Trinity Bible Chapel must show proof of COVID-19 safety plan to have doors unlocked
Trinity Bible Chapel must provide proof of a COVID-19 safety plan to the Ontario government before its doors will be unlocked, a Kitchener judge has ruled.
The church on Lobsinger Line has had its doors ordered locked by an Ontario judge since April 30 for breaking COVID-19 safety protocols.
On Tuesday, the same Kitchener judge, Justice John Krawchenko, ruled indoor services may resume at Trinity Bible Chapel under Step 3 of the province's reopening plan and under certain circumstances.
"To be clear, the respondents shall provide a copy of their safety plan, which is required by law to the applicant, prepared in accordance with this regulation, and provide proof of its posting at the church, at which point the applicant shall cause the locks to be changed to allow the reopening of the church," Krawchenko said at a Zoom hearing.
The applicant in the case is the Crown Attorney for the Ontario government.
Justice Krawchenko also fined the church and its elders for a second round of contempt of court findings.
Trinity Bible Chapel has been ordered to pay $35,000 and Pastor Jacob Reaume $10,000.
Five other church elders were also fined for a total of $40,000.
Will Schuurman was fined $10,000, while Dean Wanders, Randy Frey, Harvey Frey and Daniel Gordon were each fined $7,500.
"The orders that were in place and breached related to compliance with public health and safety in the context of a worldwide pandemic," Krawchenko said. "The conduct of the contemnors exercising their leadership roles individually and as an institution in knowingly breaching the orders was very serious. The breaches were not technical in nature, but flagrant."
A constitutional challenge by Trinity Bible Chapel along with the Church of God in Aylmer and the Wellandport United Reformed Church in Niagara Region is expected to be heard in court this fall.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Explosion at train station leads to discovery of stolen car on Montreal's South Shore: police
Police are investigating after a BMW exploded in the St-Lambert Exo train station parking lot on Montreal's South Shore.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
Snakes almost on a plane: U.S. TSA discovers a bag with small snakes in passenger's pants
According to an X post by the Transportation Security Administration, officers at the Miami International Airport found the small bag of snakes hidden in a passenger's trousers on April 26 at a checkpoint.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
A candidate for Germany's key party was beaten up while campaigning for European elections
A candidate for Chancellor Olaf Scholz's center-left party in next month's election for the European Parliament was beaten up and seriously injured while campaigning in an eastern city, the party said Saturday.
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.