You'll be able to stroll right into Bad Tattoo Brewing, Moo-Lix Ice Cream, Eatology, The Fig and Bliss Yoga Lounge on Sept. 13 without having to show any sort of BC vaccination passport.
"Vaccine passports are unconstitutional," said Lee Agur, the co-owner and general manager of Bad Tattoo, which has restaurants and patios in both Penticton and Kelowna.
"I have customers that are threatening legal action if I discriminate against them or violate their privacy by requiring personal medical information. Some of these customers are the same people that have kept our business going during limited-service periods during the height of restrictions and we will not turn our backs on them now, regardless of their very personal medical choices."
Lionel St. Pierre is the co-owner of Moo-Lix Ice Cream, which has parlours in downtown Kelowna and at McCurdy Corner.
"Both locations of Moo-Lix will not discriminate and our doors are open to everyone," wrote St. Pierre on the 'BC businesses against health pass' Facebook page.
The Eatology and The Fig restaurants in Vernon and Bliss Yoga Lounge and Our Yoga Space in Kelowna also posted to the Facebook page that they also would not discriminate, will serve all customers and won't ask to see a vaccine passport.
Effective Sept. 13, people wanting to eat indoors or on a patio at a restaurant, attend an indoor ticketed sporting event, go to a fitness centre, casino or indoor conference or wedding in BC will have to show proof of at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
On Oct. 24, the requirement will be full vaccination (two doses).
The provincial edict is divisive as is displayed on the 'BC businesses against the health pass' Facebook page.
At least 50 Okanagan businesses have posted they will not discriminate and will not ask customers to show a vaccine passport.
However, many of those businesses don't fall under the provincial criteria, so their point is moot, other than wanting to sound off against the vaccine passport.
A vaccine passport isn't required to enter retail and grocery stores, indoor religious gatherings or health care facilities or ride BC Ferries or public transit.
May Allan at Mom & Me Flowers in Kelowna belongs to the 'BC businesses against health pass' group, as does Joel Lesperance of JL Interiors Drywall, Moira Drosdovech of Pawsitive Veterinary Care, Sarah Miller of Maid Right Services and Hayley Moffatt of Fix My Touch in Kelowna and Repair Express in Vernon and Penticton.
A vaccine passport isn't required to get into those businesses, but they want you to know they won't ask nonetheless.
"Requiring my 14-17-year-old hosts to enforce customer vaccine passports upon entry to the restaurants makes me fear for their health and safety and is not within the scope of their employment agreement," added Agur from Bad Tattoo.
"I love living in Canada and one of the greatest things about being Canadian is being able to serve all our customers without discrimination."
Agur stresses he is not anti-vax and he has supported and complied with all pandemic rules in the past.
"I know this is an extremely controversial subject, but we are against the passport," he said.
The province announced the vaccine passport program on Monday.
Before Sept. 13 the province will make a secure weblink available for people to access their vaccine status and save it to their phone to use as a passport.
BC has one of the strongest vaccination rates in the country with 75% of eligible people vaccinated.
In an Insights West survey, 80% of BC respondents said they support the decision for vaccine passports.
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