The BC Humanist Association (BCHA) says it intends to take legal action against the City of Parksville for a breach of religious neutrality.
Parksville councilB次元官网网址檚 inaugural meeting in November 2022 included an B次元官网网址渆xplicitly ChristianB次元官网网址� prayer by pastor Andrew Gulevich of the Parksville Fellowship Baptist Church, a BCHA news release noted.
The BCHA wrote to Parksville following the 2022 municipal elections, as well as before it prepared its 2020 report on prayers in municipal governments. ParksvilleB次元官网网址檚 2018 inaugural council meeting also began with a Christian prayer.
On April 11, the BCHAB次元官网网址檚 legal counsel sent a letter to the city stating it was prepared to B次元官网网址渃ommence legal proceedings seeking all available relief and costs against the City of Parksville without further notice.B次元官网网址�
BCHA has received no reply from the city as of April 23, according to Ian Bushfield, executive director.
Legal proceedings are not yet filed, but B次元官网网址渨eB次元官网网址檙e writing them up right now, basically,B次元官网网址� Bushfield said.
Parksville will be the first municipality to have legal proceedings brought against it by the BCHA over prayer in a council meeting, according to Bushfield.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e looking at municipalities across all of British Columbia and weB次元官网网址檝e gotten responses from five of the seven that weB次元官网网址檝e identified, that is including the prayer in 2022, and the other one weB次元官网网址檙e still looking at is Vancouver,B次元官网网址� he added.
The City of Parksville did not comment as the matter has been referred to its lawyers.
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Bushfield would not say exactly what BCHA will be seeking in court as the files are still being completed.
B次元官网网址淲hat weB次元官网网址檙e basically looking for is a commitment that Parksville keeps its future meetings secular,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淲e recognize every councillor and mayor has their own set of beliefs and weB次元官网网址檙e not trying to malign or say that those are invalid. People can hold their beliefs and pray in their private time but itB次元官网网址檚 the formal inclusion of prayer at the start of a meeting excludes the non-religious and thatB次元官网网址檚 the problem that weB次元官网网址檙e focused on.B次元官网网址�
