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No bribing officials.

No honour killings.

Avoid smelly foods.

And … welcome to Gatineau.

If you haven't heard, the City of Gatineau has released a "statement of values" -- a guide aimed at helping immigrants integrate into the sprawling Quebec metropolis of 250,000.

Some of the dos and don'ts are standard points covered in official documents containing advice for newcomers to Canada: Men and women are equal; French is the official language in Quebec.

But this guide, funded by the Quebec government, also takes a stand on areas normally outside the purview of municipal officials. These include advising immigrants that journalists in Canada have the right to openly criticize the government. And that religious indoctrination is "often not well perceived" -- as religion is a private affair. Also, it advises immigrants to not practise "excessive punishments, corporal and sexual abuse, confinement, neglect, forced labour, humiliation…"

If you read French (or want to paste the text into a translator), here's the guide so you can take a look yourself.

We've seen a lot of reaction to this story -- and CTV's Richard Madan will sort through and feature some of the best in his top-block report at 11pm. Don't miss it.

In the meantime, comments on our website are streaming in … and many are airing their reactions, of course, in the Twitterverse.

Several people who left comments on CTVNews.ca see no big deal with the guide.

‘Gilbert in Orleans' asks whether it simply makes sense to let newcomers know what to expect when they move to a new community. "I know that if I were to emigrate to another country, I would like to know some of their customs and way of life!" he writes. "By being clear, we can avoid confusion and unwanted situations."

‘S in Vancouver' agrees: "If the way I express my beliefs or use body language is interpreted as rude or disrespectful, I'd sure love a government guide to explain how the locals interpret these things."

Many people, however, took offence, suggesting the guide infantilizes immigrants and is damaging the reputation of Gatineau as a welcoming place.

On Twitter, @Hannah in Berlin, Germany points out what she calls an irony in that the city that issued such a guide is "directly across the river from the nation's capital."

Jory Kruspe (@BITM) simply asks: "This is 2011 – right?"

Some peppered their expressions of displeasure at the guide with a sprinkling of sarcasm:

"Quebec town wants immigrants to limit cooking of ‘smelly food'. You know, the non-bland, delicious type," writes Hemant J. Naidu (@hjnaidu)

"Ignore ca!" advises Toronto's Y. Leung (@petitrouge). "Long live ‘smelly' foods, immigrants!"

We're trying for comment, but so far the city's mayor Marc Bureau is not making himself available to comment on the story.

But the NDP federal MP for Gatineau, Francois Boivin, suggested we let cooler heads prevail. She says the guide contains advice that doesn't just target immigrants but that applies to "everybody."

She said the guide was created with consultation from various cultural communities in Gatineau, and that not one had voiced opposition since it was unveiled early last week.

Boivin also noted Mireille Apollon, the councillor responsible for cultural diversity in Gatineau, emigrated from Haiti 20 years ago and understands the problems that new Canadians face everyday. "We receive immigrants from diverse horizons and cultures," Apollon is quoted in a report Sunday. "Behaviours aren't uniform around the globe. There can be irritants."

Boivin says that after Montreal, Gatineau receives the highest number of new immigrants in Quebec and the guide "puts them on par with rules and regulations that we are all supposed to abide by."

She added that a city councillor pointed out it would be interesting, in fact, "to see how many Canadians who grew up here" abide by these rules.

On this note, it seems apropos to end with a comment left by "Mark J." on CTVNews.ca, where he put out a call for decorum and offered a guide that all Canadians should follow, in his view. Among his points:

• Signal BEFORE your turn, not during it.
• It's an express line. The sign says 12 items or less. 20 items is not acceptable.
• Let us get off the elevator before you try to squeeze on. The space you're in is bigger.

Any calls for decorum you'd like to put out?

See you tonight.

Lisa