I can't speak for the current Sport Chek/retail offerings, but I have an old itech 1200 mask that has the CSA certification stickers on it, but it's basically plastic and not something I would recommend for anything other than ball hockey.
The mask I use is a Hackva which is solid (was lightly used, had to replace some of the padding but still got a good deal on it). Sportmask might be another brand worth looking into.
For a beginner, you probably don't have to worry as much about taking 90 mph clappers to the head. Having said that, beginner players don't have the best accuracy either, so shots to the head are a real possibility (especially in warmups!).
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