With federal and provincial demands changing daily, municipalities are making do with their plans.

“We take it day by day and week by week,” says Niverville Mayor Myron Dyck. “We don’t want to get too far ahead of ourselves.”

The importance of contingency plans is something Dyck highlights as a means to mitigate unforeseen circumstances. “Any time that you’re doing any kind of planning, you’re looking at options A, B, C and D. So, this is like anything else. With the information that comes to you, you know which plan you’re at, or if another one needs to be made.”

Niverville Mayor Myron Dyck says Town Staff always makes contingency plans

Mayor of the Municipality of Ritchot Chris Ewen and his staff have also aligned with authorities’ agendas by working from home whenever possible and following all distancing mandates.

The measures in place, however, have not stopped his staff from serving the municipality and making plans.

“It doesn’t matter how long we have to be in this situation for, “says Ewen, “what really matters is that we have the right emergency team behind it and we have nothing but good things to say about how well prepared we will be and are.”

Ewen is confident that municipalities in the region are well equipped to handle the situation, even if restrictions increase and last longer than initially expected.

“It’s definitely possible to see secondary waves of viruses as history has shown us. Having said that, I think the federal and provincial levels throughout Canada are doing as much as they can right now."