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
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.