SYDNEY — Unless Nova Scotia’s public health directives change in the coming weeks, Cape Breton University students will return to classes this fall in a mask-free environment.
With the likes of St. Francis Xavier, Dalhousie and New Brunswick’s Mount Allison universities opting to maintain mandatory masking protocols within indoor spaces, CBU said it has no plans at the moment to implement similar measures when students start the fall semester next month.
“At this time, Cape Breton University does not have any COVID-19-related mandates in place,” CBU spokesperson Jill Ellsworth said in an emailed statement. “As we have throughout the pandemic, CBU continues to align with (the province’s) public health. Vaccinations and masking are recommended on campus and social distancing is still encouraged wherever possible.
“We continue to monitor the situation closely and are prepared to adjust our approach should the need arise.”
Policy ended June 30
According to a university update from June 21, a masking protocol had been in effect until the end of that month, wherein “masks will only be required in classroom and laboratory spaces” from June 24-30, CBU’s website stated.
“This transition period will allow the campus community time to adjust to a mask-free environment as of June 30. This adjustment will allow our campus to better align with community policy and focus masking efforts on learning spaces during the final week that the policy is in effect.”
To date, CBU, Saint Mary’s University and Acadia University’s policies encourage mask-wearing in indoor spaces but the practice will remain voluntary.
Decisions left up to universities
Mount Allison issued its mandatory mask requirement on July 21, followed by St. FX four days later, then Dal on Aug. 11.
Mount Saint Vincent University’s mandatory protocol currently applies to its health and counselling offices and accessibility services; elsewhere on the campus, it’s no longer mandatory but still “strongly recommended.”
While no one from the province’s Department of Advanced Education was available to speak on the matter, the department did say that any decision to reinstate mask-wearing protocols would be left at the discretion of post-secondary institutions.
“Each institution is responsible for making independent operational decisions based on the most recent public health advice. We encourage students to get vaccinated and take the time to understand the rules at your post-secondary school to make for the best possible learning experience,” department spokesperson Monica MacLean said in an emailed statement.
Aligning with provincial mandates
CBU removed the face-masking protocols back in March — one of the first universities to do so — to align with the province’s lifting of public health protection mandates.
Tanya Brann-Barrett, associate vice-president of academic and research, told the Cape Breton Post back in March like they have in the past, they are following directives from public health.
“We are still highly encouraging people to make informed decisions around what they can do to keep themselves, their colleagues, their students safe,” Brann-Barrett, who chaired CBU's Return to Campus committee, said at the time.
In some cases, curated CBU events — such as June’s special convocation at the Boardmore Theatre to honour Canada’s ambassador to the United Nations, Bob Rae — attendees were asked to wear masks — and protocols were followed.
No updates from NSCC
The same decision-making scenario appears to also apply to the Nova Scotia Community College’s Marconi campus, near CBU, as there have been no recent updates beyond a president’s message to students back in March.
“As of Monday, March 21, masks will continue to be strongly recommended but not mandatory on our sites. There will be some discretion in health programs where masking may still be a requirement. Those programs will be communicated with prior to the deadline,” read a statement posted on March 1.
'Normal year' expected for schools
It is unclear whether the Cape Breton-Victoria Regional Centre for Education may or may not implement any similar protocols for the 2022-23 school year. Mask mandates in elementary and high schools in Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador and Prince Edward Island were lifted on May 24.
Yet in an emailed statement, the province’s Department Education and Early Childhood Development said they too will be closely monitoring the ever-changing COVID-19 pandemic situation.
For now, department spokesperson Susan Mader-Zinck said, “We are looking forward to a more normal start to school this year. We always put the well-being of staff and students first and we will continue to work with and take our guidance from public health. As we have since the beginning of the pandemic, we are ready to respond as necessary to the challenges of COVID.”
Ian Nathanson is a political reporter at the Cape Breton Post. Follow him on Twitter at @CBPost_Ian.
