it but after seeing the increasing number of cases and hospitalizations she knew it was important to protect the community by following through.
Stewart adds that while the government did put her business in a tricky spot with the mandate, having a positive perspective on the issue has been helpful.
“I also don’t look at it as a punishment to unvaccinated people,” Stewart explained, “I look at it as a chance for those who have been quarantining, who have been wearing their masks, who got their vaccines, good you’ve done everything you can now live your life.”