The mayor says he welcomes all opinions regarding a possible mask bylaw, including those of two local physicians on opposite sides of the debate.--NEWS FILE PHOTO
cgallant@medicinehatnews.com@CollinGallant
Mayor Ted Clugston says he’s listening to opposing viewpoints on masks from two local doctors while other council members say residents shouldn’t confuse masks with other “lockdown measures” they may fear.
Debate on a local bylaw for Medicine Hat – where council members say they’ve heard an unprecedented amount of feedback on a mask bylaw – is set to take place Dec. 7.
This week the province imposed restrictions on business activity and social gatherings across the province and in Calgary and Edmonton mimicked local mask bylaw requirements.
Clugston told the News this week that he’s reading as much as he can on the effectiveness of masks. He is also giving weight to the opinion of Dr. Bao Dang, whose opposition to masks made province wide headlines, and Dr. Paul Parks, who supports mask use.
“I find it interesting that in the medical community – the doctors I know – there’s a difference of opinion, though a majority are in favour,” he said, specifically mentioning Dang and Parks.
It is unclear if council has officially solicited an opinion.
Dang’s views became public after they were publicized by the provincial government and UCP MLAs as a call against ordering widespread shutdowns. He called masks an “arbitrary measure” and argued that social, mental health and economic concerns are more important than the benefits of halting new infections.
Parks, an emergency room physician in Medicine Hat active in the Alberta Medical Association, said in a letter to council and covered in the News that a mask mandate was long overdue.
The “vast majority” in the medical community agree, wrote Parks, that masks combined with other measures “will make a meaningful impact on decreasing the spread.”
This week, Premier Jason Kenney called masks a useful layer of protection, but didn’t issue a blanket mandate for their use, something nine other premiers have done.
Kenney did announce a new total ban on members of different households gathering socially in private homes, and ordered businesses to restrict customer numbers to one-quarter of fire capacity.
Coun. Jamie McIntosh supports local rules on masks and said Friday he agrees with many of the restrictions announced this week by the province that are aimed at arresting rising case numbers while allowing businesses to operate.
That should be complemented with a local bylaw requiring masks to be worn in public, he said.
“Many of the people contacting us (council) who are against a bylaw are also including (arguments about) personal freedoms,” he said. “I like many of the things the province did this week, allowing people to remain operating.”
“It’s important that as many people as possible have their opinions known to council on this,” he said, adding that most feedback he’s received is firmly in favour of a mask bylaw.
Coun. Julie Friesen said she’s received “hundreds and hundreds” of messages, and Coun. Robert Dumanowski said interest is as high or higher than any other issue he’s seen since he was first elected in 2000.
All councillors were contacted by the News this week, but only half returned messages.
Coun. Kris Samraj said the benefits of masks to prevent respiratory infection were “straightforward,” but compliance can be an issue. He felt masks were “only one part of the solution” that may overshadow other efforts, like hand washing and limiting social contact. He planned to post his thoughts on his website next week.
Clugston said this week he wouldn’t convene a special meeting of council to expedite the issue, which McIntosh said was “unfortunate.”
Instead, a bylaw could be introduced at the Dec. 7 regular meeting of council, and could technically be passed that night. However, it would require the unanimous consent of council members to proceed to a final vote, and failing that, would be scheduled for a final vote on Dec. 21.
Clugston told the News that he expected a full debate on Dec. 7, and hypothesized that those opposed would allow the bylaw to move to third reading that night if it looked sure to pass.
