Mask bylaw defeated

By Sean Feagan, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Strathmore town council has voted against adopting a face covering bylaw.

During the town’s regular council meeting on Nov. 18, a motion to pass second reading of the proposed bylaw was defeated by a 4-3 vote. Mayor Pat Fule and Councillors Denise Peterson and Bob Sobol voted in support of the bylaw, but councillors Lorraine Bauer, Tari Cockx, Melanie Corbiell and Jason Montgomery together voted in opposition to defeat the motion.

On Sept. 16, town council passed the first reading of a proposed face covering (mask) bylaw that if passed, would require people (with some exceptions) to use face coverings in all indoor public places in Strathmore and businesses to advertise such requirements under penalty of fine.

As with any town bylaw, three separate readings of the bylaw must be passed by council through a majority two-thirds vote for it to be enacted. The move to adopt first reading of the bylaw was described as a precautionary measure, so if cases of COVID-19 were to rise locally, the bylaw could be returned to council to potentially be enacted into law through second and third readings.

With the number of COVID-19 cases increasing locally and throughout much of the province, and with Strathmore and surrounding Wheatland County receiving “enhanced” status (meaning risk levels require enhanced public health measures to control virus spread, as per Alberta Health Services), the bylaw returned to council for consideration on Nov. 18.

For town council to consider a mask bylaw again within six months, there would need to be support from one or more of the councillors who voted in opposition.

The bylaw is favoured by 15 local physicians, including Dr. David Piesas, a Strathmore physician and the medical director of the Calgary Rural Primary Care Network (CRPCN). Together, the doctors provided council with a letter of support.

Piesas said he hopes the councillors who voted in opposition can agree to revisit the bylaw and revise it as they think is required, so that Strathmore can join several other communities including Airdrie, Okotoks and Chestermere, that have adopted mandatory masking in public buildings and transportation.

“It just seems odd – what makes us different? Why are we so unique that we can’t do this?” he asked.

During his Nov. 19 Facebook Live address, Fule encouraged mask use despite the result of the vote and asked people in Strathmore to continue to be respectful and supportive to each other.

“I really don’t want the issue of masks to divide us as a community,” he said, “I’d like our community to stay together in support and understanding during this new, difficult time.”