LUMCO Petitions Premier, Province to Mandate Mask Bylaw for Indoor Public Spaces

LUMCO
Written By

Today, I joined my fellow mayors of the Large Urban Mayors Caucus of Ontario (LUMCO) to call on the provincial government to enact a province-wide bylaw on masks, to set consistent standards across Ontario. Burlington City Council has also asked the Province to act, in our mask motion and bylaw that was unanimously approved at Monday's (July 13) council meeting. Halton Regional Council is voting on a mask bylaw today (July 15).Here is a copy of the letter (July 15 2020 Letter to Premier Ford re LUMCO resolution for mandatory masks in indoor spaces) Guelph Mayor and LUMCO Chair Cam Guthrie sent Ontario Premier Doug Ford, on behalf of LUMCO's mayors, the resolution we passed. It is also provided below:July 15, 2020Dear Premier Ford,RE: Large Urban Mayors’ Caucus of Ontario resolution On behalf of Ontario’s big-city mayors, thank you for your government’s ongoing leadership and action as we respond to the unprecedented crisis of COVID-19.Cities and towns across our province continue to wrestle with the financial and operational implications of reopening our economy. While we await an announcement about emergency municipal operating funding, we have also turned our attention toward establishing practical solutions and policies to further slow the spread of COVID-19 as we move into Phase 3 of the province’s re-opening plan.This letter is to inform you that today, the Large Urban Mayors’ Caucus of Ontario (LUCMO) passed the following resolution:WHEREAS wearing non-medical masks or face coverings is vital to reducing the spread of COVID-19; andWHEREAS the province is moving toward phase 3 reopening, which will result in more people traveling between regions and visiting more businesses such as restaurants, gyms and retailers; andWHEREAS many local and regional governments in Ontario have passed their own individual by-laws making non-medical masks or face coverings mandatory in indoor public spaces which can be inconsistent between communities causing confusion for the public;THEREFORE be it resolved that LUMCO calls on the Government of Ontario to make wearing non-medical masks or face coverings mandatory in indoor public spaces across the province to ensure consistency, increase compliance, and help stop the spread of COVID-19.Thank you for your consideration, and we look forward to continuing to work in partnership with the Province to facilitate safe economic recovery for Ontario’s citizens, businesses and communities.Sincerely,Cam Guthrie Chair,LUMCO Mayor,City of Guelph Cc: The Hon. Steve Clark, Minister of Municipal Affairs and HousingThe Hon. Christine Elliot, Minister of HealthFederation of Canadian MunicipalitiesAssociation of Municipalities of OntarioRELATED LINK:

—PLEASE NOTE: To stay updated on what the City of Burlington is doing regarding COVID-19, please visit the dedicated pages burlington.ca/coronavirus (and subscribe) and bit.ly/mayormeedwardCOVID19updates, and our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page — bit.ly/COVID19BurlingtonFAQ that are updated as new information becomes available.A Burlington COVID-19 Task Force has been created to help support our community through this unprecedented emergency — updates will be provided at burlington.ca/COVID19taskforce.To report an incident of non-compliance with provincial emergency orders, please contact the Halton Regional Police Service COVID-19 Hotline: 905-825-4722.We’ve also created a dedicated page to feature the local organizations and businesses that have inspired us during the COVID-19 pandemic by taking action to support our community in new and creative ways — head to bit.ly/covidwallofinspiration.HELPFUL RESOURCES & RELATED LINKS:

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