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Ottawa’s transit commission has made its opposition to Quebec’s so-called “niqab ban” official.
The 12-member commission on Wednesday unanimously passed a resolution that requires OC Transpo to continue to provide service that complies with the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and to “remain committed to equity and diversity.”
Critics say the Quebec law, which passed last October, violates the charter rights of Muslim women who wear a niqab or burka. It bans the wearing of such face coverings by anyone receiving public services, including public transit.
Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson announced last year that the city would not enforce the ban when OC Transpo buses travel to Gatineau, Que. Many people commute between the neighbouring cities, and the transit service makes some 200 trips a day across the Ottawa River into Quebec.