Saskatoon business owner says request for customers to remove mask about public safety, not politics

A quick and chaotic armed robbery during which business owner Jeffrey Lundstrom had a gun pointed in his face has him asking his patrons to take off their mask as they enter his shop.

But he doesn't want people to think he's part of the anti-mask movement.

Lundstrom says the robbery, which took place on Dec. 1, involved five people and ended with Lundstrom, the owner of Skunk Funk Smoker's Emporium, staring down the barrel of a gun. He said one of the robbers pulled the gun while Lundstrom was chasing him from the store.

Now, as a safety precaution, he's asking people to remove their mask, even if just briefly, to look at one of his many security cameras before shopping, as two of the alleged suspects were wearing dark-coloured surgical masks.

"The masks just make us unsettled," he said, noting this isn't the first time his business has been robbed.

"I've gone from believing that everybody out there is coming to shop, to everybody out there is coming to rob me, so it's tough as a business owner and I feel defeated and frustrated by this situation." 

Lundstrom said he wants to ensure people understand the request is about public safety, not politics, as he doesn't want to see the request for mask removal hijacked by members of the province's anti-lockdown movement.

"We're not trying to be anti-mask, anti-establishment, defiant, anything of that nature. We're simply trying to protect ourselves, the staff and keep our business open. We're already struggling," he said. "Small businesses are at the biggest risk of losing everything during this pandemic." 

He said he is doing everything he can to help the business survive, frustration present in his voice.

"I don't want to get robbed just as much as I don't want to get Corona."

Under Saskatchewan's public health orders, masks are mandatory in all public indoor spaces, but a statement from the Ministry of Health noted there are times when face masks are not required.

The statement gave an example of a staff or owner of a business with age restrictions asking someone to remove their mask for a short period in order to confirm their age.

The Saskatoon Police Service said in a statement that while people are now required to wear masks, the mandate has not slowed down officers in the city in their work.

"While individuals are less identifiable wearing masks, it has not affected the good investigative work our officers do," said the statement, noting video surveillance is also helpful in an investigation. 

Police statistics say that from October 2019 to October 2020, there has been a 1.3 per cent drop in armed robberies in the city.