Article content

When the town of Hérouxville adopted its notorious “life code” in 2007, outlawing wife-burning, stoning, acid-throwing and face coverings, it was a law in search of a target.

While it was aimed ostensibly at new immigrants (a.k.a. Muslims), there were few, if any, newcomers actually living in the small village north of Trois-Rivières. It was more of a message of unwelcome to anyone of different religions or cultures who might have been considering settling there — one that trumpeted a view of outsiders rooted in extreme stereotypes and steeped in xenophobia. It was largely symbolic in effect, though no less repugnant.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Allison Hanes: Montreal will bear the brunt of Bill 21 Back to video

Similarly, the Coalition Avenir Québec’s Bill 21, tabled last week in the National Assembly, is a solution in search of a problem. It will have little to no effect in vast swaths of the province where it seems most popular. In remote regions and quaint bedroom communities where diversity is a distant concept, there are no teachers, police officers, prison guards, judges, wildlife officers or labour arbiters who wear turbans, kippahs or hijabs. So the proposed law affecting public employees in positions of authority is essentially useless.