Quebec passes law banning street prayers, prayer rooms in universities, CEGEPs

Quebec to ban prayer rooms in universities. (photo: Pexels)

Quebec is banning street prayers.

The Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) “super-minister” of identity, Jean-François Roberge, has just passed his bill to strengthen secularism.

The legislation received the support of the Parti Québécois (PQ) while the Liberals and Québec solidaire voted against it.

Minister Roberge has previously stated that street prayers could be considered “acts of provocation.”

Municipalities will be able to authorize them, but only under certain criteria. The new law will also ban the wearing of religious symbols by daycare educators. The government is also extending this ban to teachers and staff at private schools.

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However, there will be a grandfather clause for employees hired before Nov. 27, 2025. The full-face veil will be banned in daycare centres, CEGEPs, and universities for both those receiving services and those providing them.

Religious content

The Legault government is also signalling the end of the road for subsidized private religious schools. These schools will have three years to stop selecting students and teachers based on their religious affiliation and to cease teaching religious content during school hours, otherwise they will lose access to public funds.

Religious activities may still take place in these schools, but only outside of school hours. They must also be optional and not funded by the state.

The minister is also putting an end to prayer rooms in CEGEPs and universities.

The Legault government is thus strengthening its Bill 21 on secularism, which prohibits the wearing of religious symbols by government employees in positions of authority, including judges, police officers, and teachers.

Once again, Quebec is shielding its law from legal challenges with the notwithstanding clause.

Parents are concerned

The PQ is taking some credit for the adoption of this legislation.

“Let’s acknowledge that several ideas in this bill, which will become law, come from the Parti Québécois. We’re dealing with a government that, often when we put forward an idea, reacts by saying it doesn’t make sense. Then, in the end, essentially adopts the same approach we had from the start. So, we believe this is indeed what needs to be done,” said PQ member Alex Boissonneault.

Québec solidaire strongly criticizes the ban on religious symbols for daycare educators.

“Contrary to what the minister says, there will be daycare educators who will lose their jobs if they were hired after Nov. 27 or if they change facilities. This is serious! At a time when we’re facing a crisis in our public services, parents are worried, and women want to work and have someone to care for their children in daycare centres,” said QS spokesperson Ruba Ghazal.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on April 2, 2026.

Thomas Laberge, The Canadian Press