This morning I walked my first grader to school and watched as they took off their toque at the door, slipped the loops of their mask over their little ears, and disappeared into the school.
But starting Monday, kids in Alberta won?t have to wear masks in schools, not even the flimsy, paper-thin ones recently provided by the province. I never expected this disappointing government to pony up N95s for our kids, but I also didn?t expect it to just discontinue COVID precautions at a time when paediatric hospitalizations continue to climb.
In the span of 30 days, the Alberta government went from promising free masks for school children to telling kids that masks are unnecessary. During that same time period, paediatric hospitalizations increased. The reality of the COVID crisis didn?t change over the last month, but the denials of reality got louder and more extreme. 
While my six-year-old was getting their second vaccination, adults were throwing a tantrum at the Coutts border crossing. While my six-year-old was missing out on birthday parties, extremists were partying in Ottawa. While my six-year-old was reading in their classroom (which I have never been allowed to visit, due to COVID), protesters entered another school, yelling about masks and freedom until RCMP officers removed them.
As tensions rose, Alberta?s education minister, Adriana LaGrange, came out of hiding long enough to tweet that ?schools are not an appropriate place to protest public health measures,? but wi...