Exactly, the Globe has purposefully ignored the main issue due to a misguided commitment to political correctness under the guise of "diversity". The main issue is how Canada as a society confronts assertive political Islamism (or the idea that society should be governed by religious codes). The social division and community segregation synonymous with face coverings all over the world speaks for itself - the niqab is a symbol of a belief system with an unapologetic hostility to western values of gender equality, freedom of expression (including religious satire and critical analysis of religion), LGBT rights, etc. 
Turkey (a majority muslim country) used to ban head coverings due to concerns about the unquenchable thirst for power from Turkey's conservative religious base - it's taken one Islamist government under 10 years to roll back 90 years of secular progress. Political Islamism encourages female subjugation "masked" as pious duty and modesty and should be opposed accordingly.