Aug 16,17 Part 4 The Mall

Alberta is a different world in the coronaverse these days. Masks are more prevalent and people are wearing them more than they are in BC. I find it strange that Calgary has passed a bylaw that has mandated masks indoors in public places. But BC and Vancouver have not issued the same edicts. When we first rolled into Alberta we stopped at Lake Louise for fuel and breakfast. Many people were wearing masks and there were signs everywhere requesting masks.

I have no problem wearing a mask and I started to carry one with me when we arrived in Alberta. My daughter was excited to be on the prairies. She tried to make it part of the condition of coming that we needed time at the mall. We finished our connections in Innisfail and said goodbye. We headed down highway 2 to Cross Iron Mills which is a huge shopping mall on the north end of Calgary.

Cross Iron Mills is just outside the city limits and therefore not subject to the bylaw requiring masks. I have no problem donning a face covering and we all had similar masks to wear. I am grateful that in Canada masks are not the political issue they are south of the border. Masks protect everyone from spreading their germs and keep everyone safer. It was strange to see all the people wearing a mask in one place. Since Cross Iron Mills is outside the city limits there were a few people that disregarded the mask request. The vast majority simply put one on as they entered the mall. Strange days indeed…

Shopping for clothes with my teenager is not my favourite thing to do. Spending time with her in these days made the shopping part bearable. I love my kid and realized she needs new clothes, so I grudgingly accept the pain of walking indoors on a hot day looking at stores. With limited time we made the most of it and managed to pick up some new outfits. This is her back to school shopping excursion. One big question remains, is she going back to school and what will that look like?

Cross Iron Mills closed early, so I promised my daughter a trip to another mall in Calgary. Chinook Centre mall is in the area of Calgary I grew up in. It was familiar yet strange to be back in my old hood. For anyone that has avoided the mall, it is a surreal experience. There are all sorts of different masks being worn; some stores make you sanitize your hands. Others have someone greeting people at the door asking questions about health and if you had been out of the country. My daughter even got us to sign up to make a reservation to go into the Louis Vuitton store. I lamented the waste of time going into a store that sells belts for 450 to 950 dollars! I don’t understand who could afford that much for a belt, or why.

People watching has taken on a new variation in the coronaverse. Some people wear regular blue medical masks, others are creative and have personalized ones. Standards vary and I laugh when I see the people with masks on not covering their nose.

We grabbed a quick lunch at the food court. The food court is the one area where people remove their masks. There are limits on seating and they ask you to leave your garbage right where you sat. I can’t imagine the increase in costs to clean and maintain all these spaces. I am sure that the owners of the mall are losing money every day. I wonder how long they can afford it? Lunch done, our shopping was complete.

I felt a relief and a release as we walked out the door of the mall. I managed to find a couple of shirts and Marijke had a decent haul of new clothes. How long we will have to wear a mask in public remains to be seen? Judging by the participation in Alberta it may be with us for a while yet. For now, we must do our best and stay safe. We are in this together, staying apart.