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Chair Opens Day 2 and Thanks Witnesses and Independent Media

Day 2 · 0:00:57 · Dean Allison

  • 📢 Dean Allison welcomes viewers and thanks more than 1,400 vaccine-injured Canadians who applied to testify.
  • 📈 He notes extraordinary public interest, with over 61,000 X posts and the inquiry trending as high as No. 7 globally.
  • 🎖️ Allison stresses the inquiry is about people, including Canadian Armed Forces members left without support after vaccine injury.

Opening of Day 2 of the Allison Inquiry from Parliament Hill.

Counsel Frames Vaccine Injury as a Forbidden Topic in Canada →

Transcript

Dean Allison · 0:00:57

Joining us here in Ottawa, and to those watching online from across Canada and around the world, thank you for tuning in. Most importantly, I want to acknowledge the more than 1,400 vaccine-injured Canadians who've applied to appear as a witness before this inquiry, and to the many others who continue to come forward. To each of you, Thank you for trusting us with your story. We know we cannot hear from everyone during these four days, but that does not mean your experience is any less important. We still want to hear your story, and we will continue to collect and document these experiences. I also want to thank everyone who testified yesterday and had the courage to share deeply personal and, in many, in many cases, heartbreaking stories. And I want to thank Senator Ron Johnson, who joined us yesterday and shared what he has learned through 5 years of hearings, roundtables, and discussions with experts to help those that are affected. I also want to recognize the independent media who are here with us in the room and who have helped give vaccine-injured Canadians a platform to tell their stories.

Dean Allison · 0:02:03

The level of public interest has been remarkable. On X alone, as of this morning, and according to X's numbers, there's been over 61,000 posts in less than 24 hours. So well done. Thank you very much to the independent media. And it's funny, when I got in here, someone told me we're trending globally at number 9. But before I could sit down, we were actually up to 7. So you guys have already been busy this morning, I can tell you. So thank, thank you very much. So I think that's remarkable, getting people's stories out that we are trending 7 in the world in global news on X. So congratulations to all. The injured that share, to all the independents that share, to tell people's stories. I think that's so important. Over the next 3 days, we'll continue listening to Canadians who report being injured following COVID-19 vaccine. We'll hear what has happened to them, how their lives and families have been affected, and what happened when they sought medical care, answers, recognition, and compensation. Yesterday reminded me just how devastating these experiences can be.

Dean Allison · 0:03:06

For many, this is simply not about a physical injury. It's about a mental and emotional stress that can come, accompany it. It's about pressure placed on spouses, children, and loved ones. And for some families, it has meant financial devastation from losing a job or being unable to work while at the same time trying to pay for treatments and medical care that are just simply not covered by any provincial or federal program. I wonder how many people outside of this room actually understand that concept. And that's why this telling your stories is so important. And finally, as a country, I believe that we need to seriously examine not only how vulnerable Canadians have been treated, but also how we've treated some of the men and women who serve our country in uniform. Yesterday, we heard Michael's story and heard about the extraordinary brotherhood and sisterhood among members of the Canadian Armed Forces. These are proud, loyal, and selfless Canadians who would give their lives and have volunteered to serve our country.

Dean Allison · 0:04:09

To hear accounts from members who felt they had little meaningful choice regarding COVID-19 vaccinations and who say that after experiencing serious health problems, they were left without the support they needed should concern every Canadian. Whatever our views on the policies in the pandemic, we should be able to agree on this: when someone serves their country and becomes sick or injured, we simply do not cast them aside. We stand by them. Ultimately, that is what this inquiry is about— people. It's about hearing from those who have been injured, understanding the challenges that they continue to face and have faced accessing medical care and compassion and compensation. And making sure their experiences are documented and heard. For too long, many have felt the need that nobody was listening. Well, this week we are listening. And with that, let's begin Day 2 The, Allison Inquiry LIVE. I want to turn it over to my colleague, Mr. Shawn Buckley.