A recent legal battle over the tax status of an island in the Salish Sea sheds some light on the privileges some religious institutions enjoy in British Columbia (BC). Expressly, the conditions under which places of public worship qualify for property tax exemptions.

“B.C. Ministry of Health pledges to build a corridor of sin.”

That should have been the headline attached to B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix’s recent announcement that he will instruct Vancouver Coastal Health to make room next to the city’s St. Paul’s Hospital for a dedicated clinical and care space where patients from the hospital can receive “compassionate and dignified MAiD services.”

The BC Humanist Association (BCHA) is deeply disappointed and concerned by the federal government’s decision to further extend the exclusion of eligibility for medical assistance in dying (MAID) for persons suffering solely from mental illness until 2027. This decision violates the rights and dignity of Canadians who are experiencing intolerable suffering due to a mental disorder as their sole underlying medical condition.

Where we saw our research turn into results in 2023, our goals are even more ambitious for 2024.

Looking back on this past year, we're seeing the dividends paid out for the investments the members of the Humanist community have been making for the past few years.

At its meeting on November 29, 2023, the BC Humanist Association Board of Directors ratified the following statement.

"This may not be a popular take,"

began Councillor Ian Ward at an October 10, 2023, Colwood City Council Meeting. In his speech, Councillor Ward outlined why two churches in his community should not receive permissive tax exemptions this year.

Recently, North Cowichan municipal district council denied a property tax exemption to a crisis pregnancy center.

Campbell River city council voted on September 28 to cut the property tax exemptions for the Vancouver Island Mental Health Society and the local art gallery.

How did we end up in a situation where some publicly funded facilities are permitted to refuse to provide healthcare services in BC? To answer this question we need to look at the history of healthcare in BC and how religious hospitals came to play a part in our medical system.