STM bans staff prayers on property starting Sept. 1 under Quebec secularism law
Montreal's transit authority will enforce Bill 9 restrictions, allowing quiet spaces only for meditation and yoga, citing obligations under the province's secularism laws.
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Starting September 1, the STM will prohibit employees from praying on company properties, enforcing Quebec's secularism laws that restrict religious activities at public spaces.
"As a public transit agency, the STM must comply with the obligations that apply to it," an STM spokesperson said in a statement.
The decision follows the province's adoption of Bill 9, which extended bans on wearing religious symbols to daycare workers and expanded restrictions on public prayer. The Coalition Avenir Québec government invoked the notwithstanding clause to shield the legislation from court challenges.
Staff will be permitted to use quiet spaces—previously available for prayer—exclusively for meditation and yoga going forward.
Civil rights advocates and religious groups have criticized Bill 9 as targeting minorities and infringing on their rights. The STM's enforcement signals one of the first transit-sector applications of the broader provincial restrictions, though the agency's decision to formally codify the ban reflects mounting pressure on public institutions to align with the government's secularism framework.
The facts
When does the STM's prayer ban take effect?
The ban begins on September 1, 2026.
What can STM staff use quiet spaces for under the new policy?
STM staff may use quiet spaces exclusively for meditation and yoga.
What is Bill 9?
Bill 9 is Quebec legislation that extended bans on wearing religious symbols to daycare workers and expanded restrictions on public prayer.
