ENGR201 Professional Practice and Responsibility ©
Lesson 2 Podcast Transcript: Professional Systems in
Québec
Evolution of Québec’s Professional System
In this podcast, we will discuss the evolution of Quebec’s professional system within the
context of changes in its society and politics.
History of Professions in Québec
Since Québec was colonized by France and then subsequently by Britain, the model of
professional regulation that developed in Québec bore the influences of professional systems
from these countries. Prior to 1970, the professional system in Québec could be characterized by
the existence of weak social contracts. In other words, the professional system did little to be
explicitly accountable to society. This lack of direct accountability was the product of non-
standardized professional associations, whose mandates were not uniform across the province.
Another fact was the acceptance of the “liberal professional”. A liberal professional operated
with limited oversight and was independent to conduct their professional practice. A related
aspect was the absence of a strong, legally binding code that governed the conduct of individual
professionals. A combination of these three factors resulted in the weak social accountability of
the professional system.
Impetus for Change
By the 1970, for several social and political reasons, there was considerable interest in
transforming the professional system in the province. The force for this change came from
several directions. A major force for change was the Quiet Revolution or La Revolution
Tranquille. The quiet revolution, during the 1960s and 1970s, initiated an immense social and
political transformation in Québec society. The objective was to begin a period of massive state
intervention into the affairs of society at different levels in order to transform the province from a
traditional, conservative society to a progressive and modern one. This period saw the
government intervene in reforming sectors of health, education, and social welfare to institute
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policies that we see around us even today – universal health care, nationalization of electricity
production, and a network of public universities. In 1970, as part of the Quiet Revolution, the
Castonguay-Nepveu Commission into the province’s health system made some important
recommendations regarding Québec’s professional system. The commission recommended re-
organizing the professional system to make it appropriate to the province’s new social and
economic changes. It also recommended strengthening the professional system’s social contract
to ensure the government had a strong supervisory role over the affairs of the system.
Québec’s Revamped Professional System
In response to these pushes, in 1973, the National Assembly of Québec initiated the re-
organization of a new professional system. The professional system has its legal basis in The
Professional Code. The Professional Code is a law of public order that was passed by the
National Assembly to reflect its desire to protect the public in matters concerning professional
service. In other words, the professional code is a law that lays down in detail how Québec’s
professional system should be organized and administered. The Professional Code describes the
key components of the professional system. It also specifies the actions of different professional
orders that are part of the professional system. Finally, it creates a single law that applies to the
entire professional system in the province.
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