LETHBRIDGE, AB – One of the most divisive issues for this current City Council was once again front and centre Tuesday.
Councillors, in their final meeting before October’s civic election, debated the contentious issue of face coverings again.
The issue was brought forward by Mayor Chris Spearman as an official business resolution. It was on the agenda a week prior to the Alberta government reinstating a province-wide masking mandate last weekend.
Some Councillors said they expected the issue would be dropped from the agenda given the changes the province made, however that wasn’t the case.
The resolution was asking that the municipal bylaw for wearing masks be in place for all city owned and operated facilities until December 31, 2021.
It failed in a 5-3 vote with Councillors Joe Mauro, Blaine Hyggen, Belinda Crowson, and Ryan Parker voting against.
Councillor Mauro was fired up, accusing Mayor Spearman of “grandstanding” by keeping this issue on the agenda.
”I’m struggling with the fact that comments are made and geared toward anti-maskers,” said Mauro. I don’t believe there are really anti-maskers and if there are it’s a handful. I resent the fact that term is being used quite liberal and made to put people, I’ll speak for myself. If I was an anti-masker I wouldn’t wear a mask wherever I’m supposed to wear a mask. I comply to the rules that the province has mandated. Yeah, there’s a handful that maybe won’t, but the majority of us will. People are wearing masks already. They don’t need to be told the difference between right and wrong. People have God-given brains and can make the decision and they know what’s right and they know what’s wrong. Listening to two of my colleagues call people anti-maskers and to say this is the appropriate thing and protecting the community, in my mind, this is total, total bull#*%!”
Mayor Spearman, in closing the debate, said he didn’t take it personally and insisted there was no grandstanding whatsoever.
The masking issue in Lethbridge has been a hot-button one from the start, ever since a municipal bylaw was first passed in August 2020.
Some members of Council stated they hoped the province
