'A huge rift:' COVID-19 response strains relationships in northern Alberta county
CTV
The mayor of High Level, a town in Alberta's far northwest corner, says she has not spoken to the county government for several weeks.
The mayor of High Level, a town in Alberta's far northwest corner, says she has not spoken to the county government for several weeks.
"We're not at each other's throats, but it’s a very estranged relationship," say Crystal McAteer.
"There is a fracture between us. We already had problems, but it's come to the forefront in the last two years."
Public health measures to try to curb the spread of COVID-19 have sown a stark divide in Mackenzie County, the least vaccinated region in Alberta.
Residents and local leaders say friendships have ended, arguments have erupted in shops, and government projects have been unable to move forward amid disagreements over masking, vaccines and other pandemic responses.
"It's like the Hatfields and McCoys," High Level real estate agent Sylvia Kennedy says in a nod to the famous feuding families of 19th-century American lore.
"I've been accosted about my wearing a mask. It's really sad ... This silliness is (creating) a huge rift in our region."
