If you are a newcomer to Canada and plan to live in Gatineau, you will not be able to cook smelly food. What the municipality considers smelly food is not clear.
East Indians use a variety of spices in their curries and this may not be acceptable. However, Russians and people from other East European countries love cabbage and this smell may also not be acceptable. Personally, cigarette smell is not acceptable to me.
Yes, I agree it is wrong to willfully starve children, offer bribes and use violence to preserve honor. Gatineau, one of Quebec‘s biggest cities, has thrown out a welcome mat to new immigrants with a 16-point guide to local values, which range from bribing officials and to kill people for honor.
Some of the things suggested in the guide are downright silly to insulting and should not be accepted by anyone. The “statement of values” published by the municipal government is willed as a welcome guide to help immigrants integrate into their new community.
Yes, immigrants welcome some advice but to be told they cannot cook food that smells is utter stupidity. The new code has echoes of the 2007 code of conduct that banned the stoning of women in the central village of Herouxville.
When this community introduced the code of conduct, it had only a handful of immigrants living in the community. This code of conduct came at a time when the Quebec government had commissioned a report on “reasonable accommodation” of minority cultural practices.
Is this really happening in Canada?
Yes, unfortunately it is. Gatineau’s immigrant population has been steadily growing. Over the years, it has grown from six per cent to nearly 10 per cent. Gatineau has around 250,000 people. This community is seeing a surge in international immigration.
Surprisingly, the document just released by Gatineau, was funded by Quebec’s ministry of immigration. A spokesman for the ministry said Gatineau’s new guide falls in line with a province-wide effort to inform new Canadians about Quebec’s core values. One section outlines that it is essential to learn to speak French.
This is acceptable.
Another section describes how religion is a private matter in secular Quebec. People from around the world have been immigrating to Canada and Quebec for many centuries. They come to a new place and they have to adapt. This is the natural way and no one objects to it.
If you adapt, you will be doing yourself a big favor. The Gatineau guide says newcomers are most welcome and must understand they are equal. It says Canadian and Quebec values include freedom, democracy and justice.
There is also a section on punctuality.
It says it is best to show up to appointments on time or even a few minutes early. If you do not show up on time during an interview, you may not even get a job. This is acceptable standard all around the world.
I have no problems with the majority of guidelines in the new code. However, some parts of the guide are absolutely unnecessary.
