An Innisfail, Alberta town councillor resigned from his elected position on Tuesday after he faced opposition for speaking out in support of a small business that opened its doors contrary to lockdown orders.
Glen Carritt announced he would be stepping down following a meeting with his fellow legislators. The subject of the meeting was Carritt’s public support for the local business, Bladez 2 Fadez Barbershop.
“I feel it’s more important to have a voice for small business — I wish council would have stood behind that instead of thinking it’s a breach of code of conduct,” Caritt said in a Facebook video, shot outside of the business’ premises.
“If we can’t speak up for the people, then why are we in government?”
According to the business’ owners, their barbershop would not survive if it followed the lockdown order.
“My uncle would be appalled to see these kinds of actions . . . like vultures,” said business owner Natalie Klein, who is related to former Alberta premier Ralph Klein.
“I’m going to fight for my livelihood.”
The store has since been threatened with a $5,000 fine per day they choose to remain open.
“I do believe Mr. Carritt’s heart is in the right place but we can’t be going off on tangents against council . . . I wish we could have found something else,” said Innisfail Mayor Jim Romane.
“It got council into a bit of a pickle when he got involved with a business proposing to break the rules and the law and it’s not the direction of council.”
