By Curtis Galbraith

Provincial mask mandate remains

Council votes to allow municipal mask bylaw to expire; provincial mandate remains

Jan 25, 2021 | 10:47 PM

The Temporary Mandatory Face Covering Bylaw (C-1426) will expire as scheduled on Sunday in the City of Grande Prairie.

City Council voted 5-3 against a change that would have it continue and be reviewed every two months by council at Monday’s council meeting.

Mayor Jackie Clayton and Councillors Kevin O’Toole, Wade Pilat, Yad Minhas, and Chris Thiessen voted against the extension. Councillors Clyde Blackburn, Eunice Friesen, and Dylan Bressey voted in favour.

The Bylaw was originally passed on September 8 by City Council, and was triggered into force on October 26, with the expiration date of January 31, 2021.

“The initial conversation with council was that we were looking for more support from the province in regards to making this decision,” said Mayor Clayton, in reference to council’s discussions while creating the bylaw over the summer.

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“It was felt the province had the resources for the medical professionals at their disposal and we don’t have exposure to the same level of medical professionals that the province does.”

Following the municipal bylaw being enacted, a provincial order making masks mandatory in all indoor public spaces was instituted on December 8, which continues to remain in affect.

Clayton says those provincial regulations being in place made some councillors feel a municipal bylaw was no longer needed.

“Council has decided that the regulation that is set from the province is the regulation that we’ll be following and the existing bylaw that ends January 31 will no longer be in place.”

The decision came after a long discussion on COVID-19 with people from Alberta Health Services. That discussion included a statement from one of three AHS representatives that there was “good science” backing the use of masks.

Mayor Jackie Clayton says letting the bylaw expire is not a denial of good science.

“It’s simply allowing the provincial regulation to supersede and run its course. The provincial regulation is what’s in place currently and council decided that the local, municipal bylaw was not required.”

Provincial rules supersede municipal ones if both are in place at the same time.