WATCH: What do BC parents really think about no forced masking in schools?

British Columbia's provincial health officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry, was forced to defend the province's school reopening plan last month as some are claiming it isn't stringent enough in trying to prevent the spread of COVID-19. 

According to the Canadian Press:

The guidelines released [August 25] encourage pupils and others to get vaccinated and to stay home when they are sick, while masking remains optional and is described as being a “personal or family choice.”

Henry, who called compulsory masking a “blunt tool,” said the province will monitor the spread of COVID-19 and other viruses, and be ready to employ temporary measures when and if they are needed.

“We need to tailor the measures that we have for what we’re dealing with now, and I think these are the appropriate measures for as we’re heading into the fall,” she said in an interview [on August 26].

“We are in a very different place than we were even a year ago with the high level of immunity and the exposure to the virus that we’ve had, and the virus itself has changed to where it’s much more transmissible but doesn’t cause severe illness.”

Although the province apparently has no plans to reinstate a mask mandate, mainstream media headlines are emphasizing that parents and teachers' groups are claiming that the reopening plan doesn't go far enough. 

What do B.C. parents really think of masking rules in schools? We took to the streets to find out.

Opinions were mixed. Some were satisfied with it being a personal choice for parents to make, while others noted that masking in general is "suffocating" for little kids. "I think it really depends on the numbers," one woman said. "Unless the numbers are really high, I don't see a reason for it."

"Kids don't like to wear masks," said one dad. "It's uncomfortable." 

"I think it should be mandated, actually." When asked for how long, she added, "as long as it's necessary. As long as this disease is around, as long as we don't have enough protection, we don't know much about it, we should actually be proactive about that and wear masks. And I don't think that's a big ask, to be honest."

We also spoke to three kids about their experience wearing masks. They agreed masking was a personal choice, but all three said that wearing it was a negative experience. "I hated it," one said. "That's it."