Concerns remain about plan to reopen economy: Clark
Some Saskatoon residents are calling on the mayor and city council to pressure the provincial government to pause its plan to begin restarting the economy, which begins Monday.
A letter headed to council and signed by more than 100 people says the plan has multiple problems, including a lack of clear guidelines and support for the city’s most vulnerable, including seniors.
The letter, a copy of which was provided to the Saskatoon Starphoenix, also says the plan should not be implemented while outbreaks are occurring in the province’s remote northern communities.
“We ask that with so many potential and unknown factors surrounding the nature of this virus that we act with slow and measured caution,” states the letter, authored by a grassroots citizens’ group.
It asks the city to urge the province to “postpone” the plan until those concerns are addressed.
Mayor Charlie Clark said he shares some of those concerns. Speaking to reporters on Friday, he said there remains a “lack of clarity” around social gatherings as restrictions are rolled back.
Clark also reiterated his view that more can be done to protect homeless people and ensure businesses comply with public health orders rather than go “renegade.”
“In our city, I think we’re handling this quite well,” Clark said.
“I’m not at the point where I think we should put the brakes on. But we just need to keep working together and communicating and closing any of the potential risk areas that could have an effect.”
Premier Scott Moe said Thursday the plan will not go ahead in La Loche and Lloydminster, where outbreaks have been identified, but will proceed across the rest of the province.
One of those risk areas is an increase in large gatherings without physical distancing, which are prohibited by a provincial public health order limiting all public events to 10 people.
Saskatoon police Supt. Randy Huisman told reporters city police have fielded 286 pandemic-related non-compliance calls, of which the “vast majority” involved illegal gatherings. Police responded to 131 of those calls, but in many cases found that people had dispersed by the time they arrived. No tickets have been written since the pandemic began, he said.
“Public education and awareness (are) the best tools on our belt for compliance,” Huisman said.
One area of concern is the dozens of kilometres of trails running along the river, a popular spot for walking, running and cycling when the snow melts and spring weather arrives.
While municipal officials have been urging people to take advantage of the roughly 200 parks spread across the city, thousands appear to be flocking to the riverbanks.
Meewasin Valley Authority CEO Andrea Lafond said between March 23 and April 23, usage of “high-traffic” areas was up 175 to 250 per cent compared to the same period over the last five years.
The city is responding by redeploying some of its recreational staff as “physical distancing ambassadors” to provide “friendly reminders” to people in parks and other outdoor spaces.
Pamela Goulden-mcleod, the city’s emergency management director, said the ambassadors “will not be there in any enforcement capacity.”
While the city has come under pressure from groups such as Saskatoon Cycles to close portions of streets for pedestrians and cyclists to use, Clark again reiterated his opposition to that idea.
“What we see when we close streets … in any situation, people flock to the streets that are closed and we are very concerned that could be counterproductive.”