Toronto council approves temporary mask bylaw: What to expect in the Beach

Erin Horrocks-Pope July 04, 2020

Updated: July 07, 2020

Toronto city council has approved a temporary bylaw which will make wearing face-coverings mandatory for “indoor public places”.

The bylaw, passed on June 30, will take effect this Tuesday, July 7, and is set to be in place until September 30, pending a city council decision.

Residents are urged to begin following this bylaw immediately by Mayor John Tory and Toronto’s medical officer of health, Dr. Eileen de Villa.

“We know we are at a critical time in the fight against COVID-19, and that we must do everything we can to avoid the flare-ups that we have seen in other places,” said Tory.

As Beachers have seen, many local businesses have been supplying sanitizer for customers upon entry, implementing physical distancing guidelines, and recommending masks be worn within their stores.

At Blossom and Tempest, 928 Kingston Rd, customers and staff are required to wear masks or face coverings, sanitize their hands and maintain physical distancing. Washable cloth masks are available for purchase within the store. -Photo submitted by Kat Molner, Blossom and Tempest.

Anna Sebert, the executive director of the Beach Village BIA, has made sure to provide Beach businesses with PPE and provided shops with visuals for physical distancing.

“Our approach is to educate our businesses as much as possible,” Sebert said to Beach Beat. “Businesses have access to disposable face masks through the BIA, so if a customer shows up without a mask, (the store staff) can offer one at a reasonable price.”

Exemptions will be made for people who cannot wear masks due to medical reasons and for children under two years old.

This bylaw will be difficult to enforce across the city and potential fines have not yet been set.

According to a recent CBC article, the city solicitor, Wendy Walberg, expects fines to be “in the ballpark” between $750 and $1,000.

Collected Joy, 1035 Kingston Rd, asks that customers sanitize hands when entering the store. Customers are limited to three in the store at a time and must wear masks while shopping or browsing. -Photo submitted by Sharon Smyl, Collected Joy.

Beaches–East York city councilor Brad Bradford understands that there are some practical limits to how the city will be able to enforce this bylaw.

“Bylaw officers can’t be everywhere all at once,” Bradford told Beach Beat. “But community members can report non-compliance and issue areas. The businesses would also enforce the policies they’re being asked to put in place”

Bradford believes that wearing masks when possible is the right thing do to, based on the “growing body of evidence” that face coverings can drastically reduce the spread of the virus.

“We’ve all made incredible sacrifices to fight this virus, so going this one additional step for everyone who can wear a mask is an obvious progression. It makes even more sense if it’s going to help save lives, protect our frontline workers, and get businesses open again.”

At Beaches Natural Foods, 1947 Queen St. E, customers are provided with hand sanitizers upon entry and are asked to wear masks in addition to keeping at least two meters away from other shoppers. The staff at Beaches Natural Foods all wear face shields while on shift. -Photo submitted by Alex Chau, Beaches Natural Foods.

For more details on this bylaw visit Toronto.ca

July 07, 2020 Update: Anna Sebert, Beach Village BIA executive director, amended her quote from free disposable masks to reasonably priced disposable masks for customers who do not bring their own when entering stores.