In this episode, I talk about my experience with not being allowed to participate as a Counsellor in a town council meeting because I refused to have a vaccination. The town did not allow me to participate in the meetings because I was not fully vaccinated. I have a Human Rights Claim open in regards to my disability.
00:00:44.420I'm an elected citizen or a citizen's elect, I should say.
00:00:49.260And that's different than most counsellors across Canada because they're actually employees in many cases.
00:00:55.500They get paid a salary and they do this thing every day.
00:00:58.520But what makes my situation unique is that I don't fall under any workplace occupational health and safety type classifications because I don't work there.
00:01:09.860I'm given a stipend, I think is the pronunciation of the word, where you are given a small amount of money.
00:01:15.780In my case, $500 every three months to basically say, thanks, here's some money for gas, here's some money for paper, appreciate your time.
00:01:23.000But in terms of having an employee relationship, it's not what the case is.
00:01:28.040So they had said that they would not allow me to participate as a counsellor in the meetings because I was not fully vaccinated.
00:01:39.960I couldn't actually do the things that a counsellor is supposed to do from their point of view, not being fully vaccinated.
00:01:46.620So they had decided that they would not consider me as having a reason to not attend.
00:02:50.180But I was still providing correspondence during these three months.
00:02:53.160And each of these three months, the town was referring to me as Councillor Abbott and reading and reviewing all of my concerns as a counsellor.
00:03:02.220So once the three months had expired and April came around, I knew that that was the official date.
00:03:10.240But it took two or three weeks to get my paper delivered from the town saying that I was no longer a counsellor and that I had to offer me that I can appeal.
00:03:20.460But I had to appeal if I were to want to maintain my seat.
00:03:25.000Otherwise, I'm no longer a counsellor.
00:03:26.940Funny thing was that in February, the province of Newfoundland made an announcement that they were going to stop the vaccination pass and all mandates as of April.
00:03:39.200So once April came around, it was no longer necessary.
00:03:43.040So in theory, the town didn't need to enforce this policy on me if it was all about being fair because the province was saying it was no longer necessary for the vax pass in the upcoming months, which coincides with me no longer participating due to me not being able to have the vax pass.
00:04:02.880So any reasonable person concerned about being fair would say, well, this doesn't make sense anymore.
00:04:08.020Let's review the policy and let's change it and allow Grant to participate because it's no longer suggested anymore from the government agencies.
00:04:18.640The mayor actually had a quote with CBC that, if I were to paraphrase, basically said if Grant were to comply, then he would be able to participate again.
00:04:32.900And the concept of that article was I refuse to have a vaccination.
00:04:37.240So the answer was if I were to get vaccinated, then I could become a counsellor again.
00:04:41.740So unfortunately, I had to be pushed into doing an appeal, which I did, but I am doing this for the good cause and for the greater good.
00:04:56.800And I'd like to be able to go all the way with it and see it to the end.
00:05:00.500So we've done a good job in getting to where we are.
00:05:04.860The lawyers believe that we have a good case because, like I said, I don't fall under these classifications to be mandated.
00:05:12.700I have a human rights claim open in regards to my disability, which doesn't seem obvious.
00:05:19.580I have a speech and language disability.
00:05:22.460It may be obvious because I'm talking more than listening.
00:05:25.320I'm trying to keep my story on track and stuff, but that plays into how I interact with other people.
00:05:34.780And as long as people are aware of that and have accommodations for me, then I can fully function because I'm able to collect myself and make mistakes and correct myself and such if those kind of problems were to occur.
00:05:52.520I've had an apology by the town online to the public and posted on Facebook telling me how bad of a person I was.
00:06:04.820I've had a protest outside my house with my children watching the protests going on, put off by two councillors and hosted by the Lions Club.
00:06:12.700I asked the Lions Club to basically let me know if they agreed with that before I were to have this meeting,
00:06:20.680given the opportunity to say, well, no, we don't agree with that and we apologize, not to get anybody in trouble, but to get just to get straight on the up and up.
00:06:38.160They opened the doors and let people in and let people come and go and support them during that period of time.
00:06:44.860They're supposed to be an unbiased, community-based organization.
00:06:46.900And they were going around with signs saying that I was harassing the community and that I must resign,
00:06:52.700and all because I was embarrassing them by standing up and saying that I'm not getting the vaccination.
00:06:58.060Well, throughout this whole process, I've been communicating ad nauseum with the town
00:07:11.840and trying to let them know what could happen, what shouldn't happen, and what the results would be if they were to take either path.
00:07:19.140I don't like playing games, as I said, so I've been very verbose in writing as to what my intentions were and where I would like it to go.
00:07:29.720Unfortunately, I've been embarrassed and my name's been dragged through the mud.
00:07:35.020My community has questions about who I am and what my motives are and who's right and who's not right
00:07:41.040and whether I should be doing this or whether or not I should.
00:07:43.740And the opportunity was given to the town council and the mayor to fix this.
00:07:51.800And I've been given opportunity to put a settlement towards them through a human resources investigation
00:07:58.000that the investigator said that I was not in fault for.
00:08:01.100He thought that I was totally at fault when he began the investigation, but all of this information I want to share.
00:08:10.460I want everybody to know what exactly has happened in and out, upside down, so that they can know the truth.
00:08:17.660A quote that I think I created and that I really stand behind is that I'd rather be uncomfortable with the truth than uncomfortable with a lie.
00:08:24.380So if I were to accept what people were to have said about me and what they believe about me
00:08:30.220and from all the good that I've been trying to put forward to my community and as a good guy, I really think I'm a good guy.
00:08:38.240I don't try to hurt people and my motives are to help.
00:08:41.340All of my careers have been customer service, sales, and that kind of thing.
00:08:47.740And I believe that's what I'm put on the earth for is to help and to spread the good news and positive vibes.
00:08:54.380And unfortunately, it didn't go that way.
00:08:57.600So at this point, there's no way to turn back.
00:09:00.620I expect the town council to resign so that I could go back to being a councillor and we have another election to have the councillors replaced.
00:09:11.420They actually went ahead and tried to schedule a nomination and an election to replace me just a few days ago.
00:09:18.820And my lawyers had to go and put an injunction in which they agreed on to not do the election up until such point that this appeal has been seen to completion.
00:09:32.740And it's just an example of where this has been going from day one.
00:09:36.480They haven't been given any legal advice proper in the beginning.
00:09:43.220But they decided to go ahead and do the things that they had said they wanted to do.
00:09:48.540I warned them that if you do that, I'm going to fight and see it to the end.
00:09:52.440And I'm stemmed by transparency and accountability.
00:09:56.160And I'm going to make sure that that happens, whether I have responsibility for it or whether they have responsibility for it.
00:10:02.500Everything is going to be out and in the open at the end.
00:10:06.960And once people realize what exactly has happened and see it for themselves, I hope that their heart speaks for them and they're able to get this all behind us and we can make the community better as one, with unity.
00:10:43.440If you're able to come and help me out with that and tell me why I have the spot on the back of my head, then maybe I'll have you have a chat with my doctor and then you and the doctor can talk it out and they can figure out what's best for my health.