“We are not in the other’s throat, but it is a very alienated relationship,” says Crystal McAteer. “There is a fracture between us. “We already had problems, but it has come to the fore in the last two years.” Public health measures to try to limit the spread of COVID-19 have created a sharp gap in Mackenzie County, the least vaccinated area in Alberta.
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Residents and local leaders say friendships have ended, disagreements have erupted in stores and government projects have been unable to move forward amid disputes over coverage, vaccines and other pandemic reactions. The story goes on under the ad “They’re like the Hatfield and the McCoys,” says High-Level Real Estate Agent Sylvia Kennedy in a nod to the famous warring families of the 19th-century American tradition. “I’m annoyed that I’m wearing a mask. It’s really sad… This nonsense (creates) a huge rift in our area “. Mackenzie County is larger than New Brunswick and has plenty of oil, gas and agriculture. In addition to High Level, it hosts the settlements of La Crete and Fort Vermillion as well as four First Nations. The Alberta government says just under a third of the county’s residents are fully vaccinated and about 38 percent have given their first dose.
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The province could not provide an analysis of vaccination rates for individual cities and First Nations. The mayor of High Level, after speaking to many companies and health workers, estimates that three quarters of the city are fully vaccinated. Beaver First Nation says 60 percent of the people living in the two shelters it manages are fully vaccinated. McAteer says its city has become “outcasts” for imposing public health measures – sometimes through its own statutes when the provincial government lifts the rules – while businesses in neighboring cities made headlines because they were disregarded. The story goes on under the ad The Chamber of Commerce in La Crete, an hour’s drive from the High Level, organized a bus to Ottawa as part of a so-called Freedom Escort challenging government restrictions. Some protesters stopped at the High Level for a few days to protest against local restrictions. Trending Stories
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The feud between the High Level and the county culminated in February, when the county council approved a proposal to cut ties with subcontractors and companies that had a vaccination policy for employees. A letter stated that these businesses would not be allowed to enter the county premises. McAteer says it has not spoken to the county since.
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“To protect our employees, High-level staff had to be vaccinated, including the fire department,” McAteer said. “They have suggested that we not be able to enter their workplaces.” Reeve Josh Knelsen says the county, La Crete and High Level “obviously” have their differences. In an interview at his office in La Crete, Knelsen said businesses have appreciated the county’s decision. He could not say how many no longer work with the county. “It was always there that your political stance did not matter,” said Knelsen, who added that he had not been vaccinated against COVID-19. The story goes on under the ad “I can appreciate what they do as long as they do not expect us to do the same. The biggest frustration I have seen through all this is the division that is being caused.” 1:10 “The virus persists whether we test or not”: Hinshaw responds to controversial post by northern Alberta councilor “The virus persists whether we test it or not”: Hinshaw responds to controversial post by a northern councilor Alberta – September 17, 2020 He said he and many others in the area where he was born and raised believed that “health is a personal choice” and that the government should not tell people how to take care of themselves. He and some in La Crete had COVID-19 early in the pandemic, he said, but managed to recover, although some did not. “They have a brain. Everyone has their own mind and is very capable of using it. If you want to live in the north, you have to be a little resilient and tough. “If you are very stupid, you do not survive.” Even without a government order, and as a child, he has never been to a family member’s home if someone was ill, he said. The story goes on under the ad “I love my family. I will not put them in danger.” Knelsen said he was ready to move on from the pandemic. “This will be a bad memory in a very short time.” McAteer says the projects the High Level is working on with the county have not progressed. The city has been waiting since December for the county to sign an agreement to recognize their “inter-municipal co-operation”. “I hope we get together,” says McAteer. “What is happening in the north is good for all of us and to stay together, we have to work together.” 2:06 “Canada’s greatest contribution to the fight against the pandemic”: Scientist of BC. credited with inventing COVID vaccine “Canada’s greatest contribution to fighting pandemic”: P.K. © 2022 The Canadian Press
