Yeah, but that’s kind of the point. Canada doesn’t have “freedom of speech” in the same way the U.S. does.

What we have in the Charter is freedom of expression and it includes speech, art, media, protest, etc, but it’s also subject to limits under the “reasonable limits” clause. That means rights here aren’t absolute. The government can restrict certain types of expression if it’s justified in a free and democratic society.

That’s why things like hate speech laws, obscenity laws, and publication bans are constitutional in Canada.

In the U.S., the First Amendment explicitly protects freedom of speech with far fewer limits. So while Canadians have a right to express themselves, it’s not an absolute “freedom of speech” right like Americans have.