CHAT News File Photo

By Alex McCuaig

More than 400 have signed letter to council

City council holding emergency meeting on mandatory mask bylaw Wednesday

Nov 30, 2020 | 12:05 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – City council will hold an emergency meeting on Wednesday, Dec. 2 at 5 p.m. to debate a mandatory mask bylaw in Medicine Hat

A letter signed by a group of more than 400 Medicine Hat residents including health professionals, lawyers, clergy and business owners urging council to call a meeting was sent to the mayor, councillors, the city clerk and local media on Monday.

Penned by local doctors Paul Parks and Nicoelle Wanner, the letter calls for council to pass a bylaw requiring mask use in all indoor spaces and highlights Medicine Hat is the only city of its size or larger in the country which currently does not have such a mandate.

“Because of the significant increase in the number of cases in our community, time is of the essence here,” reads the letter.

Coun. Phil Turnbull says he supports having the emergency meeting.

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“We should move forward as quickly as possible,” said Turnbull Monday morning, adding, “Whether we wait until (the next council meeting) or not, I’ll be voting for a mask bylaw.”

Coun. Brian Varga is also supporting calls for the emergency meeting, stating the issue of a mask bylaw, “it’s dividing our community.”

Varga says he’ll reveal his stance on the issue during the debate on the topic.

Councillors Julie Friesen and Jamie McIntosh are also supporting a call for a meeting on the bylaw sooner than a week from now.

The mask bylaw issue was brought up during the last council meeting on Nov. 16 where it was indicated they would wait until the Dec. 7 regular meeting to debate a draft bylaw.

Since the last meeting on Nov. 16, active cases of COVID-19 have more than doubled from 50 to 107.