Alberta's mask mandate comes to an end

Like pretty much every business in Alberta, Bridgeland Market has maintained a mask mandate for the past two years, but that mandate has now ended.

Store owner Yousef Traya expects most of his clients and staff will still wear a mask when the business opens, though the store will no longer demand it.

"The law disappears but COVID doesn't," said Traya.

"I expect customers, like the last time this happened. (summer 2021), a lot of them will be wearing masks, and we're just going to carry on as usual. If they wear masks, or if they don't wear masks, we’ll let people shop and do what they need to do, and not make it an issue."

It’s much the same across town in West Springs at Curious Hair Boutique, where owner Tony Alloca expects up to 80 per cent of his regular clientele will continue wearing masks, even though his store will not require it of either customers, or staff.

Store owner Yousef Traya expects most of his clients and staff will still wear a mask, though the store will no longer demand it.

"Some of us are going to be taking them off, but some of us are going to be wearing them. And we're definitely going to ask the clients what they feel comfortable with," said Allocca. "I think we've come to the time (in the pandemic) where we do need to move on, but you know, some people are still being careful."

PROBABLY THE RIGHT MOVE

Calgary’s Chamber of Commerce says lifting the mask regulations now is probably the right move. Chamber president and CEO Deborah Yedlin hopes everyone will respect the decisions made by both businesses and customers

"This is a really, really great step forward. As long as we are respectful of everybody around us, and recognize that everybody's making choices, that's what’s really important for Calgary, and that's the kind of city that we are. We're a community that comes together."

Calgary Chamber of Commerce president and CEO Deborah Yedlin. (Courtesy Calgary Chamber of Commerce)

Even with the mask mandate lifted, individual businesses can choose to keep the requirements in place according to University of Calgary law professor Lorian Hardcastle.

"Businesses can still require that their staff and their customers wear masks," said Hardcastle. "The only real exception to that would be that they need to have a policy in place to accommodate those who can't wear masks for health related reasons."

There are a few places where the province maintained the mask requirement, those include what it calls "high risk" areas including AHS facilities, hospitals and long-term care centres. Riders of public transit will still require a face covering.

Premier Jason Kenney has said the province will review those remaining restrictions and hopes to remove the last of its COVID-19 restrictions in the near future.