Montreal’s public transit agency sends reminder to employees
Montreal's public transit agency has informed employees that praying on its property will be prohibited starting Sept. 1.
The Société de transport de Montréal (STM) recently notified staff of the change, reported CTV News, which stems from Bill 9, adopted by the Quebec legislature on April 2.
The bill bans prayer in public places and public institutions, building on the earlier Bill 21, which barred public servants in positions of authority from wearing religious symbols at work.
An STM spokesperson told the publication that the agency had previously made four reflection rooms available to employees for quiet activities.
"Effective Sept. 1, however, prayer will no longer be permitted in these rooms or anywhere else on STM facilities and grounds," the spokesperson said. The rooms themselves will stay open for meditation, relaxation, and yoga, and signage explaining the new restriction will be posted at their entrances.
Earlier this year, Quebec officially expanded its secularism law, in adopting Bill 9, An Act respecting the reinforcement of laicity in Quebec — a sweeping law that tightens rules around religious symbols, prayer, accommodations and institutional practices across childcare, education, health care and other publicly funded sectors.
'Discriminatory' practice
Shaheen Ashraf, a member of the Canadian Council of Muslim Women, criticized the policy in an interview with CTV News, calling it "discriminatory" and describing it as another example of the provincial government "antagonizing Muslims."
"I don't know why it bothers them, because people can sit in a corner and say their prayers quietly, and people might think they're meditating, but they will be saying their prayers."
Under Bill 9, collective prayer in streets, parks, and other public spaces requires prior authorization from the local municipality. A legal analysis published by the Canadian Council of Christian Charities noted that the legislation carries the threat of fines for groups found in violation of the prohibition, and warned that the scope of the ban is broad enough that even traditional practices such as funeral processions or commemorative prayers could theoretically fall within it.
Jean-François Roberge, Quebec's minister responsible for secularism, has pointed to demonstrations, including prayer at pro-Palestinian protests, as part of the government's rationale. "It's shocking to see people blocking traffic, taking possession of the public space without a permit, without warning, and then turning our streets, our parks, our public squares into places of worship," he said, as reported by ReligionUnplugged.com.
Pending court challenge
Civil rights groups and Muslim community organizations have already challenged Bill 21, and that case is still before the Supreme Court of Canada, according to CTV News.
The top court heard arguments in March from groups including the English Montreal School Board, which contested the law's validity, according to the report.
A ruling has not yet been issued.
HR teams in Quebec are facing a different landscape on religion at work than their counterparts elsewhere in Canada. With Bills 94 and 9, the provincial government has tightened bans on religious symbols, extended face-uncovered rules and lowered the threshold for refusing religious accommodation in key public-facing sectors.
