EDMONTON – Universities that require masks on campus are in the minority as the fall semester and the prospect of another wave of COVID-19 infections loom.
Despite the lifting of provincial and territorial mask requirements, some post-secondary institutions have decided to keep them for the safety of staff and students. ”At the moment, I think there is still risk of waves of significant illness, and caution makes sense to me,” said Dr. Lynora Saxinger, an infectious disease specialist with the University of Alberta, where masking is encouraged, but not required, in most settings.
Fourteen out of 83 universities surveyed by The Canadian Press through email, interviews and online notices say they will require students and employees to mask up in different settings on campus.
Western University in London, Ont., and an affiliated school, Huron University College, were the only ones surveyed that have vaccine mandates. “While we can’t predict when the next wave of COVID-19 might come, we believe these measures will help us protect the in-person experience that Western is known for,” Western provost Florentine Strzelczyk said in a statement posted to the university’s website. At Dalhousie University in Halifax, masks must be worn in classrooms and instructional spaces. They’re voluntary in all other indoor spaces such as hallways, libraries and learning commons. Dalhousie does not have a vaccine requirement. Dalhousie Student Union was not part of the decision-making, but it fully supports the mandate, said spokesperson Janet Bryson. The Student Union Building is not an instructional space, so masking is not mandatory there…
Source: ctvnews.ca
Thursday, May 7, 2026
