KITCHENER -- Constitutional challenges by three southern Ontario churches over COVID-19 pandemic restrictions will be heard together in court.
On Monday, the Ministry of the Attorney General told CTV Kitchener that the province's bid to bring together challenges from Trinity Bible Chapel in Waterloo, the Church of God in Aylmer, and Wellandport United Reformed Church in Niagara Region was granted on consent.
The challenges are expected to be heard in a superior court in St. Thomas sometime this fall.
"Although our clients would have preferred their own day in court for their constitutional challenge, there are now several of these cases across the province and it makes some sense to have them heard at the same time," an emailed statement from Trinity Bible Chapel's lawyer, Lisa Bildy, said in part. "The AG's office will be using the same evidence in each case, so it is more efficient to have all of their witnesses cross-examined at the same time. Unfortunately, it means that the cases won't be heard until early October, which is a long time to wait for the government to prove that its unprecedented and seemingly unending police-enforced restrictions on the normal activities of Ontarians are justified."
