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I grew up watching a black and white television. We had two channels CBS and NBC. Saturday morning, we watched Roy Rogers and Dale Evans chase down bandits who wore face masks. The William Tell Overture announced that the mask man was protecting people of the west. All the villains of those western dusters wore masks.
It was not until Terry Sawchuck put on a mask that goalies adopted that safety feature. It was almost a decade later that minor hockey adopted the policy that all players would wear face masks. There was lots of debate questioning the need for professional players to wear masks to protect themselves. Today that questioning has been long forgotten.
Similar stories can be repeated on the introduction of seat belts and infant and toddler seats in cars. We eventually recognized their value and adopted those items for our safety and that of our children.
Today the need to wear face masks is being questioned. Even before the coronavirus, it was common to see thousands of people in Seoul wearing face masks on their subways and streets. With the virus, the government of South Korea made wearing masks mandatory. Other nations around the world have followed the example.
We have learned over the past five months of social isolation that wearing a mask protects others from catching the virus from you. With everyone wearing a mask the spread is greatly reduced.
The Thunder Bay District Health Unit (TBDHU) has issued an order making face masks mandatory in indoor spaces in its service area as of July 24. Similar orders have been issued across the province. But not all governments have the courage to make wearing face masks mandatory.
It has taken the leadership of many major retail corporations to have their staff wear masks and require their customers to also wear masks. Lead by Costco, Walmart, Sam’s Club, Best Buy, and many grocery chains, shoppers are adopting the new norm.
And those masks have become a fashion statement. I like the two my wife has sewn for me, but retailers have created a myriad of designs and colors to mirror your personality. Unfortunately, only 55 per cent of adults in Canada put on a mask when they leave home. Women far outnumber men in wearing masks. In Canada 67 per cent of Canadians support wearing of masks in public place.
This past Saturday the Quebec government made the wearing of masks in public places mandatory.
With a mask, sunglasses, and a baseball cap, I have become a stranger meeting friend. The giveaway is my voice when I speak. We will all grow comfortable wearing masks in public just as we automatically buckle up our seat belts.