B.C. Humanist Association threatens to sue Vancouver Island city over council prayer
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
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Police arrest 3 Indian nationals in killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Three people have been arrested and charged in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar – as authorities continue investigating potential connections to the Indian government.
TD worst-case scenario more likely after drug money laundering allegations: analyst
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.
Quebec man who threatened Trudeau, Legault online sentenced to 20 months in jail
A Quebec man who pleaded guilty to threatening Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier François Legault has been sentenced to 20 months in jail.
Human remains found in rural Sask. possibly a decade old, RCMP say
RCMP say human remains found in a rural area in central Saskatchewan may have been there for a decade or more.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.
Canadian doctor concerned new weight-loss drug Wegovy may be used inappropriately
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
Drew Carey is never quitting 'The Price Is Right'
Drew Carey took over as host of 'The Price Is Right' and hopes he’s there for life. 'I'm not going anywhere,' he told 'Entertainment Tonight' of the job he took over from longtime host Bob Barker in 2007.
Biscuits with possible plastic pieces, metal found in ground pork: Here are the recalls for this week
Here are the latest recalls Canadians should watch out for, according to Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.