Ottawa – Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, and the Deputy Prime Minister, Chrystia Freeland, today announced details of the government’s plans to require COVID-19 vaccination across the federal public service and federally regulated transportation sectors. This includes marine operators with Canadian vessels that operate with 12 or more crew (such as Great Lakes cargo ships in photo).

Under the new policy, federal public servants in the Core Public Administration, including members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, will be required to confirm their vaccination status by October 29, 2021. Those who are unwilling to disclose their vaccination status or to be fully vaccinated will be placed on administrative leave without pay as early as November 15, 2021.

Employers in the federally regulated air, rail, and marine transportation sectors will have until October 30, 2021, to establish vaccination policies that ensure employees are vaccinated. Effective October 30, 2021, travellers departing from Canadian airports, and travellers on VIA Rail and Rocky Mountaineer trains, will be required to be fully vaccinated, with very limited exceptions.

The government is working with industry and key partners to put a strict vaccine requirement in place for cruise ships before the resumption of the 2022 cruise season.

Crown corporations and separate agencies are being asked to implement vaccine policies mirroring the requirements announced today for the rest of the public service. The Acting Chief of the Defence Staff will also issue a directive requiring vaccination for the Canadian Armed Forces. The government will keep working with employers in other federally regulated workplaces to ensure vaccination is prioritized for workers in these sectors.