St. Catharines City Council will meet Monday to decide if masks should be mandatory when in public indoor spaces.
Mayor Walter Sendzik tells CKTB he is in favour of making face coverings mandatory and will support the by-law.
The proposed by-law states that residents are to wear masks, or face coverings, inside spaces in which members of the public are within close proximity, to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Sendzik says when there is a clear message or mandate, businesses step up and enforce it.
He says most businesses support the idea, and are already doing it.
Sendzik says Niagara's Acting Medical Officer of Health Dr. Mustafa Hirji is starting to come around to the idea.
Sendzik says the evidence of mask wearing shows it's another tool in fighting COVID.
The proposed by-law would leave it to businesses to enforce mask wearing.
"When you look at St. Catharines and Niagara Falls and see the amount of people coming in from the GTA, if we aren't protecting local residents, we have failed. We are trying to protect our whole community and economy."