Legal action threatened against Vancouver for council prayers

The B.C. Humanist Association is taking legal action against the City of Vancouver for allowing prayers at council meetings, in violation of a Supreme Court ruling. The association has warned the city that it will commence legal proceedings if prayers continue to be included in council meetings.

According to the BCHA, Vancouver was one of seven municipalities in B.C. that included prayers or religious content in their inaugural council meetings following the 2022 civic election. This practice was deemed unconstitutional by the Supreme Court of Canada in a unanimous 2015 decision, which stated that opening council meetings with prayers breached the state’s duty of neutrality.

Dr. Teale Phelps Bondaroff, research co-ordinator with the BCHA, criticized Vancouver for sending a message that elevated some religions over others by including prayers in their inaugural meeting. Despite the city manager’s assertion that the prayers were non-denominational and that normal council meetings do not include prayers, the BCHA is demanding a public commitment to stop including prayers at all council meetings.

The BCHA has also threatened legal action against Parksville, a community on Vancouver Island, for including a Christian prayer at its last inaugural council meeting. Despite multiple requests from the association to observe religious neutrality, Parksville officials have not responded.

Both Vancouver and Parksville are facing potential legal action from the BCHA for breaching religious neutrality in council meetings. The cities have yet to provide a formal response to the association’s warnings, but Vancouver has stated that it is considering the issues raised and will respond in due course.