Fines are going up for violations of city mandate, alongside big fines from the province. The mandatory mask bylaw in Calgary will be around until December 2021, unless it is repealed sooner.
The bylaw was initially introduced in July. The Calgary city council voted to extend the possible deadline for the temporary bylaw at the same time as approving an increase in fines – from $50 for a first offense to $100.
A second offense would cost $200 and third and subsequent violations would result in tickets of $300.
The provincial tickets for violating the mask health order start at $1,000 and can go as high as $100.000. Whether a person violates the provincial order or the municipal bylaw depends on the location of the offense and would be up to the discretion of the officer issuing the ticket and the nature of the violation.
Some councilors wondered why the bylaw, brought in months before the province introduced a mandatory mask bylaw in late November, was still necessary given the new Alberta rules. They were told the two can coexist.
Under the Alberta government rules, masks are mandatory across the province in all indoor workplaces and facilities outside the home, except when working alone in an office or a safely distanced cubicle or a barrier is in place, when in rental accommodations used solely as a private residence or in farm operations. The city bylaw covers public buildings and transit.
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Learn more about face masks and how to stay safe by enrolling in a mask fitting test which is a requirement for many workspaces and schools or the available masks for sale by visiting our face mask sale page.
Our courses maintain social distancing measures with reduced class sizes to maintain the minimum 2 meters apart along with the mandatory use of face masks and regular temperature checks. The venue of the courses undergo regular, enhanced cleaning and disinfection routines.
For more information about face masks, check out these sources:
Wikipedia – Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR): Overview and Procedures
Healthline – CPR: Techniques and Guidelines for First Aid
Johns Hopkins Medicine – Coronavirus Face Masks: What You Need to Know