On the benches of the school
With the exception of private schools, attended by a minority of Quebecers, primary and secondary education is generally free until the age of 17. Thereafter, students or their parents are responsible for the costs, which vary according to the program of study and type of school. In Quebec, the CEGEP bridges the gap between high school and university. This period normally lasts 2 or 3 years; but because students are free to make their own schedules, it can extend over several years. The phenomenon of dropping out or dropping out of school is not independent of the fact that many students have to pay for their post-secondary education themselves. For some students who have to work while pursuing their studies, the easy money they earn at work may seem more rewarding than a university degree. The cost of an undergraduate university education varies from province to province: in Quebec, the average student pays between CAD 3,500 and CAD 5,000 in tuition fees per year. That's not much compared to the U.S., but too much according to the province's student associations, which are constantly fighting government institutions to freeze tuition fees.
At work
Quebec's working population numbers over 4.5 million. However, with an aging population and a low birth rate, the province is facing a growing labor shortage. As proof, the unemployment rate reached an all-time low in January 2023, at 3.9%. Jobs in information technology, industry, transportation, financial services, tourism, customer service, education and healthcare are desperately seeking takers, especially in the regions, where the number of vacancies is exploding. Entrepreneurship is also strongly encouraged, with tax incentives, subsidies, start-up support and growth management. Economic immigration is therefore on everyone's lips, and every means is being used to attract skilled workers - ideally French-speaking - to settle in Quebec. Interested parties are well advised, especially since Quebec's labor relations have a good reputation, being less formal and hierarchical than in Europe. The job market is also more flexible, telecommuting opportunities are multiplying, and work-life balance and social life after work are becoming more and more imperatives.
Unions and births
The Canadian government redefined the concept of family during the last mandate of Prime Minister Jean Chrétien. In 2000, based on the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, Parliament extended the obligations and benefits of couples to all couples, including same-sex couples. In short, cohabitants, whether same-sex or not, have the same rights as married spouses. A large majority of them are therefore living in a common-law relationship, while the institution of marriage is in decline.
This open-mindedness was confirmed in June 2005 when the federal government legislated same-sex marriage with the Civil Marriage Act. However, at the time of the adoption of this law, same-sex marriage was already legal in Quebec following the 2004 Court of Appeal decision.
While the birth rate has long been maintained at 20-40 children per 1,000 inhabitants, with a historic peak in 1959 at the heart of the baby boom, it has been falling since the end of the 1960s, when the Quiet Revolution brought a brutal halt to the birth rate policy that had been in place for the past two centuries. Today, it stands at about 10 children per 1,000 inhabitants.
Sexual diversity
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and Two-Spirit (LGBTQ2) people are protected from discrimination and harassment based on sex, sexual orientation or gender identity or expression. These rights are protected by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the Canadian Human Rights Act, and specific laws in Quebec. Canada is also one of the few countries in the world to allow same-sex marriage, and has done so since 2005.
In Quebec, the Gay Village of Montreal is one of the largest in North America. Its nightlife and festivals have made it a favorite neighborhood for the LGBTQ2 community. Montreal hosted the Gay Games in 2006 and Pride Canada Montreal in 2017.
Rights and freedoms
The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which has been part of the Canadian Constitution since the Constitution Act, 1982, protects Canada's free and democratic society. These rights and freedoms are considered essential and are protected and recognized for Canadian citizens, permanent residents and newcomers alike: freedom of expression, the right to vote, freedom of conscience and religion, the right to equality for all, the rights of Aboriginal peoples, the rights of English and French linguistic minorities to an education in their own language, etc.
In Quebec, the Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms, a so-called "quasi-constitutional" law, is a fundamental text of the Quebec legal system. It takes precedence over provincial laws and regulations and applies to both the state and private law.
Legalization of cannabis
On October 17, 2018, Canada became the second country in the world - after Uruguay in 2013 - to legalize and regulate the recreational use of cannabis. Three years after his election, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has thus implemented one of his most symbolic election promises. However, the implementation of the law raises many questions and problems, as each province, territory, city and municipality has enacted its own rules. For example, the federal law allows the cultivation of four plants in the home, but provincial law prohibits it in Quebec. The legal sale of cannabis is handled by the Société québécoise du cannabis (SQDC).
