A Quebec Superior Court judge overturned a condition of sale that bans Jewish people from being able to rent or buy homes on a specific plot of land that was owned by antisemitic farmer Alphonse Waegener in the 1950s and 1960s. According to La Presse, about 350 houses were affected by the provision. Waegener, who died in 1986, had divided his land into lots and had notarized documents drawn up banning people “of Jewish race” from taking over the land.

“This was at a time when antisemitic covenants against Jewish and black people was prevalent in North America,” explained David Ouellette, director of research and public affairs at the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA). “What’s important here is when they are found and noticed, we take appropriate actions.”

He explains that, because the laws are often outdated and put in place by a private owner, a city's administration -- in this case, the City of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu -- is not involved at all. Rather, these types of racist stipulations tend to pop up randomly as people sell private property and they are dealt with individually.

“Periodically, these things surface; they’re relics of the past but they’re not enforceable today," Ouellette told CTV News. Though several locals told La Presse they were aware of the clause, it was not addressed until notary Carl Goulet put out a public notice in the local newspaper last summer advising people of its existence.

“A motion to institute proceedings has been lodged for a judgment striking out a non-construction easement and restriction of use…for renters and owners of Jewish faith,” it stated. The racist requirement was officially overturned by Quebec Justice Claude Dallaire.

"These easements are still active and are still reverberating legally," he ruled, adding they "have been tolerated until now."