Moose Jaw declines to make masks mandatory

In a special city council meeting on Monday evening, council voted not to make masks mandatory for city facilities and transit buses.

Council did pass a motion that it recommends residents use a mask on buses when physical distancing isn’t possible, but no one will be penalized or refused service for not wearing one.

Many of the councilors argued that making masks mandatory would have to be a call the provincial government makes and the city doesn’t have the expertise to make an informed decision.

“The reality is, however, our medical experts are recommending the use of masks in public places especially when two metres of distancing cannot be maintained,” said Coun. Chris Warren.

“I could support that we recommend that people wear masks, but the mandatory piece and going outside of the current advice from the chief medical officer, I can’t support that.”

City administration came forward with recommendations that masks and face-covering be mandatory at all city facilities and on public transit and a bylaw be made with several exceptions and a fine of $100 be in place in extreme cases of people violating the bylaw.

The recommendations were struck down with only Coun. Brian Swanson in favour of the motion.

Swanson said he was in favour because he wanted to err on the side of caution. He said facilities such as city hall and the Yara Centre are options and there are ways to go about your business without entering the building.

Mayor Fraser Tolmie said mandatory masks are not needed in facilities that have reopened.

“If there are people who are going to be using the facilities like hockey teams and hockey players, they will have to come in under provincial accordance and provincial regulations, which would not require us to have a bylaw,” Tolmie said.

Several members of the public spoke to city council on Monday night in opposition to mandatory masks as well. The reasons varied from medical reasons to masks being unproven to being unable to recognize perpetrators and victims of crime, more specifically sex trafficking.

Coun. Dawn Luhning made the motion to recommend residents wear a mask on the bus, where physical distancing isn’t possible, but not be penalized or refused service if they don’t. She felt it was more in line with what the chief medical health officer is telling municipalities.

The city will make masks available for those who chose to wear one, but don’t have a mask.