As most of the City now knows, this upcoming Monday’s City Council meeting (July 13, 2020) we will be discussing the potential of implementing a mandatory mask bylaw for indoor public spaces. During the development of the COVID-19 outbreak, I have followed along with the latest research quite closely and have contemplated this very idea many times. I have always been of the firm belief that, as long as you aren’t interfering with others’ lives or breaking any laws, you should be able to do as you please. Allowing people to have agency is a strong belief of mine and one that I consider in all decisions that I make as a City Councillor. Given the recent wave of municipalities in Ontario passing their own mandatory mask laws, it was only a matter of time before we in Sault Ste. Marie would discuss it.
Coming up to this discussion, I struggled to make a firm decision on where I stood – until now. On one hand, our community has been doing a great job, with some luck, at keeping case counts relatively low. On the other hand, it only takes one case to create an unexpected outbreak and if wearing masks can help to prevent that, all while allowing our local businesses to open and stay open, then maybe we should take the stance that masks are recommended. My decision was made when I went to the grocery store one day to grab a few things and saw that, aside from myself and staff, two people were wearing masks. It was in that moment that I couldn’t get all of the at risk people that I know out of my mind – our parents, our grandparents, our newborn children, and so many more. Who are we to put those we hold so close in a position where they could be fighting for the life simply because we couldn’t wear a mask when heading out? One of the first jobs I had was cleaning equipment at the sawmill, I worked a full day wearing a mask and googles almost the entire time only removing them to eat and go home. I got paid the student wage, which is below minimum wage, and didn’t once feel like I absolutely could not wear the mask.
The evidence seems overwhelming that if everyone wears a mask in addition to other measures, we can ensure that our community will continue to stay safe and our businesses will continue to move back toward normalcy. Unless the presentation given to us on Monday evening by Algoma Public Health is strongly against it, I will leave you all with this thought:
If a teenager can wear a mask for minimum wage, surely we can wear masks for people’s lives?
– Matt