Saskatoon councillors looking into writing own bylaw on COVID-19 gathering limits

City councillors in Saskatoon are looking at ways around the provincial government's refusal to bring in extra COVID-19 gatherings restrictions for the city.

On Monday, councillors on the governance and priorities committee voted to ask administration to write a report on the implications of developing a city bylaw to restrict gathering sizes in Saskatoon.

"This is not the ideal and and this may not even be feasible in terms of an enforcement standpoint," said Mayor Charlie Clark, who made the motion.

"But given the circumstances, I'd like to fully test this out so that we can at least know if there is a way we can be acting further." 

The motion comes after Mayor Clark wrote a letter to the provincial government late last month, asking that it bring in special gathering limits for the city. 

Among other measures, the letter asked that gatherings in homes be limited to 15 people, unless proof of vaccination or negative test results were offered.

Last week council received official word from the provincial government that it would not be moving forward with any extra gathering measures. 

Clark noted that medical health officers from the Saskatchewan Health Authority had told council that gathering limits are needed to slow down the spread of COVID-19 in Saskatoon. 

As of Monday morning, there were 937 known active cases of COVID-19 in the city, giving Saskatoon the highest level of COVID-19 in the province.

Previous legal advice from the city solicitor had said that the provincial government was in charge of making health policy in Saskatchewan. So while the city could make rules around city-owned facilities like leisure centres and arenas, it did not have the power to enforce gathering limits elsewhere.

Clark said it was worth exploring the issue regardless, given the state of COVID-19 in the city.

"The health system continues to be strained beyond its limits," said the mayor.

"And so I am prepared today to to take this step into into this grey zone, to at least understand if there's a role for the city to try and help to do this."

The city has placed restrictions on city-owned facilities like leisure centres and city-owned arenas. As of Oct. 15, anyone 12 and older must show proof of vaccination or a negative test result to enter the building. 

Other city facilities like libraries and city hall were exempt from the requirements, as they were deemed to be essential services.

Last year, at the beginning of the pandemic, Regina city council voted to close all non-essential businesses and limit gatherings to just five people. That move was overruled by the province. 

Confusing overreach

Not everyone agreed with the idea of looking into the city make its own gathering restrictions.

Four councillors voted against the proposal and argued that the province had already made a decision on the matter.

"Maybe we didn't get the answer that we were all hoping for from the province," said Coun. Troy Davies. 

"But now, because we didn't get our answer, we're going to go back and kind of reinvent the wheel here."

Other councillors were concerned that reopening the issue could confuse citizens about where the city's role ends and the province's begins.

"There's been some comments about confusion in the community, and I think we're adding to it," said Coun. Randy Donauer.

"We don't have any responsibility for health. The province does, whether we like it or not. And whether we agree with their decisions or not, it's up to the minister of health to do these things."

In a news conference Monday, Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe said that he wasn't aware of the city's vote, but that municipalities can implement gathering restrictions within the facilities that they operate.