Wedding bells in Quebec: Cultural imperatives trump common-law norm

When Eluza Maria Gomes came from Brazil to Quebec she adapted quickly to her new society. She learned to speak fluent French, studied to become a special-education teacher, and, because she was dating a French-Canadian dairy farmer, the former literature professor found herself helping to care for 60 cows that reside on a farm 90 minutes outside of Montreal.
But there was one cultural norm distinct to Quebec she was not prepared to adopt: common-law union.
“In Brazil, we get married,&rdquo