Toronto health food store doesn’t care about the health of mask-exempt customers

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Toronto health food store The Big Carrot used to honour mask exemptions for its customers. And for good reason: the City of Toronto’s bylaw mandates all stores to do so. But like several other retailers of late, The Big Carrot recently revised its policy: masks are now mandatory, no ifs, ands or buts — and medical exemptions be damned.

Why the switcheroo? Well, The Big Carrot’s management is bending the knee to the assorted hysterical Karens who make up its customer base and even its staff. Apparently, there are some folks out there who consider the presence of a mask-free shopper as being akin to rolling out the red carpet for a Typhoid Mary-like super-spreader.

So it was that The Big Carrot recently announced its Revised Mask Policy:

Dear Community,

Please know that The Big Carrot is doing everything it can to appropriately balance the health and safety of its employees and customers with the needs of individuals who require accommodations.

The revised mask policy stems from the accumulated concerns, over the last year, expressed by our staff and customers regarding mask-less shoppers. We feel that these concerns are more than valid and reasonable especially in light of the new coronavirus variants. As such, we feel morally and socially obligated to protect our community at large and its most vulnerable members.

Under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA), the Big Carrot has an obligation to ensure the health and safety of its employees and all of its customers. As such, we have always looked to adhere to the most current public health advice and direction on preventing the spread of COVID-19. Wearing a mask or a face covering is a means of source control.

Allowing individuals to walk around the store without these measures puts our employees and other customers at a greater risk of transmission.

So much for the science directing Wuhan virus protocols, because the management at The Big Carrot “feels” that the concerns of the Karen Community are “more than valid.” Yikes…

Recently, Giovanni Penna and his mother, Teresa Penna, found out the hard way that The Big Carrot has zero tolerance when it comes to mask-free shoppers.

On a recent visit to the shop, the Pennas — who have been loyal customers at The Big Carrot for several years — were verbally and even physically abused by staffers for not masking up. Indeed, Giovanni recorded the hostile reception, which reached a crescendo when an irate employee tried to confiscate his cellphone!

In the aftermath, security guards now guard the entrance of The Big Carrot, barring the doors to mask-less shoppers.

Oh, by the way, not only is The Big Carrot flouting the bylaw regarding medical mask exemptions, but the shop’s security guards are not following the law either. When we asked a guard to produce her security guard licence, she unlawfully refused.

How odd: The Big Carrot seems to be of the belief that its corporate policy actually trumps the rule of law. Alas, this shop might find out the hard way that such is not the case. The Pennas plan to file either a lawsuit or an Ontario Human Rights Tribunal complaint. And while nobody at The Big Carrot would speak to Rebel News about the “revised policy,” methinks embracing the silent treatment in a court of law isn’t going to work all that well when it comes to telling it to the judge…

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