Father Tony Van Hee Police slapped an 83-year-old Roman Catholic priest with a summons to appear in court Oct. 24 for allegedly intimidating or attempting to intimidate abortion clients at The Morgentaler Clinic in downtown Ottawa. Fr. Tony Van Hee is facing the charge under Ontario’s new “bubble zone” law, the Safe Access to Abortion Services Act (Bill 163). Under [...]
LifeSite news reporter Lianne Laurence interviews Bill Whatcott after his court appearance Oct. 16. Christian activist Bill Whatcott flew to Toronto from Alberta in mid-October because there was a bench warrant for his arrest if he didn’t appear in court Oct. 16. Whatcott, 52, is charged with criminally inciting hatred against the “gay community.” But after his matter moved from [...]
National Affairs Rory Leishman New York Senator Charles E. Schumer, Minority Leader of the Democrats in the United States Senate, has aptly described the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court of the United States as “one of the saddest, most sordid chapters in the long history of the federal judiciary.” Is it conceivable that judicial nominees to [...]
On Oct. 4, the Christian Heritage Party scored a legal victory over the City of Hamilton, Ont., regarding removal of their political advertising about transgender issues from bus shelters in the city. In 2016, the CHP purchased bus shelter ads that depicted a male entering a door with the sign “Ladies Showers.” There were also words “Competing human rights: where is the [...]
Andrew Lawton This summer marks one year since the implementation of Bill C-16, the legislation that catapulted Professor Jordan Peterson to fame and galvanized a much-needed discussion about freedom of expression in Canada. Though we have yet to see the first public prosecution under the bill, its free speech implications are still very much alive. The bill updated the Criminal [...]
Bill Whatcott and others infiltrated the 2016 Toronto Pride parade to distribute pamphlets describing the dangers of homosexual activity. Christian activist Bill Whatcott, 51, of Leduc, Alberta, surrendered himself to the Calgary policy on June 22, following the Toronto Police Service issuing a Canada-wide arrest warrant for charges related to hate-crime complaints. In 2016, Whatcott is alleged to have distributed [...]
National Affairs Rory Leishman In a significant seven-to-two ruling in Masterpiece Cake Shop Ltd. v. Colorado on June 4, the Supreme Court of the United States struck down a ruling by the Colorado Civil Rights Commission that a Christian baker had no right in law to refuse on grounds of sincere religious conviction to bake a wedding cake for a same-sex couple. That [...]
Law Matters John Carpay You know a court ruling is bad when judges deliberately ignore the evidence placed before them. But reality was brushed aside in the Supreme Court of Canada’s decision to repudiate, nullify, and revoke the fundamental Charterfreedoms of Trinity Western University (TWU), its staff, and its students. According to the justices, Charter-protected freedom of religion was narrowed [...]
It is argued that a return to true federalism – i.e., strengthening the role of provinces and regions in Canada – may lead to a more balanced society in the future. While there is no returning to the Old Canada which existed “before the ‘60s,” it is possible that the “New Canada” could reach out to incorporate some better aspects of the [...]
Talk Turkey Josie Luetke On March 20, 2017, famed white supremacist Richard Spencer declared, “We should recognize that the pro-life movement – this is not the alt-right, this has nothing in common with identitarians … Pro-lifers want to be radically dysgenic, egalitarian, multi-racial human rights thumpers – and they’re not us.” In response, I commented on my Facebook wall, “Well, [...]
Alfie Evans, the British infant at the centre of a battle between doctors and his parents about how to proceed with medical care. A year after British infant Charlie Gard captured international attention over a battle between his parents and the hospital over continuing care to allow their child a chance at living, another British case is making headlines around [...]
First person arrested under Ontario’s bubble zone law dies Cy Winter, the first Ontarian charged under the province's new bubble zone law, passed away. Cyril Winter, 70, passed away March 9 at the Ottawa Heart Center following complications from stenting surgery to fix several coronary arteries. Hours before he passed away, Winter wrote on Facebook: “Stent day but no guarantee [...]
Law Matters John Carpay On March 19, the University of Alberta held a public event to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Supreme Court of Canada decision in Vriend v. Alberta. In 1998, the court ordered Alberta to add “sexual orientation” to its human rights legislation. When pondering the Vriend ruling, it is important to remember that, during the 1990s, activists across Canada were [...]
Editor’s Note: There was a great deal of commentary and response to Justin Trudeau’s pro-abortion, pro-LGBQT ideological litmus to receive Canada Summer Jobs program funding. Below is a sampling of reaction to the government policy. “The language is overbroad ... it infringes the fundamental right of freedom of religion and conscience in a way that is not justifiable.” University of Saskatchewan law [...]
In December, Ontario Attorney General Yasir Navqi’s office notified Campaign Life Coalition and other pro-life groups that the Safe Access to Abortion Services Act, 2017, would come into effect on Feb. 1. The law, passed in October, establishes a minimum bubble zone prohibiting pro-life speech and assembly within 50 meters of the property of eight existing free-standing abortion facilities and 150 meters [...]