Making Masks Mandatory Is Not A Civil Liberties Issue

Scientists agree that masks help stop the spread of COVID-19. So why aren't Canadian governments making them mandatory? Is this just general Canadian politeness? Or is there a real concern that such orders may not stand up to a court challenge?

So far, few Canadian authorities have made masks mandatory in public indoor spaces such as stores, places of worship, or public transit. This list includes the municipality of Côte St.-Luc in Quebec, the Guelph medical health unit in Ontario, and a slowly growing number of public transit authorities in Ottawa, Brampton and now Mississauga.

This leaves Canada trailing behind the more than 80 countries and 10 U.S. states that have already mandated masks.