Winnipeg Free Press
Province denies group s claim top doc s power unlimited Save to Read Later
Dr. Brent Roussin, Manitoba’s chief public health officer, does not receive a ministerial ‘rubber stamp’ on lockdown measures, the province’s lawyer says. (Mike Deal / Winnipeg Free Press files)
Seven Manitoba churches are back in court today in their legal fight over the province’s right to impose pandemic restrictions on them.
Seven Manitoba churches are back in court today in their legal fight over the province’s right to impose pandemic restrictions on them.
The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms, a Calgary-based advocacy group, represents seven Manitoba churches in their fight against pandemic orders that restrict church gatherings: Gateway Bible Baptist Church, Pembina Valley Baptist Church, Redeeming Grace Bible Church, Grace Covenant Church, Slavic Baptist Church, Christian Church of Morden, and Bible Baptist Church. Three individual applicants on the
Church of God south of Steinbach, Man., on November 23, 2020.
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Lawyers representing seven Manitoba churches will be back in court Monday, challenging the province s lockdowns and restrictions.
The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF) is representing the churches and several individuals including someone who was ticketed at a protest in Steinbach in the winter. The parties originally appeared for an initial hearing in February. The hearing now is set to continue from May 3 through 7 and May 10 through 14. The Applicants challenge Manitoba’s lockdown measures as unjustified violations of various Charter-protected freedoms including freedom of conscience, religion, expression and peaceful assembly, liberty, security of the person and equality rights, the JCCF says in a release.
Seven Manitoba churches were in Court of Queens s Bench in Winnipeg on Monday fighting the province s COVID-19 restrictions.
Chief Justice Glenn Joyal said it s an important case because of intense public interest and the issues involved.
The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms, a Calgary-based group representing the churches, has said the restrictions are unjustified violations of charter-protected freedoms.
The churches are arguing their right to worship and assemble has been breached, which has caused a crisis of conscience, loneliness, and harm to their spiritual well-being.
Under current health orders, in-person worship services in Manitoba are restricted to 10 people or 25 per cent capacity whichever is less and everyone is required to wear a mask.
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The trial of an Edmonton-area pastor charged with ignoring COVID-19 health restrictions is set to begin Monday as new infections surge in Alberta.
GraceLife Church pastor James Coates faces a charge under the Public Health Act for leading worship services at his Parkland County church. GraceLife continued to hold packed services without physical distancing or masking, despite public health orders introduced in December that limited faith gatherings to 15 per cent of building capacity.
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If you’ve been paying close attention to Dr. Brent Roussin’s press conferences over the last month or so there has been a slight change in tone.
The chief provincial public health officer has suddenly been careful to emphasize balance in health orders between protecting the public from COVID-19 and the unintended impacts of the health orders. While he continues to talk about having the least restrictive orders in place for the shortest amount of time a line that becomes more laughable every time he uses it as we are still in the midst of some of the most restrictive orders in the country that have been in place since November but the slight change is notable.