MELFORT — A large part of a politician’s job is getting out into the communities they represent.
Due to COVID-19, this has been challenging for Randy Hoback, MP for Prince Albert, but still an important part of his job.
The drive-thru barbecues across his riding have allowed him to do this while taking into account everyone’s safety, including a recent one in Melfort on Aug. 19.
Since COVID-19 has also made fundraising difficult for local non-profit organizations, especially during the summer months when a lot of their fundraising is done, the barbecue doubled as a way to raise money for the Melfort Royal Canadian Legion Branch #30.
“It's just a good time to get out with people and just show that we're still active in the community and helping out,” he said.
While the barbecue was supposed to take place at the beginning of August, an increase of COVID-19 cases in the northeast part of the province pushed the event back until case numbers dropped.
Outbreaks are going to happen, Hoback said, and we have to be able to adapt and deal with it as quickly as possible.
Everything at these barbecues are as no contact as organizers can make it with visitors not needing to leave their vehicles and volunteers wearing masks and gloves as they serve food.
Even while respecting the rules of COVID, Hoback wants to be active and connect with people as safely as possible. That’s part of the job whether COVID-19 is in the community or not, he said.
“We're looking for new ideas and new ways of doing that. This is one way that I think is very effective.”
Part of Hoback’s job has always included travelling to Ottawa to be on Parliament Hill and in the House of Commons and that hasn’t changed either with the arrival of COVID-19. So far, Hoback has travelled to Ottawa three times with a fourth starting Aug. 21.
COVID-19 guidelines have been more rigid than in Ontario compared to Saskatchewan, he said, and he said he has had to take that into account. Zoom and phone meetings have also been a regular part of his job as of late but all of that is needed as government work continues despite a global pandemic.
Hoback held a similar barbeque in Nipawin on Aug. 4 and will hold one in Tisdale Sunday, Aug. 30 at the Tisdale and District Museum from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
