St. Albert defers to province for mask mandates
The end of the provincial mask mandate will trigger the end of the city's rules on face coverings.
On June 8 St. Albert city council voted unanimously to lift the local rules when the province enters Step 3 of the summer reopening plan, although the local rules have been suspended since the end of 2020.
If there is another surge or wave of COVID-19, the city could quickly bring back the mask bylaw.
Coun. Sheena Hughes said with the reopening, the province has been taking a cautious approach and tying the lifting of restrictions with vaccination rates.
“I feel comfortable leaving things in the hands … of the provincial health experts to make decisions about whether or not there should be masks,” Hughes said.
Other councillors said they were at ease knowing if there was a future need for masks and the province wasn't acting, the city would call a council meeting to sort it out.
“I trust that Mayor Heron will call a special council meeting if we're really seeing those regional problems that we saw last summer,” Coun. Natalie Joly said.
Last summer, before the province implemented an Alberta-wide mandate, individual municipalities were left to enact their own bylaws. This left some areas of the province under a mask bylaw, with other communities allowing residents to go unmasked in buildings. As a result, some Albertans travelled to communities to spend time under the rules of their choosing.
“That was the concern last summer when we did this in a regional way was that we'd get the people who don't want to wear masks coming to St. Albert, and we'd get people who are supportive of masking going to Edmonton,” Joly said.
“Should this become a problem for businesses, I really encourage everyone to contact us so we know that it is a problem and can do something about it.”
On Dec. 21, 2020, council suspended the City of St. Albert Face Coverings Bylaw, so only the provincial masking requirements were in effect, after the provincial government implemented mandatory province-wide masking in all indoor public spaces on Dec. 8, 2020.
Council voted for the suspension of the mask rules to prevent any confusion for residents between the local and provincial rules.
Originally the city planned to have the municipal mask rules kick back in when the provincial masking mandate ended, with the bylaw coming before council within 14 days of the provincial mask rules expiring.
But the changes at council completely removed the local rules and now the city will look to the province for masking guidance.
When Stage 3 starts on July 1, almost all restrictions will be lifted.
Other municipalities in the region are considering keeping their own local bylaws, such as Edmonton, that currently has their face-covering bylaw expiring on Dec. 31 2021. The city is considering whether they should lift the mandate early and defer to the province.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Man who set himself on fire outside Trump trial dies of injuries, police say
A man who doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire outside the courthouse where former President Donald Trump is on trial has died, police said.
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
'It was joy': Trapped B.C. orca calf eats seal meat, putting rescue on hold
A rescue operation for an orca calf trapped in a remote tidal lagoon off Vancouver Island has been put on hold after it started eating seal meat thrown in the water for what is believed to be the first time.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
B.C. judge orders shared dog custody for exes who both 'clearly love Stella'
In a first-of-its-kind ruling, a B.C. judge has awarded a former couple joint custody of their dog.
Saskatoon police to search landfill for remains of woman missing since 2020
Saskatoon police say they will begin searching the city’s landfill for the remains of Mackenzie Lee Trottier, who has been missing for more than three years.
Shivering for health: The myths and truths of ice baths explained
In a climate of social media-endorsed wellness rituals, plunging into cold water has promised to aid muscle recovery, enhance mental health and support immune system function. But the evidence of such benefits sits on thin ice, according to researchers.