Local changes still to come after province adjusts COVID-19 rules
Posted Feb 9, 2022 3:06 pm.
Last Updated Feb 9, 2022 8:42 pm.
We still have to hold on to our masks for now in Calgary, as city council has yet to make a decision on repealing the face coverings bylaw.
While the vaccine passport has been done away with as of midnight Wednesday, the city is trying to gather some more information about what to do on a local level.
Related article: Alberta’s Restrictions Exemption Program lifted Wednesday, restrictions on entertainment venues removed
The Community Development Committee met on Wednesday to hold a discussion on the COVID-19 situation, and it showed how there were still lots of questions given the sudden nature of the changes announced by Premier Jason Kenney Tuesday.
After the provincial announcement, Mayor Jyoti Gondek said the city hoped to have a bit more of a heads-up on what was going to happen, although there was a brief meeting with cabinet ministers early in the week.
“I look forward to better days when the province understands we have a desire to collaborate in the best interests of all citizens,” she said.
But on the notion there could be even more strict restrictions coming in from the city, Gondek said it was far too early to rush to conclusions.
“The comment was made that cities would go rogue and do what they want to, that’s not a fact.”
1/6 I have spent the last 12+ hours reflecting on the provincial announcement to lift pandemic restrictions. In that time, I have seen concern from healthcare workers, teachers, parents, businesses & many other engaged Calgarians. All feel their voices went unheard.
— Jyoti Gondek (@JyotiGondek) February 9, 2022
Kenney said in his news conference that it would be a concern if cities went against the grain on removing restrictions, building on earlier comments he had made around possibly changing the Municipal Government Act to prevent cities from introducing something like their own vaccine passport systems.
“If it is their intention to create an entirely separate municipal public health policy that is different and apart from that of the province, I think that would be a serious problem,” he said.
Kenney said he does hope to speak to mayors about this issue and promises to have more collaboration on the topic moving ahead.
At the moment, nothing much will change from the local level.
Discussion on the mask bylaw now, and how it jives with the provincial announcement. Local bylaw has to be repealed by council. pic.twitter.com/nybrYaJgSD
— Tom Ross (@Tommy_Slick) February 9, 2022
On Tuesday, Feb. 15, there will be a full council meeting when more discussion will take place, including around the fate of the mask bylaw.
But an amendment from Councillor Courtney Walcott, which sought to direct administration to explore the implications of implementing a local vaccine passport, was defeated. A second part of the amendment asking for the mayor to ask the province to provide more details justifying the changes to restrictions was approved.
Administration said it still needs to do a bit more research, again echoing it may have been caught flat-footed due to the announcement being made so quickly. A city lawyer added that it would be possible to enact a local vaccine passport but Calgary would lack resources to enforce it as strongly as the provincial mandate.
Next, does the city actually have authority to enact its own vaccine passport bylaw?
City lawyer says yes it is possible under the Municipal Government Act. Might be some difficulties in enforcing without provincial support, but peace officers could do their part.
— Tom Ross (@Tommy_Slick) February 9, 2022
Councillor Kourtney Penner also asked if it would be possible to support businesses that might want to check for vaccinations, but again no specific answer could be provided at the moment.
Cllr. Penner floats the idea of a voluntary vaccine passport, if businesses want to do something like this themselves. Admin says they need some time to figure out how that would work.
— Tom Ross (@Tommy_Slick) February 9, 2022
Kenney said that he has been able to tolerate municipal rules around COVID-19, a comment that Gondek said she found “interesting” given her understanding of how it worked out earlier in the pandemic.
“If I remember correctly, he actually requested it,” she said. “He indicated to us, ‘I’m not the expert in what’s happening in your city, you have the absolute legislative mandate to do what you think is safe and appropriate for your population, so please take the measures you need to.’ That sounded very much like a request for us to act, which we did.”
The city did put in its own mask bylaw before the province announced an Alberta-wide mandate. While the vaccine passport system is tied directly to the provincial rules, the same situation isn’t present for masks.
For now, Gondek said they need to focus on the services in Calgary before looking more into taking on additional responsibility.
“Municipalities really don’t need to take on more than we’re already doing. We have very clear jurisdiction, we have very clear mandates on what we’re supposed to do, and we are maxed out.”
