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 Quebec from the Canadian Multiculturalism Act, meaning the federal multiculturalism policy would not apply there.
Key Changes
- Adds a new section (2.1) to the Canadian Multiculturalism Act stating the Act does not apply in Quebec
- Would remove Quebec from the scope of federal multiculturalism policy
- Recognizes in the preamble that Quebecers form a nation with their own tools to define identity and values
Gotchas
- The Canadian Multiculturalism Act primarily applies to federal institutions, so this exemption would affect how federal bodies operate in Quebec, not necessarily provincial or municipal ones
- Quebec already uses an 'interculturalism' model rather than multiculturalism, so this bill would formalize an existing philosophical difference in policy approach
- The bill does not specify what framework, if any, would replace the Act's obligations for federal institutions operating in Quebec
- As a Private Member's Bill, it has a lower likelihood of passing without government support
- The bill raises constitutional questions about whether a single province can be carved out of a federal statute that applies to federal institutions nationwide
Who's Affected
- Quebec residents and communities
- Federal institutions operating in Quebec that currently follow multiculturalism guidelines
- Ethnocultural and minority communities in Quebec
- Quebec provincial government
Vibes
0 responses
Gotchas
- The Canadian Multiculturalism Act primarily applies to federal institutions, so this exemption would affect how federal bodies operate in Quebec, not necessarily provincial or municipal ones
- Quebec already uses an 'interculturalism' model rather than multiculturalism, so this bill would formalize an existing philosophical difference in policy approach
- The bill does not specify what framework, if any, would replace the Act's obligations for federal institutions operating in Quebec
- As a Private Member's Bill, it has a lower likelihood of passing without government support
- The bill raises constitutional questions about whether a single province can be carved out of a federal statute that applies to federal institutions nationwide
Summary
Bill C-245 is a Private Member's Bill introduced by Mr. Barsalou-Duval on September 23, 2025. It proposes a single change to the Canadian Multiculturalism Act: adding a clause that says the Act does not apply in Quebec. The bill's preamble explains the reasoning behind it — that Quebecers form a distinct nation and already have their own tools to define their identity and protect their values, including the French language, the separation of church and state, and gender equality. The sponsor argues that Quebec does not need the federal multiculturalism framework because it has its own approach to managing diversity and identity. This bill reflects a long-standing debate in Quebec about whether federal multiculturalism policy aligns with Quebec's own model of interculturalism, which emphasizes integration into a French-speaking society rather than the preservation of multiple distinct cultural identities side by side.
Automatically generated from bill text using Claude
Vibes
0 responses
Recorded Votes
| Date | Description | Yeas | Nays | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 4, 2026 | 2nd reading of Bill C-245, An Act to amend the Canadian Multiculturalism Act (non-application in Quebec) | 22 | 307 | Negatived |