La Ronge is exempt from some road restrictions. (Derek Cornet/larongeNOW Staff)

By Derek Cornet

travel restrictions

McPhail sole La Ronge councillor to vote against health order exemption for municipality

May 2, 2020 | 8:00 AM

Coun. Jordan McPhail was the only member of La Ronge council who voted not to realign public health orders to no longer include the town.

On Thursday, further restrictions were placed on the Northern Saskatchewan Administrative District (NSAD) banning all non-critical travel into northern Saskatchewan, as well as between northern communities. To the surprise of many residents, however, La Ronge and Stony Rapids were exempt from the order allowing northerners to travel to those communities.

Also Thursday, Air Ronge and Lac La Ronge Indian Band councils sent a letter to the provincial government in support of road restrictions.

“I’ve certainly had multiple phone calls of people wanting to know who stood where and why we did what we did,” McPhail said. “I wanted to make it very clear I was standing with the public health order that was originally there asking for travel restrictions in the NSAD.”

The decision to exempt La Ronge from certain restrictions occurred during a closed meeting April 28, when council decided to send a letter to the provincial government asking boundaries be realigned to exclude the municipality. McPhail was the only council member to vote against such an exemption.

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Discussion to exclude La Ronge from the order was kept private until it was announced by the provincial government Thursday. The town released a press release the same day, which didn’t publicize the decision already made by council. The media is not permitted to report from closed meetings.

Deputy-Mayor Matthew Klassen was in favour asking for La Ronge to be excluded from the sweeping restrictions in the NSAD. He said he wanted the province to reconsider, because although there is a major COVID-19 outbreak occurring in La Loche, there are still no cases present in La Ronge or other areas of the NSAD.

“I’m still not entirely sure if we should be completely exempt,” Klassen said. “I do still feel there should be some restrictions in place, but there’s so many different things to consider. It just can’t be a lock the road down or a not lock the road down; I think there has to be many other things considered.”

Klassen also serves as the head of the local cottage association and cabin owners begin to come to the area as the weather warms in May. There are more than 200 cottages in the region, but Klassen wouldn’t comment whether he supports if residents of southern Saskatchewan or other areas should have access to their cottages as the province reopens.

“I would rather not mix two opinions together,” he said. “I do wear multiple hats and I am very careful to differentiate between the two of them depending on what community or what organization I’m representing.”

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derek.cornet@jpbg.ca

Twitter: @saskjourno