A motion to discourage people from travelling to Prince Edward County has been deferred.
During a virtual special council meeting on Thursday, councillors voted to revisit the issue late next week to work out some of the issues with the motion.
Mayor Steve Ferguson told his fellow council members this was being done ahead of the Victoria Day long weekend, which usually sees the population in Prince Edward County swell by the thousands.
The motion asked that the provincial government take all steps necessary to prevent travel to Prince Edward County from elsewhere while it remains under a State of Emergency.
A number of councillors felt the motion was being pushed through too quickly and without proper consultation, as did four residents and members of community organizations who spoke at the meeting.
It was also noted the motion was brought forward without the consultation with the newly established Economic Recovery Team, whose sole purpose will be to help identify needs, assist in the flow of communication, and better equip the municipality to respond to challenges with programs and activities that leverage support offered at the federal, provincial and regional levels once emergency measures are lifted.
Councillor Phil St-Jean said they need to be very clear in what they are saying with this motion.
Councillor Jamie Forrester agreed, stating he didn’t think the motion was clear enough.
He said they are all feeling the pain of COVID-19 but the last thing he wants to see is the County open early and then get hit with 100 or 200 cases and the hospital get swamped and the County having to shut down again.
Forrester says it is easier to deal with the pain of being shut down now versus the summer because “if we lose July or August, it will be devastating”.
Mayor Ferguson did note the purpose of the motion was not to stop seasonal homeowners near the water from coming and checking their property for flood damage.
The resolution to discourage travel will come back during another special council meeting (TBA) and it will also clarify their position in unison with the province.
