B.C. health officer seeks injunction against churches violating ban on services

Feb 9, 2021 | 3:42 PM

VANCOUVER — British Columbia’s provincial health officer and attorney general are asking for a court injunction ordering three churches to follow public health rules banning in-person religious services.

The application in B.C. Supreme Court comes after the churches filed a petition challenging the province’s prohibition on services, arguing they violate people’s rights and freedoms. 

The Riverside Calvary Chapel in Langley, the Immanuel Covenant Reformed Church in Abbotsford and Free Reformed Church of Chilliwack filed the petition last month. 

Dr. Bonnie Henry says in her response to the petition that the ban on indoor gatherings, including in-person religious services, is necessary to limit the spread of COVID-19 in B.C.