STM, a Montreal-based transit agency, has announced that employees will no longer be permitted to engage in religious activities such as prayer on company-owned properties. Starting September 1, the company will be enforcing Quebec’s secularism laws, which prohibit religious activities in public spaces.
A spokesperson for STM explained that as a public transit agency, they are required to comply with the relevant legal obligations. Going forward, staff will only be allowed to utilize designated quiet spaces – previously used for prayers – for activities such as meditation and yoga.
This decision follows the implementation of Bill 9 in the province, which expands the ban on wearing religious symbols to include daycare workers and public prayers. The government of Coalition Avenir Québec passed this legislation, utilizing the notwithstanding clause to prevent legal challenges.
Critics, including civil rights advocates and religious groups, have raised concerns about the law, viewing it as discriminatory towards minorities and a violation of their rights.
