Montreal’s public transit agency is telling employees they can no longer pray on workplace property, as parts of Quebec’s new secularism law come into effect on Sept. 1.
Law adopted in April prohibits prayer rooms in public institutions
The Canadian Press · Posted: Aug 31, 2026 2:15 PM EDT | Last Updated: 4 hours ago
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A student performs his afternoon prayer in the Muslim Students’ Association prayer room at Concordia University in November 2025. (Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press)
Montreal’s public transit agency is telling employees they can no longer pray on workplace property, as parts of Quebec’s new secularism law come into effect on Sept. 1.
The Quebec government adopted a law in April that prohibits prayer rooms in public institutions which include colleges, universities and transit agencies.
It also banned public prayer without explicit municipal consent.
The Société de transport de Montréal (STM) says it has four rooms that employees can use for silent activities such as meditation and yoga, and that could previously be used for prayer.
The agency says signs have been posted outside the rooms to remind people of the ban, and said supervisors who witness religious practices should address the matter with the employee.
A spokesperson for the National Council of Canadian Muslims says the new law undercuts Quebecers’ religious freedoms while sowing division in the province.
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