The lawsuit implicating Tourism Minister Caroline Proulx and the state-led venue Centre des Congrès de Québec was filed by Harvest Ministries International in Quebec’s Superior Court on Aug. 9.
The plaintiff argues that several constitutional and quasi-constitutional rights were violated by the minister’s decision to cancel the event, namely freedom of religion, freedom of expression and opinion, freedom of peaceful assembly, and the right to equality without discrimination.
“What we have here is politicians, temporarily entrusted with the levers of power, using state power arbitrarily to impose their own beliefs and worldview on citizens,” added Mr. Séguin, director of the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms in French Canada.
Harvest Ministries International had planned to hold a “Faith, Fire and Freedom” event at the Centre des Congrès in Québec City from June 23 to July 2, the sixth of its kind since 2018.
The complaint says the event would have been attended by 1,200 people participating in prayer meetings and artistic presentations around the themes of “faith and reconciliation between the founding communities of the Canadian federation.”
Harvest says it has in the past “defended its ‘pro-life’ political convictions,” but that there was nothing “anti-abortion” about the event nor anything in its program under that theme.
Ms. Proulx ordered the Centre des Congrès to cancel Harvest’s lease on June 1. She said on June 2 the event went “against the fundamental principles of Quebec.”
“We’re not going to allow anti-abortion groups to put on big shows in public places,” Premier François Legault said the same day.
The government also barred the group from renting any public venue, and Harvest says it was turned down by 43 establishments, with some allegedly saying they wanted to avoid controversy. The complaint says it eventually found a room on June 17 to hold an impromptu event with just over 200 people.
Harvest Ministries International is claiming over $262,000 in damages and seeking judicial declarations of unjustified infringement of its rights.
Ms. Proulx’s office declined to comment due to the issue being before the court.
Quebec has taken other actions targeting those with religious views, such as its 2019 secularism law that prevents public servants in positions of authority from displaying religious symbols. The law is being challenged in court.
