City avoids mask convo with provincial mandate

By COLLIN GALLANT on September 4, 2021.

cgallant@medicinehatnews.com@CollinGallant

Masks are again mandatory in public buildings and businesses across Alberta.

That is in hopes of curbing rapidly rising COVID infections, but it will also short circuit a planned debate in Medicine Hat city council about instituting local measures.

The News was first to report Friday morning that a potential return of a local mask bylaw would be discussed at next week’s council meeting.

Later that day however, Premier Jason Kenney along with health officials announced mask measures to take effect this morning at 8 a.m. at all businesses open to the public and indoor public spaces.

Several local councillors pushing for the item to come for debate said they were pleased the province acted, but were still critical that new measures didn’t come last month when local cases rose tenfold compared to July.

“I’m embarrassed to be an Albertan, frankly, and it looks like it’s going to be a rough fall,” said Coun. Jamie McIntosh, who says he was “fully prepared” to vote in favour of local masking ordinance next week in absence of provincial action.

“We’re a laughing stock across the country. I’m a lifelong conservative, but I’m shocked at the direction the province has taken. Let’s listen to the doctors, folks.”

Friday’s provincial announcement comes after harsh criticism from many in the medical community and opposition politicians and municipalities that claimed they had limited moral authority to act on health matters.

“I’ve always felt the direction was better coming from the province,” said Coun. Julie Friesen, who also planned to vote in favour. “I applaud the province for taking steps to stop this really alarming rise.”

Some Medicine Hat residents welcomed news the city would tackle the subject.

Ashley Reimer is a mother who says she has been contacting councillors to advocate for a return to mask wearing this fall.

“Just in solidarity with kids who have to go back to school and the hospital and to keep businesses open,” she told the News. “I think it’s just a pretty simple way to help stop the spread.”

Medicine Hat passed a local mask bylaw in early December by a 6-3 count with officials arguing the city should act in absence of provincial direction.

At the same meeting, about 60 attendees of the “We Choose Freedom Medicine Hat” online group protested, claiming an issue of personal rights was being trampled.

Spokesperson Stephen Campbell, now a candidate for council in the October election, told the News on Friday there needs to be accommodations and feels the issue is out of the city’s realm of responsibility.

“Mandates are excessive, especially considering what we’ve been through,” he said. “(The province) has flip-flopped and succeeded in leaving people confused.”

Mayor Ted Clugston told the News on Thursday the item would be added to the next council closed agenda, but he was unlikely to support local action.

He reiterated his stance that health is a provincial responsibility and vaccinations were widely available.

He was not available for comment Friday.

Edmonton’s mask bylaw took effect Friday, the same day Calgary was set to debate a similar motion. Instead Calgary council passed a resolution to require all municipal employees to be vaccinated and for staff to bring additional measures back to council Sept. 13.

Lethbridge council had also scheduled a debate on Tuesday about requiring masks in municipal buildings.

At Friday’s press conference, Kenney and Health Minister Tyler Shandro described the current situation as “a crisis of the unvaccinated” that had also forced Alberta Health Services to reduce non-emergency surgeries to maintain capacity for a rising number of severe COVID cases among those without the jabs.

“You’re putting yourself at risk and our health-care system at risk,” said Kenney, addressing 30 per cent of eligible Albertans with no level of vaccination.

“We think these measures combined with vaccines will be enough to see us through, with relatively small impacts compared to what we’ve seen previously,” said Shandro.

As of today, masking is required in all businesses open to the public.

Indoor dining of bars and restaurants will not be restricted, but liquor service will end at 10 p.m.

There are no capacity limits, like those laid down of two other occasions.

AHS also asks those with no level of vaccination to restrict indoor social gatherings.

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