Author of the article: Duane Bratt
Publishing date: May 09, 2021  â¢Â 6 days ago  â¢Â 5 minute read  â¢Â Supporters gather during a rally against measures taken by government and health authorities to curb the spread of COVID-19 at the Whistle Stop Cafe in Mirror, Alberta, on Saturday, May 8, 2021. The Whistle Stop was shut down by AHS for not following public health rules. Photo by Jason Franson/The Canadian Press
Article content
What a week in Alberta politics! On Apr. 28, Premier Jason Kenney warned against COVID-19 lockdowns. The next day, he reversed himself and introduced some limited measures that simultaneously exempted rural hotspots.
Nevertheless, over the course of the weekend, COVID-19 cases skyrocketed to their highest totals during the 15-month-long pandemic. This led government house leader Jason Nixon to announce on May 2 that the Alberta legislature would be suspended for two weeks.
Article content
Calgary bylaw and police services both say they will step up enforcement of COVID-19 rules after Alberta’s justice minister vowed more action against repeat violators.
In a news release Thursday evening, the agencies said enforcement of public health orders continues to be a priority.
We apologize, but this video has failed to load.
Try refreshing your browser, or Calgary agencies pledge more enforcement of COVID rules as AHS lays legal hammer on scofflaw café Back to video
However, zero violation tickets under the Public Health Act have been issued in Calgary over the past week.
Chief bylaw inspector Ryan Pleckaitis said in the release city bylaw officers would team up with police and other officials to address some areas of high concern for non-compliance with the measures.
By sharing information and discussing the enforcement actions this way, on top of doubling the fines, public health orders will be enforced more effectively and consistently than before, Madu said.
The comments come the same day the Whistle Stop Cafe in Mirror, Alta., was shut down after defying health orders for months and just days after a rodeo in Bowden, Alta., hosted hundreds of people, most without masks and not physically distancing.
Tools for enforcement
The premier and province s justice minister said Wednesday they ll continue to leave the enforcement of public health orders up to police and other agencies. We, as elected folks, cannot direct operational decisions on individual cases by police or law enforcement agencies, said Alberta Premier Jason Kenney.