Five things to know about Quebec government’s new secularism bill

A man wears a yarmulke during a demonstration opposing the Quebec government's newly tabled Bill 21 in Montreal, Sunday, April 14, 2019. (THE CANADIAN PRESS / Graham Hughes)

The Quebec government has tabled new legislation that would introduce broad new restrictions on religious practices in public and private spaces.

On Thursday, Secularism Minister Jean-François Roberge said the bill is part of Quebec’s decades-long process of secularization. “This is how we live in Quebec, and this is how we’re going to continue to live,” he said.

Here are five things to know about Quebec’s new secularism bill.

No more public prayer

The new legislation would ban “collective religious practice” on public roads and in parks, except for events that are authorized on a case-by-case basis by municipalities. The move comes in response to Muslim prayers taking place during pro-Palestinian demonstrations, which Roberge called a “provocation.” People could be fined for violating the ban.

No more kosher-only meals

Public institutions would no longer be allowed to offer menus based exclusively on a religious tradition – for example, halal or kosher meals. On Thursday, Roberge said this would apply to facilities including Montreal’s Jewish General Hospital, which offers a kosher menu. The hospital could continue to offer kosher food, he said, but must offer other options as well. The rule would also apply to subsidized daycares.

Limits on funding for private religious schools

If the bill is passed, the government would no longer fund private schools that teach religion during classroom hours or that select students or staff based on religious criteria. Roberge was unable to say how many schools would be affected by the change, but said they will have three years to adapt.

No more prayer rooms

Religious activities will no longer be allowed in public institutions, which means prayer rooms in colleges and universities will be closed by September 2026, Roberge said. Institutions where people live, including prisons and long-term care homes, will be exempt from the prohibition.

Expanded ban on religious symbols

The bill would ban religious symbols, including hijabs and turbans, for people working in daycares, colleges and universities. It would also ban full face coverings, including the niqab, for anyone in those institutions, including students. The same rules have already been applied to elementary and high schools in a separate bill passed this fall.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 27, 2025.

By Maura Forrest, The Canadian Press