Advance human rights and uphold the duty of religious neutrality: Pre-Budget 2025 response
In its brief to the House of Commons Finance Committee's Pre-Budget 2025 consultation, the BC Humanist Association (BCHA) today called on the government to end charitable status for anti-abortion organizations, remove the privileged status of religion in charity law and repeal the clergy residence deduction.
Read moreMembers share their priorities for the upcoming election
British Columbians go to the polls on October 19, 2024, to elect our next provincial government. As an organization that seeks to promote secular and progressive values, we're gearing up to ensure the candidates vying for your votes hear the voices and concerns of Humanists.
While we have several core issues to ask candidates about, we wanted feedback from our members about their priorities and what they want to see us ask. Our survey ran over two weeks and was sent to our entire membership list. Nearly 20% of our members responded. We asked two open-ended questions to get unfiltered feedback.
Read moreConsent underlies religious and privacy rights: Our arguments for the BC Court of Appeal
British Columbia's privacy laws and the Charter's protection of religious freedom are both fundamentally based on principles of consent and freedom from coercion, we argued in our submissions to the BC Court of Appeal yesterday.
Read moreBC municipalities 'prayer-free' as Parksville commits to religious neutrality in future meetings
The BC Humanist Association (BCHA) is declaring the end of municipal prayers in British Columbia (BC) following a commitment from the City of Parksville that there will not be prayers in the City's next inaugural council meeting.
Read moreTerrace caps property tax exemptions
Churches and all other non-profit organizations in Terrace will soon have to pay some property taxes under changes approved by Council on June 10.
Read moreHumanists welcome lawsuit against St Paul's MAID obstructions
The BC Humanist Association (BCHA) supports the legal action taken by Dr Jyothi Jayaraman and the family of Samantha O’Neill against Providence Health Care and the Province of British Columbia. The lawsuit challenges health authority and provincial policies prohibiting medical assistance in dying (MAID) within the facilities, violating patients’ Charter rights.
Read moreBCHA urges swift passage of Bill S-251 to end corporal punishment
The BC Humanist Association (BCHA) has called upon the Senate committee to expedite the passage of Bill S-251. This bill would repeal a section of the Criminal Code that permits corporal punishment of children.
Read moreVancouver concedes 2022 prayers breached duty of neutrality
The City of Vancouver has said that prayers at its most recent inauguration ceremony were "a breach of the duty of religious neutrality." A lawyer for the City made the concession in response to the threat of legal action from the BC Humanist Association (BCHA).
Read morePrayers end in MD of Bonnyville following BCHA advocacy
Council meetings in the Municipal District of Bonnyville, Alberta, no longer open with a prayer. This follows the BC Humanist Association releasing a report that identified it as one of eight Alberta municipalities that violated the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Read moreEight Alberta municipalities include unconstitutional prayers at council meetings
In its fifth report on prayer in municipal council meetings across Canada, the BC Humanist Association (BCHA) has identified eight municipalities in Alberta that included prayer in their council meetings.
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