A major Quebec city has released a "statement of values" aimed at immigrants, giving them advice ranging from the illegality of honour killings and bribing public officials to cooking smelly foods.
The Gatineau city document may remind some of the infamous 2007 code of conduct from Herouxville, Que, a town of 1,300 with few immigrants that thought it necessary to mention it explicitly banned stonings.
But Gatineau is a city of 250,000 with a fast-grow immigrant population. The city says it released the guide to help newcomers learn "how to interact."
Among the set of guidelines, the Gatineau document says that violence, physical or sexual, is "negatively perceived."
While the document covers some of the basics of Canadian life -- men and women are equal, French is the official language of Quebec – there is a wide variety of advice.
Bribing public officials is forbidden, one page says. Religion indoctrination is "often not well perceived," says another.
A section regarding "hygiene, cleanliness and quality of life" says that good neighbours respect other people when it comes to smoking cigarettes and the "strong odors emanating from cooking."
Another section talks about the importance of punctuality and suggests showing up a few minutes early to appointments.
On the cover of the 20-page document is a picture of an elderly woman hugging a young white girl and a black boy.
Gatineau has the highest level of immigration per capita in Quebec, and has the second-fastest growing immigrant population in Canada, after Edmonton.
The Quebec government funded the Gatineau document.
The 2007 code of conduct from Herouxville received attention around the world for explicitly mentioning that stoning women and burning them with acid is illegal in the town.
