Edmonton mask bylaw to remain in place after narrow defeat, council to vote again on June 25
A motion to deactivate Edmonton’s mandatory mask bylaw on Canada Day was defeated by one vote on Tuesday.
The motion would have ended the bylaw when the province moved into Stage 3 of its reopening plan on July 1.
Since the motion failed on the third reading, a vote will be held again on June 25 after council voted to hold a special session to debate and vote again on the motion. Initially the vote would have taken place at the next council meeting on July 5.
The first two readings passed by a vote of 7-6, with only Coun. Aaron Paquette voting “no” to approve the third reading.
The councillors that initially opposed said they preferred an alternate option — to deactivate the bylaw two weeks after 50 per cent of eligible Edmontonians had received a second dose of a vaccine. City administration estimated that would happen in mid-July.
City administration and Dr. Christopher Sikora, medical health officer of Alberta Health Services’ Edmonton Zone, were advising council to pass the motion.
“Votes can change; there’s still more debate to be had on Friday and I suspect that councillors will be hearing from their constituents one way or the other,” said Edmonton Mayor Don Iveson after the meeting.
“It’s not unheard of for a member of council who wishes to allow for sober second thought between second and third reading to decline to consent to having third reading happen… it’s rare but it’s not out of bounds.”
In the council meeting, Iveson referred to the situation as “messy” before council voted to hold the special meeting on June 25 to discuss the motion again.
“Having third reading run out past July 1 was going to create a lot of uncertainty for the city, a lot of difficulty communicating with our public, a lot of uncertainty for businesses.”
Iveson initially voted “no” on the motion, but he said he voted “yes” for the third reading to allow for the city to provide clarity to the public.
“That consideration of third reading is the chance for any councillor, at any point, to say, “Well hold on, let’s pump the brakes for a second,” and it’s been used pretty often in the past, it’s not like it’s a stunning development,” said Paquette.
“It seemed like a good idea to take some time to absorb and think about and consider the information that we just got today.”
Had the motion passed, the bylaw would have been deactivated and no longer enforced, but could be reactivated by council. The bylaw would also have been automatically reactivated by provincial medical health order or if the province moved back to Stage 2 or Stage 1 of reopening.
Even with Alberta dropping its masking requirements, masking will still be required under provincial regulations in certain circumstances in cities with or without masking bylaws. That includes on public transit across the province, in taxis and in ride shares.
Several councillors expressed concern that dropping the mandatory mask bylaw would create fear for some in Edmonton, making them less likely to venture out to businesses that are opening up again.
“I think all of us, in the upcoming weeks months, will have to make very tricky decisions about risk and what are the actions that all of us can do as individuals and as families to be able to help reduce that risk,” said Sikora.
Councillors also expressed concern over the Delta variant spreading in the province.
“The preparation aspects are absolutely critical, making sure we have the surveillance, the monitoring, the health system capability to respond appropriately and accordingly but also our personal health practices to be able to keep ourselves healthy,” said Sikora.
Even once the mandatory mask bylaw is deactivated businesses could still require customers and employees to wear masks inside.
Wearing masks in public is also still being “strongly” recommended by the city, even when the bylaw has been deactivated.
“Everyone agrees it would be wonderful to get rid of the mask bylaw, but we don’t want to find ourselves back debating it again in a matter of weeks because we lifted it too early without considering all the variables,” said Paquette.
“Alberta is rolling out a little faster than other provinces and we know we’ve had, basically, the absolute worst track record… maybe July 1 is the day, maybe it’s when we reach a certain percentage of vaccinations but at least we should be considering that before making a rush decision, especially when it impacts the health of people’s lives.”
OTHER MUNICIPALITIES DIVIDED ON LIFTING MASK RESTRICTIONS
On Monday, St. Albert council voted unanimously to lift local rules on Canada Day with the province. The city brought in its own face coverings bylaw in the late summer of 2020, and suspended it in December when Alberta implemented a province-wide masking mandate.
Calgary's council decided on Monday to delay the decision on their mask bylaw by two weeks.
Mayor Naheed Nenshi called the city's second dose vaccination rates "really good," but said he wanted "to make sure enough people have their second dose so that when the Delta variant wave comes, most people will be protected."
Calgary councillors will consider hospitalization and ICU numbers, case rates, and immunization progress when the conversation is revived on July 5.
According to Nenshi, Calgary Stampede organizers are planning to make masks in indoor settings mandatory.
With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Alex Antoneshyn and CTV News Calgary
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
What is whooping cough and should Canadians be concerned as Europe declares outbreak?
There is currently a whooping cough epidemic in Europe, with 10 times as many cases compared to the previous two years. While an outbreak has not been declared nationwide in Canada, whooping cough is regularly detected in the country.
Ontario Provincial Police arrest 64 suspects in child sexual exploitation investigation
Ontario Provincial Police say 64 suspects are facing a combined 348 charges in connection with a series of child sexual exploitation investigations that spanned the province.
AstraZeneca says it will withdraw COVID-19 vaccine globally as demand dips
AstraZeneca said on Tuesday it had initiated the worldwide withdrawal of its COVID-19 vaccine due to a 'surplus of available updated vaccines' since the pandemic.
'Summer of discontent': Federal unions vow to fight new 3-day a week office mandate
Federal unions are launching legal challenges and encouraging public sector workers to file "tens of thousands" of grievances over the new mandate requiring federal workers to return to the office at least three days a week in the fall.
Watch fighter jet pilots pummel fake enemy ship off coast of Philippines
The United States and Philippines held annual joint-training drills just off the Southeast Asian nation’s western coast on Wednesday. Military forces sunk a 'mock' enemy warship – the BRP Lake Caliraya, which was a decommissioned tanker made in China.
'Ozempic babies': Reports of surprise pregnancies raise new questions about weight loss drugs
Numerous women have shared stories of 'Ozempic babies' on social media. But the joy some experience in discovering pregnancies may come with anxiety about the unknowns.
OPINION What King Charles' schedule being too 'full' to accommodate son suggests
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has made headlines with his recent arrival in the U.K., this time to celebrate all things Invictus. But upon the prince landing in the U.K., we have already had confirmation that King Charles III won't have time to see his youngest son during his brief visit.
Toronto police seek suspect vehicle after security guard shot outside Drake's mansion
Toronto police are seeking help from the public as they continue to investigate a shooting that seriously injured a security guard outside rapper Drake's mansion.
Seafood, eat food: Calgary Stampede releases Midway menu
The Calgary Stampede has released its menu of sweet, salty and spicy treats available on the Midway for the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth.