NATIONAL – A new study of unlicensed pregnancy counselling centres across Canada finds that they often conceal an anti-abortion agenda and provide medical misinformation to pregnant clients.

Co-developed by the Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada (ARCC) and the BC Humanist Association (BCHA), the study reviewed websites of the nearly 150 so-called crisis pregnancy centres (CPCs) across Canada to identify the presence of misleading information, and compared the results to a similar 2016 study conducted by ARCC to better understand changes over time.

A campaign claiming to speak for "the most vulnerable" has spent tens of thousands of dollars on Facebook ads in the past three months and is being funded by a group of anti-choice healthcare professionals, according to a new analysis by the BC Humanist Association.

On Monday, January 23, Saanich council will debate a motion calling on the province to eliminate the statutory exemptions for places of worship.

The motion, "transition all statutory tax exemptions for places of worship to permissive tax exemptions," is being brought by Councillor Teale Phelps Bondaroff and would direct the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) to lobby the province for the change.

In its response to the Ministry of Finance's pre-Budget 2023 consultation, the BC Humanist Association is again asking the government to recognize its duty of religious neutrality and end special privileges for religious organizations.

The BCHA previously made these calls to the House of Commons' Finance Committee.

At its December 13, 2022 meeting, the Board of Directors of the BC Humanist Association endorsed the BC Climate Emergency Campaign's 10 Actions to Confront the Climate Emergency.

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Almost half of the municipalities in Ontario opened their 2018 inaugural meetings with a prayer, according to the latest report from the BC Humanist Association (BCHA). The report also fingers nine municipalities for including prayers or invocations in their regular council meetings.

Secularists are cheering a move by staff at the City of Terrace to reject the planned erection of a nativity scene over city hall.

UPDATE (Nov 9, 2022): Following complaints by the BC Humanist Association, Creston's inaugural council meeting proceeding without its planned invocation.

The City of Parksville's planned "blessings" at its upcoming inaugural council meeting is drawing criticism from the BC Humanist Association.

On Monday, November 7, 2022 at 1pm, the City of Parksville will hold its inaugural council meeting following the recent municipal elections. As part of that agenda, the City is including "blessings." In 2018, those were delivered by Dr Paul Hawkes, Lead Pastor at the Parksville Fellowship Baptist Church.

The BC Humanist Association (BCHA) is reiterating its call on the council of the District of Clearwater to drop its planned invocation from tomorrow evening's inaugural council meeting.