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.
Transit commissioner Blair Crew commended the mayor, but said the city's stance should be enshrined in policy.
"Something like this should not be left to the whim of an individual mayor," Crew said during the vote.
Suspended by court
The city already has an inclusion policy that would prevent OC Transpo drivers from barring women wearing veils from the bus, but transportation general manager John Manconi told reporters on Wednesday the motion reinforces that message.
The section of the Quebec law that prevents women who cover their faces from receiving public services was suspended late last year by a Quebec Superior Court judge until the government comes up with more specific guidelines.
Those guidelines are expected this summer.
In a strongly worded letter to Quebec Premier Phillipe Couillard last year, Watson called the bill "regressive legislation" that discriminates against women, and urged him to reconsider it.