Bill 21 Fundraising Web Page

Today, June 16th marks the third anniversary of the passing of Quebec’s Bill 21.

Bill 21 prohibits public servants like teachers, judges and police officers from wearing religious symbols such as a cross, turban, kippah or hijab. This discriminatory law directly violates Section 2 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and unfairly targets religious minorities and racialized communities. We’ve seen the impact of the law this past December when a teacher in Chelsea, Quebec was removed from the classroom for wearing a hijab.

If someone had told me ten years ago that such a law would exist in Canada, I would never have believed it. After the reckonings we’ve had about equity, diversity and inclusion, it’s deeply troubling to see laws like this persist in Canada, which is why municipalities like Brampton, Toronto, Ottawa, London, Kingston, Victoria and Winnipeg have stood up to support the legal challenge launched against Bill 21 by the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, National Council of Canadian Muslims, and the World Sikh Organization of Canada.

Today I’m pleased to see Calgary join their ranks. This morning the City of Calgary launched a fundraising page for the joint legal challenge, so that everyday Calgarians can show their support. It underscores the City’ of Calgary's commitment to anti-racism and can be found at Calgary.ca/bill21