The province of Québec has introduced a new bill that would bring in major limits on religious expression in public places.
The plan would ban public prayer gatherings and stop schools, hospitals, and day-care centres from offering exclusive halal or kosher meal options.
Minister for secularism Jean‑François Roberge said the proposed law aims to uphold the province’s neutral public identity.
He told reporters, “Quebecers have advanced since 2019, which means it is necessary to strengthen our model of secularism.”
Under the proposed Bill 9, public-sector daycares and government-funded organisations would no longer be allowed to provide meal plans exclusively for religious diets. This means halal or kosher-only menus would be banned.
The bill would also stop staff in daycares, subsidised schools, colleges, and universities from wearing religious symbols such as the hijab, kippah, or turban.
Another change would prevent people from holding group prayer in public spaces — like parks and streets — unless the local council gives permission first.
Civil-liberties groups have already raised concerns. The Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) criticised the bill, calling it “an assault on religious freedoms, equality and basic human dignity.”
“Public spaces belong to everyone,” said the CCLA’s freedom-rights director.
Religious-freedom advocates warn the laws could marginalise faith communities, especially those with dietary requirements and visible religious practices.
The bill follows earlier legislation, Bill 21, that passed in 2019, which banned religious symbols for many public-sector workers.
The Supreme Court of Canada is preparing to hear a challenge to this bill next year, meaning the wider national debate is ongoing.
Similar restrictions exist in parts of Europe, such as France’s ban on religious symbols in schools.