Last week, it was announced that Calypso water parks in Canada will allow women to go topless. Since dress code regulations in one of Canada's biggest water parks have relaxed, we looked into Montreal parks and where they stand on freeing the nipple.
Montreal parks have 78 different regulations ranging from environmental to parking rules. The good news for topless enthusiasts is that the city doesn't have a bylaw on going topless in city parks!
As long as you're not disturbing the peace, it seems that women can go topless without any issue. While it could be on a case-by-case basis, women in Montreal shouldn't be worried about accruing a ticket because they decided to bare it all.
The Canadian criminal code supports this too as there is no specific law that makes it illegal to go topless. There are indeed laws against "indecent behaviour," though.
Article 173 of Canada's Criminal Code says that anyone "who wilfully does an indecent act in a public place in the presence of one or more persons, or in any place with intent to insult or offend any person" will be subject to conviction or imprisonment.
ID 97530148 © Alexey Sk | Dreamstime.com
The law also applies to anyone who "in any place, for a sexual purpose, exposes his or her genital organs to a person who is under the age of 16 years."
In a nutshell, the law applies to anyone who is caught totally nude or having sex in a public place. Toplessness doesn't qualify as either thing.
Article 24 of Montreal's park bylaws simply states that "il est interdit de se comporter de façon à troubler l’ordre et la tranquillité des usagers." (your actions are not allowed to disturb the order and peace of park-goers).
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If troglodytic neanderthals harass you over being topless, know that the law is on your side. If one of those is a cop, make sure that you are aware of your specific rights as a citizen and contest the ticket in court.
Photo 153751904 © Cagkan Sayin - Dreamstime.com
Though keep in mind that if you're actually disturbing the peace (i.e. a topless protest), you might be in for some trouble. Otherwise, sunbathe away my queens!
To know more about Montreal's park bylaws, please visit the city's official website (in French).
Enjoy the rest of your summer, Montreal!
