Saskatoon Transit extends COVID-19 mask requirement after city council approval
Global News
Saskatoon Transit will continue requiring riders to wear masks to reduce the spread of COVID-19, even though a public health order mandating masks has ended.
City council has approved a plan to continue requiring Saskatoon Transit riders to wear face masks in an effort to slow the spread of the Omicron variant of COVID-19.
Councillors voted 7-3 in favour of the “status quo” approach laid out by city administration. Councillors David Kirton, Troy Davies and Randy Donauer opposed the motion. Sarina Gersher was absent from the meeting.
The plan extends the requirement for bus riders to wear a face covering, despite masks no longer being required through a Saskatchewan government public health order.
Signage and education efforts will continue on city buses.
Saskatoon Transit will still monitor non-compliance. There were 15 recorded negative instances dating back to March 2020, according to administration, and no physical assaults have resulted from the mask requirement.
The move comes as wearing a mask has become “quite politicized across the country,” according to Saskatoon Mayor Charlie Clark.
“This is just a chance, I believe, for us to remind one another for that patience and kindness,” Clark said. “I hope we’re moving into a better place as a society and as a community.”
No councillors voiced reasons for their support or opposition to the transit mask requirement Monday, but it was the subject of lengthy discussions at a committee meeting earlier this month.
After telling customers in October that Dec. 31 would be the last day those forms of payment would be accepted, the TTC decided this month to extend it to June 1, 2025.
Venne, born in Lamont, Alta., was one of the first appointees to Alberta's Human Rights Commission in 1973 and later served as chair.
Maier, 27, completed 357 of 494 passes for 3,841 yards with 22 TDs and 14 interceptions last season.
Peel Regional Police have dismantled a sophisticated car theft ring, recovering nearly $4-million worth of stolen vehicles and laying over 100 criminal charges.
Governor Tiff Macklem indicated further cuts would be more gradual, a shift from previous messaging that continuous easing was needed to support growth.
Megan Claxton and Taylor Smyth expected their second child to arrive in January. They called 911 when she went into labour five weeks early. 'I didn't get a chance to thank them.'
Nova Scotia Lt.-Gov. Mike Savage has released the names of the five people appointed to the Order of Nova Scotia for 2024.
The money raised by Ed Video in January was a part of the $280 million raised through the site in Canada in 2024. Guelph was listed 11th out of 20 communities across the country.
Here is your guide for what services, attractions, major businesses and institutions are open and closed in Toronto on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
Liberal MP Chrystia Freeland drew sharp criticism from two cabinet ministers for the way she quit cabinet but many backbenchers hope she succeeds Justin Trudeau.
This year Saskatoon made headlines after a 14-year-old girl was accused of throwing flammable liquid on a 15-year-old girl and setting her on fire at Evan Hardy Collegiate School.