Change in Quebec

This September all schools in Quebec—public and private--will offer a mandatory new course called Ethics and Religious Culture. It will cover Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism as well as aboriginal spirituality. Currently parents in public schools choose whether their children will take a course in Roman Catholic, Protestant or non-religious moral education.

In 1997 a constitutional amendment replaced the province’s denominational school boards with linguistic ones. Then in 2005, legislation changed Quebec’s Education Act and its Charter of Rights to eliminate a parent’s right to choose a course in Catholic, Protestant or moral education. The change comes into force this September. Some religious groups are concerned that the new course will undercut parental efforts to instill their chosen faith in their children. 

More given by fewer

Fewer Canadians gave to charity last year but those who did donate were more generous than in the previous year. Canadians gave a record $8.5 billion to charity in 2006 but the number of donors dropped by 1.4 percent to 5.8 million people, according to Statistics Canada. The amount in 2006 had been only $7.9 billion. The median donation was $250. Quebeckers were the most tight-fisted, with a median donation of only $130. The median donation in Nunavut was a whopping $450. By city, Abbotsford, B.C. was the most generous, with a median donation of $620. Toronto and Vancouver placed second ($360 median) and third ($340). People 65 and older were the most generous. Canadians earning between $20,000 and $60,000 were more likely to donate than those with higher incomes. While Ontario gave the largest total amount, in energy-rich Alberta the amount of charitable giving jumped the most--by 15.5 percent. The 80,000 registered charities in Canada are expected to spend 80 percent of their donations on charitable activities and no more than twenty percent on administration and salaries. 

Divine Providence in Throne speech

The Conservative government’s Throne speech, which was delivered on Oct. 17, ended with a reference to Divine Providence: “May your deliberations be guided by Divine Providence, may your wisdom and patriotism enlarge the prosperity of the country and promote in every way the well-being of its people.” Divine Providence is a theological term, which according to the Canadian Oxford Dictionary means “the protective care of God.” To say an event is “providential” is to say it occurred because of divine foresight or intervention. The Throne speech is delivered by the Governor-General at the beginning of a new session of parliament but is prepared by the government of the day. Prime Minister Stephen Harper often ends his speeches with “God bless Canada.” An Ipsos Reid survey in April 2006 found that 65 percent of Canadians thought “God bless Canada” was an acceptable phrase and that he should keep using it.