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
WATCH LIVE Secret Service director says Trump assassination attempt was biggest agency 'failure' in decades
The director of the Secret Service says the assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump was the agency's 'most significant operational failure' in decades.
Hollywood reacts to Joe Biden exiting the U.S. presidential race
Hollywood was quick to react to the news that U.S. President Joe Biden was ending his bid for re-election and endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris.
What to know about the Canadian ties of Kamala Harris, Biden's choice for successor
U.S. President Joe Biden is stepping aside as the Democratic candidate in that country's November election and throwing his support behind Vice President Kamala Harris -- a Montreal-area high school graduate who spent several years in the city.
Canadian killed near Gaza border after threatening forces with knife: Israeli police
Israeli police say a Canadian citizen was killed Monday after threatening Israeli security forces with a knife near the Gaza border.
Markets bet on second Bank of Canada interest rate cut coming this week
Economists and market watchers are betting the Bank of Canada will deliver another interest rate cut this week amid mounting evidence that inflation is sustainably easing.
The pilot who died in crash after releasing skydivers near Niagara Falls has been identified
Officials on Sunday released the name of a pilot who died in a skydiving flight after her passengers jumped from the aircraft near the Niagara Falls.
Canadian musicians struggle to get visas to perform in the U.S., some cancel shows
Backlogs and processing delays of temporary U.S. visas required by entertainers, athletes and artists has forced some Canadian bands to cancel U.S. tour dates because paperwork wasn't processed in time.
Prince George is 11 -- see his birthday photo
Prince George has turned 11, and as per tradition his proud parents have released an official portrait to mark the occasion.
Harris looks to lock up Democratic nomination after Biden steps aside, reordering 2024 race
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris moved swiftly to lock up Democratic delegates behind her campaign for the White House after President Joe Biden stepped aside amid concerns from within their own party that he would be unable to defeat Donald Trump.