Joanne McQuarrie, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter | [email protected]
Compliance with COVID protocols is going well in town for the most part, said Christine Nadon, legislative service manager with the Municipality of Jasper.
"The public is usually good," she said. "Most people are complying, and for those who don't, they put on a mask when asked. Over the fall, prior to the province tightening the rules, we had a few more people that needed to be convinced."
She said it's helping that COVID protocols are in place across the province, and with that comes more public awareness about the measures expected to be taken.
Nadon reminded folks it is mandatory to wear masks and physically distance six feet apart in downtown and on sidewalks immediately adjacent to hotels in town.
The municipality's bylaw officers, Neil Jones and Richard Barnes, keep an eye on matters regularly.
"They do foot patrols downtown, two times a day, five days a week, and they go together," Nadon said. "It's a presence downtown and it's also a bit of ambassadorship. It's a compliance and a community job more so than an enforcement job."
While bylaw officers will give warnings first, Nadon noted "the tools are there" for bylaw officers to issue tickets under the municipality's face coverings bylaw.
"It's $250 for the first offence, $500 for the second offence, $750 for the third and subsequent offences," she said. "Indoors, it falls under our bylaw - a $250 fine."
Provincially, if a public health advisory is violated, people can be fined $1,000, up to $100,000.
