Letter from Grande Prairie City Council to Premier Kenney Calling for Updated Alberta Relaunch Strategy

Letter from Grande Prairie City Council to Premier Kenney Calling for Updated Alberta Relaunch Strategy

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Category: Mayor & Council, Media Releases

 

January 29, 2021

 

Premier Jason Kenney

307 Legislature Building

10800-97 Ave Edmonton, AB T5K 2B6

 

Dear Premier Kenney,

No one could have imagined the challenges that 2020 would bring to Albertans and the choices that would have to be made to protect both our health and economy. These decisions cannot be easy.

Businesses in our community have shown a remarkable adaptability, keeping their doors open when permitted and people working by implementing new health safety protocols. The early optimism in the province’s response to COVID through the success in securing personal protective equipment, and release of the June 2020 “Opening Soon: Alberta’s relaunch strategy” is beginning to be overtaken by a growing frustration in the lack of information on how decisions that affect our community are being made by the Emergency Management Cabinet Committee.

COVID-19 and its variants are still here and until enough of the population can be vaccinated, changes to relaunch plans are expected. We understand that. The concerns we are hearing from our community are the lack of available information on what public health targets are being used to determine which activities and business openings are deemed safe, and the inconsistencies and changing rules that are creating further uncertainty. We are asking what will it take for businesses to reopen?

The City of Grande Prairie Council is calling on the province to publicly share an updated staged relaunch plan that correlates with the triggers the province is basing health and relaunch decisions on. We encourage the updated relaunch plan to include reopening information on all closed businesses, particularly in regard to restaurants, organized sport, outdoor summer events, and live entertainment.

As the province’s economic engine, Grande Prairie is a willing partner in supporting safe relaunch efforts. We can only do that if we know what the plan is.

Regards,

Mayor Jackie Clayton

cc: Tracy Allard, MLA

Hon. Travis Toews, MLA – Minister of Finance

Hon. Doug Schweitzer, MLA – Minister of Jobs, Economy and Innovation

Hon. Tyler Shandro, MLA – Minister of Health

Hon. Ric McIver, MLA – Minister of Municipal Affairs

 

View an image of the official letter here.