Let's make April 15 "Religious Neutrality Day"
On April 15, 2015, the Justices of the Supreme Court of Canada released their decision in Mouvement laïque québécois vs the City of Saguenay. It ended a nearly nine-year battle between atheist Alain Simoneau and the City's Mayor over whether prayers could be said before a municipal council meeting.
The Justices were unanimous: The prayers violated the state's duty of religious neutrality, as guaranteed by the right to freedom of religion and conscience under the Canadian and Quebec Charters of Rights and Freedoms.
Read morePrayers end at Selwyn Township council meetings following constitutional challenge
The Township of Selwyn, Ontario, has agreed to drop prayers from future inaugural council meetings after a request by constitutional lawyer Donald Bur.
Read moreFederal Finance Committee endorses end to religious charitable status
In December, a Parliamentary committee recommended Canada end automatic charitable status for religious groups, mirroring recommendations from the BC Humanist Association (BCHA).
Read moreWhat we achieved in 2024
Across the world, we've seen a resurgence of Christian Nationalism in 2024 that threatens many of the gains that progressive secularists have fought and won over the past few decades. Today, toxic polarization and the rejection of evidence-based decision-making infects so much of the discourse and undermines democratic and humanist values.
Against these headwinds and with your support, the BCHA has continued to advance secularism here in British Columbia and across Canada. Our movement is thriving and making substantive gains at all levels of government. We're well-positioned to continue this work into 2025 but we need you with us.
Read moreA step toward greater transparency from "crisis pregnancy centres"
The BC Humanist Association (BCHA) is joining reproductive justice advocates in lauding an announcement by the federal government to require greater transparency from so-called "crisis pregnancy centres" (CPCs). This move is a significant step towards ensuring that organizations promoting harmful and misleading information about reproductive health cannot exploit charitable tax benefits.
Read moreHumanists argue for ex-religious privacy rights at BC Court of Appeal
Lawyers argued over the constitutionality of BC's privacy law at the BC Court of Appeal yesterday in an ongoing dispute between the Jehovah's Witnesses and the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of BC.
The BCHA was able to bring the voice of those who've chosen to dissociate from religion to the court.
Read moreVancouver's faith based housing motion undermines duty of neutrality
The BC Humanist Association has written in opposition to a forthcoming City of Vancouver Council Members' motion, arguing it runs contrary to the spirit of the City's constitutional duty of religious neutrality.
Read moreReport: Saskatchewan Municipalities Including Unconstitutional Prayer in Meetings
For the sixth time, research from the BCHA has identified municipalities violating the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
A new report from the BC Humanist Association (BCHA) found that multiple Saskatchewan municipalities continue to include prayers in their council meetings, despite a 2015 Supreme Court of Canada ruling that deemed the practice unconstitutional.
Read moreHumanists blast BC Builds housing partnership with homophobic church
Secularists are calling on the Government of BC to reverse a recently announced partnership between BC Builds and a Burnaby church that opposes same-sex marriage.
Read moreRossland rejects Catholic Church tax exemption
The small city of Rossland in the West Kootenays voted last month to tax some vacant land around the local Catholic Church.
Read more