COCHRANE— In a special meeting last Wednesday (July 29) Cochrane Council approved a mandatory face-covering bylaw.
The bylaw comes into effect in all indoor public spaces if the Town sees more then 10 active cases of COVID-19. To date, the highest number seen has been six.
During the meeting, several councillors questioned why it had been left to the municipality to make this decision.
"This has been an extraordinary issue to have to grapple with as a community and as a council," said Mayor Jeff Genung.
Genung noted that the decision may have been better handled by the province and public health authorities, but given the fact the province has passed the responsibility onto municipalities, he appreciated how the bylaw draws on Alberta Health Services guidelines.
Councillor Susan Flowers added council was not happy to mix “politics and science” and questioned why the province and health officials failed to make a decision regarding mandatory masks.
“Today we have to step and show our leadership. The community is really divided on the mandatory masks,” Flowers said.
In an email interview, MLA for Airdrie-Cochrane Peter Guthrie said the province has been clear during the pandemic that they feel there is no need to require a mask policy in Alberta.
"Our position has been that non-medical masks are advisable in situations where physical distancing is not possible for prolonged periods and used in addition to other preventive measures," Guthrie said. "It is much preferred for individuals to take personal responsibility, but mandating masks is not on the agenda."
He added that the province has provided guidance on mandatory masks, citing the announcement Tuesday (Aug. 4) that masks will be required for students in Grades 4 to 12.
“The situation around Covid-19 is evolving on a regular basis. Although I personally do not support mandating masks in public, the Government of Alberta is trying to strike a balance between exercising individual liberty and the safety of Albertans," he said. "The rules of social distancing can be difficult to enforce in a school setting— Our goal remains the safety and well-being of Albertans through this unusual time.”
Guthrie praised Albertans for the sacrifices and actions they have taken to help limit the spread of COVID-19 and noted this will help Alberta continue to lead the country with the province's economic recovery plan.
He added that the province is working to continue to expand testing and is encouraging Albertans to voluntarily wear masks to help prevent the spread of the virus.
MLA for Banff-Kananaskis Miranda Rosin said it is not the responsibility of the provincial government to make masks mandatory in Alberta.
“I think it would be a massive overreach if the provincial government were to make a mandatory mask policy province-wide,” Rosin said. “I couldn’t support it.”
A province-wide mandate is not in the best interest of Albertans, she said, especially because rural Alberta has not seen the same number of active cases in comparison to urban settings in the province.
“A blanket policy mandating mandatory masks in these rural communities isn’t needed. Truthfully we would see revolt if the province tried to implement such a policy,” Rosin said. “It would not work for certain communities in our province.”
Because of this, Rosin said she supports municipalities making bylaws that best suit their community. By using bylaws municipalities can create a tailor-made approach that works best for their residents.
Each area has different cultures and different situations when it comes to the COVID-19 virus.
“This is best left up to municipalities to do what best for their community,” Rosin said. “What works in one community may work on others but it may not be necessary in others.”
Communities like the Town of Banff and the Hamlet of Bragg Creek have seen some residents raise concerns about tourists visiting from outside the area and not wearing masks to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. However, Rosin said it remains the personal choice of Albertans to wear a mask.
“It needs to be a personal choice and if people want to wear a mask and they feel comfortable wearing the mask I think we should be encouraging them to do so to keep themselves and the community safe,” Rosin said. “The provincial government does not need to come in with these sweeping policies mandating masks.”
As of Tuesday (Aug. 4) there are six active cases of COVID-19 in the Town of Cochrane.
