Ezra Wellness on Tranquille Road is one of many in a chain run by nurses against vaccine mandates expected to be opening across Canada.

(LEVI LANDRY / iNFOnews.ca)

The architect behind a protest in front of Royal Inland Hospital over vaccine passports has started his own health clinic, of sorts, in North Kamloops.

Glenn Aalderink, formerly a licensed practical nurse with Interior Health, is opening Ezra Wellness, which is one of many across the country.

The name, he says, was decided by a person with Canadian Frontline Nurses and part of an effort for unvaccinated healthcare providers to continue working where they will not be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

The B.C. College of Nurses and Midwives, which regulates licenses for nurses in the province, has concerns about misinformation that could come from these clinics.

"(The College) and other health profession regulators in B.C. share serious concerns about how the spread of misinformation by regulated health professionals about COVID-19 and vaccination may jeopardize the safety of patients and the public," spokesperson Johanna Ward said in an emailed statement. "We also have concerns about regulated health professionals promoting or sharing information about COVID-19 treatments that are not supported by widely accepted scientific evidence."

READ MORE: Kamloops nurse who inspired hospital protests has no regrets

Ward said nurses can own and operate their own clinics as long as they follow bylaws, standards of practice and work within their scope of practice.

The College also recommends those nurses seek legal advice.

Although Aalderink's employment with Interior Health was terminated, he still holds his license with the B.C. College of Nurses and Midwives. He is also trying to communicate with the College to cooperate in order to allow the clinic to operate.

He said there are at least 40 other healthcare workers that are willing to collaborate with him, including former Interior Health nurses, chiropractors and naturopaths.

There is no examination room and only space for consultations behind a desk, but Aalderink said he can check basic vital statistics and will be willing to make house calls.

"This is the first time I've been building something. Everything else is trying to hold my line in society. Society has proven they don't want us," he said. "(The College) can take away my license to practice but not my skills."

He continues to assert that he is not against vaccines generally, but that he is hesitant of taking COVID-19 vaccines that were developed to combat the ongoing pandemic.

READ MORE: 85% of B.C. residents now fully vaccinated

He holds his beliefs so strongly that he has hosted protests against pandemic measures well before the vaccines were rolled out, up to the protest that gathered hundreds in front of Royal Inland Hospital.

People "hate him" for his hardened beliefs, Aalderink said, but he's begun to block out those who stand against him and instead work with potential patients who walk through the doors of Ezra Wellness.

As for the business itself, the storefront area was donated, Aalderink said. This deal was set up as an agreement with the current tenant of that property on 552 Tranquille Road.

They are accepting donations currently rather than charging for walk-ins. 

He said on Sunday there are plans to discuss how Ezra Wellness clinics will operate across the country, including their funding models. Charging walk in patients is still possible.

On the door, a sign claimed that masks are mandatory although Aalderink and the other volunteers did not wear them.

"While nurses are free to voice their own opinions in a lawful manner, they are not entitled to use their protected title to spread misinformation. (The College) can and will take action against registrants whose use of title could bring the profession of nursing or midwifery into disrepute," Ward said.

Aalderink said Ezra Wellness is one of many across the country adopting the same name also likely to be run by nurses who have lost their job due to their vaccination status.

In the Central Interior, there are clinics opening in Salmon Arm, Vernon and Kelowna, according to Aalderink.

READ MORE: Why 1/3 of new COVID cases are in people who are fully vaccinated

iNFOnews.ca reached out to the B.C. Ministry of Health for comment on whether these clinics can operate within provincial health regulations, but they could not respond in time for publication.

However, the College is working with the Ministry and the Provincial Health Officer for guidance on these private facilities.

Interior Health responded to clarify that the health authority does not oversee private clinics, but they will report individuals operating outside of the Health Professionals Act to their regulating bodies, like the College of Nurses and Midwives.

— This story was corrected at 11:45 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2021, to say the arrangement to use the property at 552 Tranquille Road was an agreement with the tenant, not the property owner of the building.

To contact a reporter for this story, email Levi Landry or call 250-819-3723 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above. 

News from © iNFOnews, 2021