By Troy Gillard

Council passes bylaw

Face coverings mandatory in Blackfalds starting Monday

Nov 25, 2020 | 2:50 PM

Blackfalds town council has approved a mandatory face coverings bylaw for the community.

The bylaw, which takes effect Nov. 30 and will be in place until further notice, applies to any indoor public spaces and public transportation within Blackfalds town limits, including businesses and municipal buildings.

Violators will be subject to a fine of $100 or more.

Town officials say this is a temporary bylaw that will be reviewed during the first council meeting in January.

Mayor Richard Poole expressed his disappointment in the provincial government’s lack of mandate, leaving it instead for municipalities to deal with.

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“I do feel this should have been a provincial responsibility, not one that was downloaded to the municipality,” he shared. “If I am going to tell my grandchild that they must put on a mask, then I should have a mask on to protect the people around me. There are businesses out there that want this, but they don’t want to be the bad guy.”

“I think that the transferred responsibility by the provincial government in their avoidance in giving Albertans a standardized masked bylaw is deplorable,” Deputy Mayor Rebecca Stendie during Tuesday night’s council meeting. “Seeing as more than three-quarters of the population is now under a mandatory mask bylaw of one kind or another, it makes sense that we would try to be consistent with our expectations of our residents and follow suit.”

As a small-business owner himself, Councillor Ray Olfert expressed concerns regarding the signage that businesses will require for letting their customers know about the changes. Protective Services Manager Ken Morrison reassured him that the Town of Blackfalds would provide these resources to ensure the proper phrasing.

More on the newly passed bylaw can be found here.

(With file from media release)