The petition calls on Ontario to reverse injunction banning online sales of prescription glasses, contacts.
According to the group Canadians for Eyewear Choice, consumers have been buying glasses and contact lenses online for nearly two decades in Ontario with no significant negative consequences. (Michelle Siu/Canadian Press)

A court battle pitting Ontario’s optometrists and opticians against online corrective lens retailers have consumers caught in the crossfire.

In January an Ontario judge issued an injunction forbidding retailers from selling prescription eyewear unless it’s dispensed by an optometrist, optician, or physician licensed to practice in the province. That would effectively ban the online sale of corrective lenses.

The injunction has stayed pending an appeal which is scheduled to begin May 17.

The situation has sparked some consumer backlash including an online petition, organized by a group called Canadians for Eyewear Choice.

The petition, which by Thursday had collected more than 2,400 signatures, calls on the provincial government to introduce legislation that will allow the continuing online sale of glasses and contacts without costly regulatory oversight.