Vegreville Town Council Passes Mandatory Face Coverings Bylaw

Vegreville Town Council Passes Mandatory Face Coverings Bylaw

Michelle Pinon News Advertiser

People in the Town of Vegreville now have to wear face coverings in indoor public places and public vehicles.

Council held a special meeting Nov. 25 to deal with the emergent issue after the province introduced new mandatory health measures November 24.

Mayor Tim MacPhee said he called the meeting in light of those announcements and the fact he personally felt he could not wait any longer in making a decision.

After first reading of the bylaw was passed, each councillor was given the opportunity to speak on the issue and the legislation that was before them. Even though Councillor Tina Warawa and Councillor Dave Berry were not in favour of the bylaw but they allowed third reading to proceed to third and final reading of the bylaw. They vote was 3-2 in favour of the bylaw.

Under the bylaw, face coverings will be mandatory in public places, which means any property, whether publicly or privately owned, to which members of the public have access as of right or by express or implied invitation, whether on payment of any fee or not.

The bylaw also applies to a public vehicle which is defined as a bus, taxi, or other vehicle that is used to transport members of the public for a fee.

The bylaw came into effect on Nov. 30 and will remain in place until February 28, 2021.

As of 4:00 PM on Monday, November 30, 2020 the County of Minburn, including the Town of Vegreville, has moved into Enhanced Status.

Enhanced status puts additional restrictions on places of worship and some businesses. Please review the Alberta Government’s restrictions that are in place until at least December 15, 2020.

In terms of enforcement, if a Peace Officer believes that a person has contravened any provision of the bylaw, they may issue a violation ticket in accordance with the Provincial Offences Procedure Act. The violation ticket may specify the fine amount established in the bylaw or require a person to appear in court without the alternative of making a voluntary payment.

Failure to wear a face-covering where required has a specified penalty of $100 and failure to display prescribed signage has a specified penalty of $200.

As posted on the Town of Vegreville’s website: “As of 4:00 PM on Monday, November 30, 2020 the County of Minburn, including the Town of Vegreville, has moved into Enhanced Status.

Enhanced status puts additional restrictions on places of worship and some businesses. Please review the Alberta Government’s restrictions that are in place until at least December 15, 2020.”