Provincial health officer, attorney-general look to force three locations in Langley, Abbotsford and Chilliwack to three churches to follow public health rules
Posted: Feb 09, 2021 12:48 PM PT | Last Updated: February 9
B.C. Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry is seeking an injunction to stop the leaders of three Fraser Valley churches from continuing to defy her orders suspending in-person religious services due to COVID-19. (Ben Nelms/CBC)
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While some churchgoers have made headlines in recent weeks for breaking health orders and continuing to gather, others are hopeful the public can be reminded of the good still being done elsewhere.
Darin Latham, lead pastor at Vancouver’s Broadway Church, has conflicting feelings when hearing about churches fined for breaking provincial COVID-19 health orders that ban events and gatherings.
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Try refreshing your browser, or COVID-19: Vancouver’s Broadway Church aims to be ‘source of hope and help’ during pandemic Back to video
“When I read that stuff, I’m of two minds. There’s one part of me that thinks – yes, I understand the frustration,” said Latham, noting that some churchgoers likely bristle at the fact that restaurants and retail shops are permitted to stay open.
by Craig Takeuchi on December 18th, 2020 at 2:30 PM 1 of 1 2 of 1
One ongoing point of contention in the current round of provincial health orders has been religious services.
B.C. provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry has said at recent COVID-19 briefings that the majority of religious and faith groups have been compliant with her orders not to hold in-person gatherings or services, and to instead conduct them with remote means.
In addition, Henry said that many religious leaders have informed her that they are continuing to practice their faith while remaining apart.
However, there have been a handful of examples of churches defying health orders, even in some of the health regions of the province that have been hardest hit by COVID-19 transmission.
Chilliwack RCMP recommend charges against churches continuing to hold in-person worship cbc.ca - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from cbc.ca Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.