Mandatory mask wearing now in effect. Where will the enforcement come from?

News 100 blueBy Pepper Parr

July 20th, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

 

Today the temporary bylaw requiring people to wear a face mask becomes effective.

The first thing to appreciate is that requiring you to wear a mask is serious.

Washing your hands frequently. Keeping that six foot social distance between you and people who are not part of your bubble and keeping away from locations where there are likely to be large numbers of people

Those are the essentials.

Mator in a maskLate in June ward 4 Councillor Shawna Stole took it upon herself to convince her council colleagues to implement a face mask by law.

After many, many hours at city council and many more the Regional council two bylaws were passed.

Both basically the same with Burlington setting aside $10,000 provide masks for people who could not afford them – the Regional Council took a pass on that one.

Last Friday Canadian Tire Fairview announced they were going to donate 14,000 masks – we assume the donation is to the city but have not been able to conform that.

Kwab Ako-Adjei, Director, Corporate Communications & Government Relations informed the Gazette that “we are working on a plan for free masks. We will announce that plan once it’s complete.

“In the meantime, we have let residents know that many bricks and mortar stores and online retailers sell masks, and many small businesses that sell them on social media platforms like Facebook.”

So – as of now there is a bylaw requiring you to wear a mask and no known program on enforcement and no known program to distribute masks to people who can’t afford one.

Why isn’t there a program in place?

The drive behind the need for the masks was ward 4 Councillor Stolte and the Mayor.

Not a word from either of them on how this is going to play out.

The bylaw puts the onus on the commercial sector.

The politicians appear to expect the commercial and retail sector to require you to wear a mask before you enter their premises. There are a lot of exemptions in the bylaws.

The pandemic has been tough enough on the commercial sector – the city now expects them to turn people away – really?

Walmart is sending emails to their customers telling them they have to wear a mask.

Marylus logolongo logoWalmart logo

 

Marylou’s is reported to be requiring people to wear a mask and selling you one for $2 if you don’t have one.

Longo’s took the position that you had to wear a mask if you wanted to shop in their supermarkets.

Let’s see how things work out at the end of the day.

Burlington is still at Stage Two of the Emergency regulations – many had expected to be at Stage 3 which would open up a lot of the commercial sector.

We will learn later today what the province decides to do – whatever they decide to do will be based on the number of new infections and that number is determined by you and me.

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