STEPHEN RICCIO
PONTIAC July 22, 2020
Premier François Legault announced on July 13 that wearing masks will be mandatory in public indoor spaces as of July 18, and there is a mixed bag of reactions from around the Pontiac.
The provincial government will be expecting businesses to . . .
enforce this law, and they will reserve the right to hand out fines of $400 to $6,000 to businesses that do not comply. While the policy comes into effect on the 18th, fines will not be enforced until Aug. 1.
All the business owners and managers that THE EQUITY spoke with agree that the requirement will come with difficulties, while some are more accepting of it than others.
Joanne Dumouchel, owner of Valu-mart in Shawville, anticipateed that the policy change will come with initial challenges, but she’s hoping the grace period on fines will be enough time for people’s habits to change.
“We hope that all of our customers are able to abide by the mandatory rules set out by the health department,” she said.
Dumouchel explained that the employee who has previously been stationed near the front of the store administering hand sanitizer and cleaning carts will be the one checking on customers entering the store.
The grocer will be offering $1 masks to those who do not have one with them, and the proceeds will go to the store’s children’s charity.
When it comes to any customers who might have conditions that prevent them from wearing a mask safely, Valu-mart will be making exceptions.
Metro in Fort Coulonge on the other hand, will not make such exceptions.
Starting on July 18 the store will begin enforcing the mask policy, and for those who cannot wear a mask, owner Sylvie Beland said that their best option will be phoning or emailing in their order and then picking groceries up outside the store.
The store also has a delivery service, although the delivery radius is limited due to summer heat.
“Even if that person has a condition that stops them from using a mask, unfortunately we will not be able to take any chances on that,” Beland explained, adding that this would ensure safety for customers and employees who are wearing one.
“Sure we are, it’s something that is going to be hard,” Beland said when asked if she is concerned with how enforcement of this will go. “There’s a lot of people that are against wearing the mask and a lot that are for wearing the mask. I’m [very] afraid at this point, I don’t feel it’s fair for us to have this responsibility, but it is what it is and we will enforce it because it’s the law.”
MRC Pontiac Warden Jane Toller, a business owner herself, told THE EQUITY that she was incredibly pleased to see the announcement from Legault.
“I have been advocating for masks pretty much from the beginning of COVID,” Toller said.
Toller pointed out that the Pontiac has one of the least healthy populations in Quebec, a fact that the local health authority has confirmed to her.
“None of us want to live forever wearing masks and keeping up all the prevention measures,” she said. “But I sensed that many people in the Pontiac were tired after four months of the prevention measures, and with the signs that we had zero cases and the fact that summer is here, I was noticing less people wearing masks in the Pontiac. And so I wanted to make it mandatory in the Pontiac.”
Asked what she would say to residents who see the presence of zero cases in the MRC and wonder why there is a need for masks, Toller insisted that the Pontiac must remain vigilant.
“I would say to them we have been very fortunate, some people have called it a miracle to me, that we have not had any positive cases. And knowing how vulnerable the Pontiac is with our health, we can’t afford to have even one case here.”
From Toller’s point of view, the government’s best option was to have businesses enforce the law, as leaving it up to the SQ would be much more difficult. She said that she believes citizens should serve as the eyes and ears when it comes to ensuring businesses are enforcing the law.
“If [residents] notice businesses letting customers in without the mandatory masks, I think that it’s up to them to report it,” she said. “I think that we have to take this very seriously, it’s for our own benefit.”
Toller said that residents should not see it as an inconvenience, but instead as assistance towards preventing a second wave in the Pontiac.
Angele Fortin, manager at Donnie’s Pub in Fort Coulonge, saw the policy much differently.
“I would have understood to wear the mask if it would have been in March when the breakout started, but now somebody said here yesterday and it made complete sense to me, ‘it’s like now today they’re saying it’s mandatory to wear the mask, but it’s like trying to put a condom on after the lady is already pregnant,’” Fortin said while laughing. “We’re paying for the big cities, like it makes no sense.”
Fortin said she is not sure how to go about enforcing wearing masks in her pub, which adds to her frustration.
“Honestly, I have no idea how to do so because I always say that we’re not a daycare and people should know without being told to stay away two metres or whatever,” Fortin said. “I can honestly say that my husband and I are really thinking of closing down because this is ridiculous.”
Fortin said that the potential of fines on her and her husband, pub owner Donald Dubeau, will only add to the financial damage that they have incurred since closing in March.
During the three months of closure, they had to pay hydro bills to keep the pub maintained while bringing in zero revenue. Fortin said that despite this, they were unable to receive the $40,000 small business loans that were available because technically, neither her nor her husband are on salary.
A requirement to receive the assistance was for a business to have workers on salary, and the only people who are employed at Donnie’s are Fortin and her husband.
