Quebec has long been a distinct society when it comes to surrogacy. While other provinces have moved toward legitimizing surrogacy by, for example, streamlining the process for parenting declarations, Quebec’s Civil Code has long held surrogacy agreements void and unenforceable. If there are parents who have conceived by way of a surrogate in Quebec, the only way to legitimize them as the parents was the time consuming adoption process.
All of that may now change. The Quebec Minister of Justice, Stéphanie Vallée has recently announced that Quebec is going to take a fresh look at the issue. “Society has changed. Surrogacy seems to be desired by some couples. This is more common than it was in the early 80’s or 90’s. So we need to address the issue head on,” Minister Vallée stated.
As of now, intended parents residing in Quebec have to look for surrogates outside of their home Province, often in Ontario or the Maritimes. For women who reside in Quebec who want to be surrogates, it is virtually impossible.
Any questions related to surrogacy, or Fertility Law in general contact, Terry Sheppard.