Parts of Lambton County remain as last in Ontario to not mandate mask wearing

As of Friday morning, masks are now mandatory at indoor public spaces in Chatham-Kent after the municipality passed a bylaw to require them earlier this week.

Now, much of Lambton County remains as the only part of the province without either a mask bylaw or an order from the public health unit. Although, the City of Sarnia and Town of Petrolia do have such bylaws.

Bill Weber, warden of Lambton County and the mayor of Lambton Shores, said Lambton Shores council will discuss such a bylaw next Tuesday, and at the town level he will support it. 

"I will be supporting that because of the number of people coming to the community but my preference would have been that people follow the rules and use common sense and look after each other," he said. 

"People have not been kind this year to other people. People need to take care and look out for each other."

At the county level, that matter won't be able to be raised for another month. Weber said he does not plan on calling a special meeting of county council about mask-wearing. In July, a mask bylaw was rejected by county council and the next county council meeting is not scheduled until Sept. 2. 

"There's a lot of rural parts of Lambton that I believe are following the rules and recommendations," said Weber, explaining that many people are wearing masks without being asked to. 

Sarnia Mayor Mike Bradley brought forward the motion in July to enforce the bylaw across the county. 

"I think it's extremely embarrassing that Lambton County is the last place in Ontario to have a mask bylaw," he said.

"With schools opening in September it would be good if Chatham-Kent and Lambton County had uniformity since they are part of the same school board," said Bradley. 

Bradley believes that the lack of a ruling may be due to the desire to increasing tourism in Grand Bend. 

"There should be a uniform bylaw right across the county."