With masks becoming mandatory in public spaces in some Alberta communities, residents and merchants in Black Diamond and Turner Valley have varying opinions on the topic.
The subject hasn't come to the table yet for Turner Valley town council and an RFD directing Black Diamond administration to draft a proposed mask bylaw after Black Diamond council discussed the subject at a special meeting on July 30 was defeated.
Black Diamond resident Rhonda Bleau said residents shouldn’t be required to wear masks in public places in the community. In fact, she stopped shopping in Calgary after city council adopted a bylaw that masks be worn in all public places effective Aug. 1.
“I don’t think we should have to wear masks,” she said. “I feel I’m a healthy person. If I don’t feel well I don’t go around people.”
Bleau said she no longer takes weekly grocery trips to Calgary due to the new bylaw. Instead, she shops at Country Food Mart AG Foods in Black Diamond.
“It’s increased the cost of my grocery bill so I’m doing less luxury eating,” she said.
While shopping, Bleau keeps a respectful distance from other people and no longer shakes people's hands.
Bleau said people who are susceptible to the virus should not be out in public. If they are, she said they should wear masks, yet she questions the efficiency of cloth masks.
“Lots of masks, the way they’re made, are not protecting people anyway,” she said. “With cloth masks you’re breathing bacteria in so it’s not really helping you.”
Turner Valley area resident Steffan Nienhaus said he doesn’t have a strong opinion regarding mandatory mask wearing in public, yet he wears a mask when it makes sense to like while grocery shopping.
“They say when you wear a mask you don’t protect yourself, you protect others,” he said. “When people are afraid of COVID in public places it makes sense to wear a mask.”
Nienhaus, who is from Germany, moved to the area in mid-May to work at a local farm and said he was surprised when he arrived in Canada that mask-wearing wasn’t mandatory.
“In Germany, in public places inside and out, you’re required to wear masks,” he said.
Nienhaus said he’s not afraid of contracting COVID-19, adding he lives a healthy lifestyle, yet he’s aware that he could be a potential danger to others.
“I could have corona and not have symptoms,” he said. “I know when I wear a mask I’m protecting other people.”
Marv Garriott, owner of Marv’s Classic Soda Shop, said he feels the COVID-19 virus has been blown out of proportion.
“I haven’t paid attention to this whatsoever – I think it’s all blown up,” he said.
Garriott said an Alberta Health Services employee visited his restaurant and informed his staff that they’re all required to wear masks.
“Most of them don’t like it, but they do it,” he said. “It’s hard to understand people wearing masks and every time I take my mask off my hearing aids go into the garbage or onto the floor. They catch on it every time. They’re 1,000 bucks a piece.”
While Garriott said he won’t turn away a customer that's not wearing a mask, employee Norma Lacey said she would feel more comfortable if customers wore them.
“I think it’s going to go on longer than people are expecting so it will help,” she said of the virus. “My husband is 79 and has diabetes and other health issues.”
Lacey, who works at the soda shop part-time, said she estimates that about 80 per cent of customers don’t wear masks. She would like to see that number reversed.
“Some people do ask, ‘Should we put a mask on,’” she said. “People have been responsible.”
Jean Whyte, who works at Little Black Dress Consignment Boutique across the street, said while she’s not required to wear a mask at work, hers is always handy just in case.
“If someone comes in with a mask on I will put mine on or if they say, ‘You aren’t wearing a mask’ I put it on right away,” she said. “It boils down to respect. Obviously they’re really concerned so I will help them out.”
Whyte sees a lot of customers from Calgary – more so than in past years - yet she’s not nervous about contracting COVID-19, just aware.
The store limits its customers to about five people at a time, or around six if they’re all wearing masks, Whyte said.
“There’s no hard and fast rules,” she said. “I just go with the flow.”
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