Frustration mounts with new Saskatoon bylaw on gathering limits

Saskatoon city council’s decision to move on with a bylaw to restrict the size of gatherings has stirred some angry reactions.

On Monday, city council voted 8-3 in favour of drafting a bylaw to limit private gatherings in Saskatoon in hopes of reducing the transmission of COVID-19.

Despite the result of that vote, several residents are voicing their concerns about the city taking charge as opposed to the provincial government.

“It may be a bit of an overreach for city council to be doing that,” Austin Palibroda said in a phone interview. “We’re vaccinated — myself, family and friends. We’re doing the best we can.”

“My initial reaction is that (city councillors) are overstepping their boundaries,” Loren Helm said when he first heard the news.

Mayor Charlie Clark has asked Premier Scott Moe, Health Minister Paul Merriman and chief medical health officer Dr. Saqib Shahab for a provincial health order to restrict gathering sizes in places where vaccinations aren’t required.

However, the government has chosen to decline that request for the time being.

“I don’t want to be in this situation at all,” Clark told 650 CKOM’s Brent Loucks Show on Tuesday. “We would much rather have a clear framework that is established by the province.”

Helm worries the new bylaw is going to take a toll on his personal life.

“We come from a very large family and we like to get together. This has been going on long enough,” Helm said.

The new bylaw would allow only two vaccinated households to gather. However, unvaccinated families would not be allowed to have any gatherings at all.

Helm said he would be in favour of certain restrictions if they came from the provincial government.

“They’re the experts and I will abide by it, not the city,” Helm said.

Clark said the new bylaw is coming in due to the large amount of COVID transmission taking place at private gatherings.

“This is what the medical health officers are saying is what is needed to try and get the cases and ICU numbers going in the right direction,” said Clark.

By Dallas Dahlseide