Montrealers, please don't have large Christmas gatherings up north, urges Laurentians mayor

The mayor of a popular tourist town just north of Montreal has a message for residents in nearby red zones: do not flock to the Laurentians to organize large gatherings for Christmas.

Much of the Laurentians region is designated as an orange zone, and Morin-Heights Mayor Tim Watchorn wants it to stay that way.

"If the cases start going up and spreading because people don't respect the rules and don't stay in the red zones, thenall our businesses will be closed, our cases are going to spike and we'll end up in a red zone also,"Watchorn told CBC Montreal's Daybreak.

On Thursday, the province's premier announced Christmas gatherings in red zones would be banned. Two gatherings of up to 10 people are stillallowed in yellow zones. People in orange zones can get together in groups of six.

As recently as three weeks ago, sensing that more and more visitors from other regions were popping up, mayors in the Laurentians asked the Quebec government to put in police checkpoints in the area.

Franois Legault denied the request, and on Thursday, he shot down the idea once again.

"I think the key will be to make sure people respect the rules in stores, in homes" said Legault. "I think it's more important that we put police efforts in these directions than putting efforts on controlling the travelling between regions."

If people do decide to head to the Laurentians for Christmas, the executive director of Mont-Tremblant's tourism board says the least they can do is stay with people from their households, and avoid going to indoor public places.

"We'd like to remind that they have to stay together with the same address," said Daniel Blier. "They cannot gather with other people. They cannot go to bars or restaurants, except for takeout."

Watchorn says he doesn't mind people travelling to the Laurentians for outdoor activities. It's the indoor gatherings that worry him, as well as what he considers to be a lack of willingness by the province to enforce public health guidelines.

He is encouraging Montrealers and others with properties up northto visitduring the holidays, but is urging them to respect the rules.

"Spend Christmas up here, it's beautiful," he said. "Go cross-country skiing, go fat biking, do what you have to do but just don't do huge gatherings. We don't need our health-care workers up here and in Montreal to suffer through the next couple months because we didn't respect the rules."

WATCH |Dr. Ccile Tremblay on the positives of a scaled down Christmas:

There are advantages to having small Christmas celebrations, expert says

4 years ago

Duration 0:52

Infectious diseases specialist Dr. Ccile Tremblay says in all likelihood, big Christmas gatherings will be allowed again in Quebec next year, after being cancelled in much of the province due to the pandemic. In the meantime, there are advantages to a smaller celebration, she says.