TILLSONBURG — As COVID restrictions continue, just about everyone is looking forward to a return to normal; not a new normal but the old normal.
Twenty months into this new world of restrictions and about 86 per cent of Canadians have now been vaccinated with at least one dose.
Farmers Forum asked farmers: Are you fed up with COVID restrictions?
“The majority of people have had their vaccinations. What’s the point of having the vaccine if we still have to have all these restrictions? As far as I’m concerned, the remaining people who haven’t had their vaccine aren’t going to get it, so let’s move on and get back to normal and open things up.”
Matt Drummond
Crop farmer
New Hamburg, Ont.
Bruce Court: OK with dropping restrictions.
“I am OK with dropping all these restrictions. They shouldn’t have been there in the first place. I think there should be a choice when it comes to vaccinations, but I can definitely see why most people should get one. It’s time to let nature take it’s course. I think we have done all we can do.”
Bruce Court
Crop farmer
Tillsonburg, Ont.
“We still have kids in our rural communities that are not immunized and seniors who are anxious about getting boosters so we are not out of the woods yet. As farmers, we appreciate the significance of a biological threat and anyone with livestock knows what biosecurity is all about. I feel protected but I look at the kids in our community and I worry about them.”
Emery Huszka
Crop farmer
Lambton County, Ont.
“We are actually happy to have these protocols in place. Both ourselves and our employees have young children and if one of the kids is sick, we can’t work. I think the overall mandates do keep the public safe. For my own family’s health and well-being, I feel safer but I do empathize with people who are frustrated and feel their needs aren’t being met.
Jennifer Doelman
Crops and apiary
Renfrew County, Ont.
“I don’t have a problem with the vaccine passports but the cost of housing my migrant workers has gone up substantially. Our workers still have to wear their masks at work even though they are all double-vaxxed and live together. In general I agree with the rules but there are some I shake my head at.”
John Jacques
Asparagus grower
Thamesville, Ont.
“I think Ontario is at the point where we could back off on some restrictions. The mask mandate is a irritation that I’m willing to put up with at this point. I’m not anti-vaccine but I’m not really a big fan of the vaccine mandate. I would say we’re accomplishing what the government feels we need to do.”
Shawn Helmuth
Crop farmer
Palmerston, Ont.
