B.C. Humanist Association threatens to sue Vancouver Island city over council prayer
![Council prayer Andrew Gulevich of the Parksville Fellowship Baptist Church delivers a blessing at Parksville city council's inaugural meeting on Nov. 7, 2022.](/content/dam/ctvnews/en/images/2024/4/19/council-prayer-1-6855121-1713577138683.jpg)
The B.C. Humanist Association has announced plans to sue a Vancouver Island city for breaching religious neutrality by including a Christian prayer in council.
The prayer took place during the inaugural meeting of Parksville city council following the 2022 civic election, and was delivered by a local pastor.
"I've been asked to pray a blessing so that's what I'm going to do," Andrew Gulevich of the Parksville Fellowship Baptist Church said at the meeting. "I invite you to pray with me to our God."
Chief Michael Recalma of the Qualicum First Nation offered a blessing at the same meeting, though his remarks were not referenced in the BCHA's complaint.
The Supreme Court of Canada found opening council meetings with prayers was unconstitutional in a unanimous 2015 decision, calling the practice a "breach of the state's duty of neutrality."
The B.C. Humanist Association has been monitoring local governments' compliance with the decision since 2020, and last year called out seven municipalities cross the province for continuing to include prayers in their inaugural council meetings, including Vancouver.
In a statement, executive director Ian Bushfield said the organization reached out to Parksville officials and asked them to "observe the law" prior to the council's Nov. 7, 2022, inaugural meeting, and followed up twice seeking confirmation that the city would stop including prayers at council.
"So far, we've received no formal response," Bushfield said. "We're following through to ensure Parksville observes its Constitutional duty."
Last week, the association's legal counsel delivered a letter to Parksville warning that a lawsuit would follow if the city did not commit to ending the practice.
"Any reasonable person observing the prayer would readily conclude the City of Parksville is explicitly guided by religious faith," the letter reads. "Including prayer in meetings risks making non-believers, non-religious people, atheists, agnostics, humanists, and people from other faith traditions feel isolated, uncomfortable, and excluded."
Parksville Mayor Doug O'Brien has not responded to a request for comment on the legal threat. A spokesperson for the city declined to comment on Friday, telling CTV News the matter is with Parksville's lawyers.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6979388.1722030190!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
Celine Dion delivers stirring comeback performance at Paris Olympics opening ceremony
Against the rainy Paris night sky, Celine Dion staged the comeback of her career with a powerful performance from the Eiffel Tower to open the Olympic Games.
Jasper wildfire: 'Several weeks' before residents can return, premier says
Premier Danielle Smith said Friday afternoon in Hinton while weather conditions are cooler, the Jasper fire is still considered out of control and that Jasper residents can expect to be away from their homes 'for several weeks.'
Missing 3-year-old boy found dead in creek in Mississauga, Ont.: police
A three-year-old boy has been found dead a day after he went missing in a park in Mississauga, Ont., Peel police say.
Irish museum pulls Sinead O'Connor waxwork after just one day due to backlash
An Irish museum will withdraw a waxwork of singer-songwriter Sinéad O'Connor just one day after installing it, following a backlash from her family and the public, it told CNN in a statement on Friday.
Winnipeg senior's account overdrawn for $146,000 water bill
A Winnipeg senior is getting soaked with a six-figure water bill.
FBI says Trump was indeed struck by bullet during assassination attempt
Nearly two weeks after Donald Trump’s near assassination, the FBI confirmed Friday that it was indeed a bullet that struck the former president’s ear, moving to clear up conflicting accounts about what caused the former U.S. president’s injuries after a gunman opened fire at a Pennsylvania rally.
Driver charged after flashing high beams at approaching police
Orillia OPP arrested and charged a driver with impaired driving after flashing their high beams.
Turpel-Lafond won't sue CBC over Cree heritage report that took 'heavy toll': lawyer
The lawyer for a former judge whose claims to be Cree were questioned in a CBC investigation says his client is not considering legal action against the broadcaster after the Law Society of British Columbia this week backed her claims of Indigenous heritage.
Major Canadian bank experiences direct deposit outage on payday
Scotiabank says it has fixed a technical issue that impacted direct deposits on Friday morning.