Municipalities mull bylaws on face coverings
REGINA Saskatchewan’s communities are divided on whether they would be willing to pass municipal bylaws mandating mask use, but many agree they would support a provincewide mask policy if the provincial government enacted one.
On Thursday, Regina Mayor Michael Fougere and Saskatoon Mayor Charlie Clark said they have asked the provincial government to implement a provincewide mandatory mask policy in indoor public spaces. Both city councils are also considering the possibility of implementing their own municipal bylaws mandating mask use if the province does not create a uniform policy.
As members of the City Mayors Caucus that joined in asking the province for mandatory masks, Melville Mayor Walter Streelasky and Melfort Mayor Rick Lang agree the province should step in.
“I think there was unanimous support by all that this would be the best direction to go, bearing in mind that there seems to be an increase in (the) number of COVID cases in our province,” said Streelasky of the most recent City Mayors Caucus meeting. The caucus represents 16 cities in the province. “This is a precaution that we should take.”
If the province does not take action, Streelasky said Melville would consider implementing its own bylaw. Lang does not want that responsibility to fall to each community and said the city has not talked about putting a bylaw in place as it waits to see what the government decides to do.
Not all communities in the province are champing at the bit for a mandatory mask law, however. Some have not joined in the call for a provincial policy.
Ray Orb, president of the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities, said he was aware some communities were asking for masking action, but has not heard the same cry from most rural municipalities.
“If the province does mandate wearing masks in business places, the rural municipalities will comply, but I don’t think a lot of them are leading the charge on this,” he said. “I don’t think that they necessarily want to have this. I think they’re probably waiting and seeing more what the province does on this.”
The communities of Kindersley, Swift Current, Prince Albert and Rosthern have not asked that the province mandate masks, although each community said they would follow such a policy if the government chose to implement one.
Prince Albert Mayor Greg Dionne said he trusts the province’s leadership and would agree to mandatory masks if the province’s chief medical health officer deemed it necessary.
“I don’t think as individual municipalities we should get in that mix,” said Dionne, expressing concern that having differing bylaws between communities would cause confusion for anyone travelling. “If it’s done, it’s got to be done provincewide.”
In Rosthern, Mayor Dennis Helmuth said he too will follow the guidance of the provincial government, but remains hesitant that a mandatory mask policy is needed. When walking through his community, he said he already sees a growing number of people masking up. Enforcement of a mask mandate would also be difficult if the municipality decided to pass its own bylaw, he said.
“I guess we’re left with setting a good example. We can ask for appropriate behaviour, but we don’t have a legal stick to hold over our residents,” said Helmuth.
In Kindersley, there was a “brief discussion” at the town office about creating their own mandatory mask policy, but it is no longer being considered, said Audrey Hebert, chief administrative officer for the town.
Swift Current Mayor Denis Perrault said the city is not considering its own masking bylaw but will follow the province’s guidance.