C-245 (45-1) - An Act to amend the Canadian Multiculturalism Act (non-application in Quebec)
Chamber
commons
Stage
2nd Reading
Introduced
Sep 23, 2025
Progress
This bill would exempt the province of Quebec from the Canadian Multiculturalism Act.
Key Changes
- Adds a new section (2.1) to the Canadian Multiculturalism Act explicitly stating the Act does not apply in Quebec
- Quebec would be formally exempt from federal multiculturalism policy obligations
- Federal institutions operating in Quebec would no longer be required to follow the Act's multicultural guidelines within the province
- Recognizes in law that Quebecers form a nation with the right to define their own identity and values
Gotchas
- This would create a unique asymmetry in Canadian law, where one province is explicitly excluded from a federal statute that applies to all other provinces
- Quebec has its own integration framework based on 'interculturalism,' which emphasizes integration around a common French-language civic culture rather than the federal multiculturalism model
- The bill does not specify how existing federal programs or obligations under the Act currently delivered in Quebec would be handled after the exemption takes effect
- As a Private Member's Bill introduced by a Bloc Québécois MP, it has a low likelihood of passing without broader parliamentary support
- The bill could raise questions about the constitutional division of powers and whether other provinces could seek similar exemptions from federal legislation
Who's Affected
- The province of Quebec and its residents
- Federal institutions and agencies operating in Quebec
- Immigrant and minority communities in Quebec who may be affected by federal multicultural programs
- Federal public servants working in Quebec
Vibes
0 responses
Gotchas
- This would create a unique asymmetry in Canadian law, where one province is explicitly excluded from a federal statute that applies to all other provinces
- Quebec has its own integration framework based on 'interculturalism,' which emphasizes integration around a common French-language civic culture rather than the federal multiculturalism model
- The bill does not specify how existing federal programs or obligations under the Act currently delivered in Quebec would be handled after the exemption takes effect
- As a Private Member's Bill introduced by a Bloc Québécois MP, it has a low likelihood of passing without broader parliamentary support
- The bill could raise questions about the constitutional division of powers and whether other provinces could seek similar exemptions from federal legislation
Summary
Bill C-245 is a Private Member's Bill introduced by Mr. Barsalou-Duval that would add a single new section to the Canadian Multiculturalism Act stating that the Act does not apply in Quebec. The Canadian Multiculturalism Act is a federal law that recognizes and promotes the multicultural heritage of Canadians and guides how federal institutions approach diversity and inclusion. The bill's preamble argues that Quebecers form a distinct nation and already have the tools to define their own identity and protect their shared values — including the French language, the separation of church and state, and gender equality. The bill reflects a long-standing position held by some Quebec politicians, particularly from the Bloc Québécois, that federal multiculturalism policy conflicts with Quebec's own approach to integration, which is based on the concept of interculturalism rather than multiculturalism. If passed, Quebec would be the only province formally excluded from the scope of this federal law, meaning federal institutions operating in Quebec would no longer be bound by its requirements in the same way as elsewhere in Canada.
Automatically generated from bill text using Claude
Vibes
0 responses