In a new report released today, the BC Humanist Association (BCHA) calls out Vancouver as one of seven municipalities for including prayers in its 2022 inaugural council meetings.

Atheists and the non-religious are reacting with shock and disappointment to reports that the Chaplain General of the Canadian Armed Forces has paused a policy that would require spiritual reflections by chaplains at public addresses be inclusive.

The BC Humanist Association is celebrating the release of its latest eBook, End of Life: A Guide for Humanists and Non-Religious People in British Columbia. This comprehensive resource offers guidance and support to individuals and families in British Columbia who seek a humanistic and non-religious approach to end-of-life decisions and planning.

The BCHA is commending the Royal Canadian Chaplain Service for recognizing the importance of inclusivity and diversity in public military functions with its new direction on chaplain's spiritual reflections in public settings.

The BC Humanist Association is asking a House of Commons committee to bolster a restriction on the Canada Summer Jobs (CSJ) program that precludes organizations from using funds to undermine human rights.

The Supreme Court of British Columbia is currently hearing arguments over whether religious organizations should be exempt from the province's privacy laws.

We are delighted to announce that the BC Humanist Association has made a substantial donation of nearly $20,000 to Rainbow Refugee, an organization dedicated to supporting LGBTQI+ refugees forced from their home countries by discrimination, persecution and abuse. This donation is more than just a financial contribution: it represents the humanist commitment to creating a world where all individuals are treated with dignity and respect, regardless of their gender identity or sexual orientation.

Despite an increasingly secular population, the school acts and regulations in five provinces still permit religious exercises in Canada according to a new analysis from the BC Humanist Association.

Court cases in Ontario, Manitoba and British Columbia have deemed the practice illegal but the school acts of three prairie provinces still allow prayers in schools and regulations in New Brunswick permit teachers to read scriptures or deliver the Lord's Prayer. Additionally, Newfound and Labrador's Education Act allows parents to request a 'religious observance' in schools.

In light of a series of traumatic stories documenting patients forced to transfer from St Paul's Hospital and other religious healthcare facilities in BC to access a legal medically-assisted death, the BC Humanist Association is renewing calls for the province to end its agreement with sectarian health associations.

Trigger warning: Sexual assault

This month, shocking news about alleged sexual assault and cover-ups once again drew attention to inequalities and lack of accountability associated with addiction recovery programs in BC.

Given this unfortunate string of events, we are renewing our 2018 call to the Government of BC to ensure every patient seeking treatment for a substance use issue has access to secular, evidence-based treatment options, by: