Morinville residents will be able to go mask-free in public this July provided provincial health restrictions change as expected.
As part of their consent agenda for the June 8 council meeting, Morinville town councillors agreed to let the town’s Mandatory Face Coverings Bylaw expire at the end of June.
Enacted last November, the bylaw required anyone in Morinville to wear a mask or face shield while in an indoor or enclosed public space or vehicle, with various exceptions. It was superseded by the province-wide mandatory mask order issued Dec. 8, 2020, but could come back into effect should the provincial order be withdrawn.
Sgt. William Norton of Morinville’s enforcement services branch told The Gazette that bylaw officers had issued zero tickets under the town’s mask law since it was enacted, and investigated a bit over a dozen complaints, all of which had been resolved through education efforts.
A report to council noted that the province planned to lift all pandemic-related health orders, including the mask requirement, once it reached Stage 3 of its reopening plan, which was expected to happen in late June or early July.
Sturgeon County’s mask bylaw expired Dec. 31, 2020.
Masks are currently still required in all indoor public places in Alberta. Visit www.alberta.ca/masks.aspx for details.
