Halifax Business Owners Wear Masks Eight Hours A Day To Protect Customers
HALIFAX – On a hot August day, Heidi Chater is behind the cash register at Aladdin Laundromat in Dartmouth. No matter the heat or humidity, her mouth and nose are covered by the now-familiar cloth face mask. She and her husband, Mike, own the store and have been using masks even before they became mandatory on July 31.
“It’s for everyone’s protection – the customers’ and for our own protection,” said Chater. “It’s even a struggle for me because I wear it for eight to nine hours a day.”
Aladdin is very much a family-run establishment, and, on this day, Chater’’s children are helping around the shop. They too are wearing masks with no complaint. For the most part, Aladdin’s customers have also willingly worn the masks.
Chater has a policy where every customer is given one warning if they enter without a mask. The second time they will be asked to leave. So far, one customer has said they won’t come back if they’re forced to wear a mask.
“Yes, we did (worry about upset customers) because we started hearing the complaints about masks even before it became a rule,” she said. “But we have to respect the rules.”
“But If they have a medical issue, we can understand the situation.”
For much of the summer, the facemask debate has dominated headlines. Many feel the government has no right to force anyone to wear a covering, despite the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. While the debate has been much more heated in the politically divided United States, Canada also has its share of anti-mask sentiment.
A week after the Nova Scotia government made masks mandatory in public indoor areas, most customers, however, seem to be supportive of the new laws. It’s very uncommon in Halifax to see a shopper not wearing the mask. So far, Halifax business leaders have also been publicly supporting the new law.
“Our philosophy right from the beginning has been we’re going to accept and promote whatever the public health standard is,” said Paul MacKinnon of the Downtown Halifax Business Commission. “This is no different; we’ll certainly be sharing this with all of our members and making sure everyone understands what the rules are going to be.”
“I think most businesses understand (the importance). We’re seeing what’s happening in the United States right now. I think the bigger concern right now is minimizing the risk of a second wave or at least minimizing the risks of a second shutdown.”
The Halifax Chamber of Commerce is also voicing support for the new health measure. In a written statement to Huddle, a spokesperson said they are seeing widespread cooperation for the mandated mask-wearing.
“The Halifax Chamber supports the provincial government’s mask mandate,” reads the statement. “We have been supportive of public health guidelines that get our businesses back to normal as soon as possible. We have heard from local businesses that guests are being cooperative and understanding of the new provincial guidelines, as we work together to help stop the spread of COVID-19.”
Paul MacKinnon stated that business owners in Halifax were concerned, originally, with the enforcement aspect of the mask law. Some weren’t sure if they would be held responsible for policing their own customers.
“Whose responsibility is it going to be (to enforce)?” Asked MacKinnon when the law was first announced. “If a customer comes into your business and simply refuses to wear a mask, and you ask them to leave and they don’t, ultimately who’s going to be responsible in terms of enforcement?”
“I think the last thing businesses want to do is be police officers. And they don’t want to bear the responsibility if their customers aren’t following the rules.”
When asked if businesses were worried that the mask law might drive away some customers, MacKinnon said most entrepreneurs are willing to risk losing a few patrons for the good of public health.
“Yes, this may be a mild inconvenience that may keep a couple of customers away,” he said. “But in terms of trade-offs, that’s a much better trade-off than running the risk of a second shutdown. If this helps, which it should, I think everyone’s going to be on board.”