Québec has put forward a law that could see multiculturalism leave town like it’s the Expos.
What happened: The Québec government has proposed a bill that would establish a “common culture” for the province based on the French language and democratic, secular values, with an emphasis on ensuring that newcomers accept and integrate into the culture.
- If passed, the bill would call on the government to develop a model for integrating immigrants, including requiring them to learn French upon arrival.
Catch-up: While multiculturalism was enshrined into Canadian law in 1988, Québec has always rejected the notion. Québec governments instead adopted a parallel model called “interculturalism” that believes equality between groups requires secularism… and French.
Why it matters: This is the first time Québec has proposed measures requiring groups to embrace a specific culture. It comes right as Québec’s controversial law banning religious symbols in some workplaces heads to the Supreme Court on a constitutional challenge.
Zoom out: While such a law would be new to Canada, similar rules exist in some European nations. Countries like Germany and the Netherlands have integration courses and exams for some newcomers, while Swiss municipalities can deny citizenship if you don’t try to fit in.—QH