ATHABASCA – Masks and other temporary face coverings will no longer be required in Athabasca County, as Alberta enters Stage 3 of its Open for Summer Plan on July 1.
County councillors made it official at their June 24 regular meeting, reaching consensus to rescind the temporary face-covering bylaw that was instituted as the second wave of the COVID-19 virus took hold in the region in November. The Town of Athabasca approved an identical bylaw on that same day, but both pieces of municipal legislation were superseded by provincial regulations in December when premier Jason Kenney announced Public Health Act restrictions would now come into effect.
The Town of Athabasca has called a special council meeting for Tuesday, June 29 at 3:30 p.m. via Zoom where councillors will discuss rescinding the town’s temporary face-covering bylaw.
With the announcement from the province that the next stage would begin on July 1, county councillors voted to try to put COVID-19 precautions behind them and will start meeting in-person again as of the next council meeting July 13. Later in the meeting they voted to rescind the temporary face-covering bylaw, alongside the province on July 1.
Coun. Christi Bilsky expressed some reticence in returning to council chambers and asked for clarification on exactly what restrictions the province plans to drop in July. Coun. Warren Griffin responded that as far as he understood, all restrictions would no longer apply, except in some circumstances such as continuing care facilities.
Coun. Dennis Willcott, who has been council’s most vocal proponent of conducting county business via Zoom since the start of the pandemic, said he wouldn’t be comfortable unless everyone in the room had received two doses of vaccine, and agreed with Bilsky that attending via electronic means as they have been should be an option.
“I'm going in there and if you guys have no needle, and you're traveling all over and you’ve got kids in school … I think everybody should have their two needles before we go back. I got my two needles, but the thing is we're going to be using the same coffee pot the same washroom, the same everything, and I don't know, I just don't feel comfortable,” he said.
Coun. Kevin Haines pointed out the next council meeting won’t take place until July 13.
“Our first meeting in July wouldn't be until the 13th, so I guess it does give us some time. I think we could plan to do in-person meetings; I think they are more effective, but I guess we would have time to change back if there was any reason to do so,” he said.
The discussion on rescinding the temporary face-covering bylaw was on the agenda shortly after, and council made quick work of it, passing all three readings, so barring any unforeseen circumstances, the bylaw will be lifted in time for Canada Day.
