A screen shot of the results of the Medicine Hat and District Chamber of Commerce survey results. (Image courtesy of the Medicine Hat Chamber)

By Alex McCuaig

Hatters have their say

Chamber survey shows area residents not in favour of mandatory masks

Sep 22, 2020 | 4:09 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – Hatters are not in favour of a mandatory mask bylaw and, if there is one, would be less likely to visit local businesses and public spaces, according to the results of a survey conducted by the Medicine Hat and District Chamber of Commerce.

The survey conducted between Aug. 24 and Sept. 15 garnered nearly 2,800 responses to two questions on the topic of masks: I am in favour of mandatory mask use in public indoor spaces? If face coverings were mandatory, would you be more or less likely to visit local businesses and other public places?

The response to the first question resulted in 61.1 per cent of respondents saying they weren’t in favour of mandatory masks.

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But more importantly for area businesses, the second question resulted in more than 60 per cent of those surveyed stating they would be less likely to visit local businesses if masks were mandatory, says the chamber’s executive director Lisa Kowalchuk.

“When we were developing this survey – as many chambers have across the province – one of the key components was that we wanted to check more than just, ‘are you in favour or not,’ but would it change the behaviour,” said Kowalchuk. “The survey result certainly showed us that a good majority of people would change their behaviours.”

Kowalchuck didn’t rule out the chamber doing another survey if circumstances surrounding COVID-19 in southeastern Alberta change.