Photo courtesy Medicine Hat & District Chamber of Commerce

By Chantal Wagner

community perspective

Chamber survey collects thoughts on mandatory mask use

Sep 2, 2020 | 4:07 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – Masks have turned out to be a must-have in many communities and stores.

And the Medicine Hat & District Chamber of Commerce has a survey out now to see what the community is feeling about wearing them in public indoor spaces.

Executive Director Lisa Kowalchuck says they want to collect a broader community perspective.

She says it’s primarily a response to other municipalities who have implemented mandatory mask bylaws in indoor spaces.

HERE'S WHAT TO KNOW

Summer pool hours extended and discounts applied as Big Marble Go Centre upgrades start

Apr 18, 2024

Medicine Hat company drawing in clients with witty signage

Apr 16, 2024

Medicine Hat College holding event for missing and murdered Indigenous women awareness day

Apr 16, 2024

The local chamber wants to get more of a gauge on how the community is feeling about such bylaws.

And if people’s perspectives of masks have changed with schools reopening and requiring them for students and teachers.

Kowalchuck says from early survey results and anecdotally, residents are not in favour of mandatory mask use in public indoor spaces.

“So from a majority standpoint that’s where it’s kind of sitting at the moment. And then of course another interesting piece is that if face coverings were mandatory, it’s seemingly that people would actually be less likely to visit local businesses and other public places if masks were required to be mandatory. So again, based on the sample size, we only have 100 survey responses so far.”

Kowalchuck reminds to have your mask ready if it is required at a business/store or if you are travelling to a different community where there are mask bylaws in place.

The four-question survey closes on September 15 and it’s for both business owners and residents.

“We just wanted to take a proactive approach, put the survey out to get a temperature check on our community so that we would have some data that we could refer back to better understand where the community stands on that,” she added.

The chamber will be posting the results when available.

The survey can be found by visiting this link.

Kowalchuck adds a number of chambers have conducted similar surveys across the province.