Walking your dog is no longer an exception to Quebec’s curfew

The exception was listed on the provincial government’s website on Friday afternoon, but it had been removed as of Saturday.

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Stuck at home after curfew and your dog has to do his business? If you have a backyard, no problem, but live in a walkup — you better look for some newspapers.

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Unlike the one that ended in May 2021, the provincewide curfew that went into effect on Friday does not include an exception allowing people to walk their dog between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m., Presse Canadienne has confirmed.

The decree for the previous curfew specified a person would be permitted outside after hours for the purpose of walking a dog, so long as they stayed within one kilometre of their residence.

Other exceptions to the previous curfew, such as going to a gas station or accompanying someone in need of help, are still included in the new decree.

The page on the provincial government’s website that lists the conditions of the curfew included an exception for dog walking on Friday afternoon, but it was no longer there on Saturday.

Asked whether the removal of this exception was intentional or an error, the office of Health Minister Christian Dubé referred the matter to the office of Security Minister Geneviève Guilbault, who referred the issue back to the health department.