An Ontario judge has blasted the Environment department ruling it unfairly rejected applications from churches for Canada Summer Jobs funding, says Blacklock’s Reporter..The court was told the department appeared to harass Christian applicants with repeated claims of inadequate paperwork..“It’s pretty scathing,” said Albertos Polizogopoulos, lawyer for Redeemer University College of Hamilton, Ont..“This sends a pretty clear message to the government that they can’t treat religious institutions differently from anyone else.”.Redeemer University had routinely received Canada Summer Jobs funding for 12 consecutive years, the Federal Court was told. However, in 2018 it was denied $104,187 to hire eleven students after the department checked Redeemer’s website for “high risk” content, then subjected the University to repeated requests for more paperwork before finally rejecting its application..Supposed paperwork errors were “not in my view a genuine attempt to seek clarification or further information,” wrote Justice Richard Mosley..“Sending the letter was simply going through the motions to appear to be fair, not an exercise in fairness itself.”.Redeemer is a Reformed Christian campus opposed to same-sex marriage, but its summer student program was unrelated to its Christian teachings, the court was told..Mosley said there was no evidence the department made any attempt to “consider Redeemer’s right to freedom of religion, freedom of expression or freedom of association in considering its application.”.The University’s 2021 application has been approved. The department was ordered to pay all the University’s court costs totaling $102,000..“They did target religious groups,” said Polizogopoulos, of The Acacia Group of Ottawa..“I don’t know if the government got the message. This decision does hold the department’s feet to the fire and says they cannot string religious groups along anymore.”.Mosley, in a second case, similarly struck a ruling by the Department of Employment against Bible Centred Ministry (BCM) International Canada Inc. that sought $45,600 to hire guides at a Bible camp..The group had successfully applied for Canada Summer Jobs funding for seven years and had “the right to stand in the line for assessment with other eligible projects,” but “was never given a fair chance for its application to be considered on its merits,” wrote the court..BCM was repeatedly told its paperwork was out of order. Organizers said the loss of the grant meant they had to turn away schoolchildren from the Mill Stream Bible Camp at Omemee, Ont. that promoted “leadership skills” and physical exercise..The department “breached procedural fairness and made an unreasonable decision,” wrote Mosley..The department beginning in 2018 faced a string of successful lawsuits after it arbitrarily denied Canada Summer Jobs funding to groups it suspected were pro-life or opposed gay marriage..Cabinet required applicants to swear a federal oath they recognized “the right to access safe and legal abortions” even if funding was unrelated to any Christian teaching..Cabinet subsequently issued a new 2018 oath requiring applicants swear their “core mandate” complied with the Charter Of Rights And Freedoms regardless of the project being funded..Dave Naylor is the News Editor of the Western Standard.,dnaylor@westernstandardonline.com,.Twitter.com/nobby7694
An Ontario judge has blasted the Environment department ruling it unfairly rejected applications from churches for Canada Summer Jobs funding, says Blacklock’s Reporter..The court was told the department appeared to harass Christian applicants with repeated claims of inadequate paperwork..“It’s pretty scathing,” said Albertos Polizogopoulos, lawyer for Redeemer University College of Hamilton, Ont..“This sends a pretty clear message to the government that they can’t treat religious institutions differently from anyone else.”.Redeemer University had routinely received Canada Summer Jobs funding for 12 consecutive years, the Federal Court was told. However, in 2018 it was denied $104,187 to hire eleven students after the department checked Redeemer’s website for “high risk” content, then subjected the University to repeated requests for more paperwork before finally rejecting its application..Supposed paperwork errors were “not in my view a genuine attempt to seek clarification or further information,” wrote Justice Richard Mosley..“Sending the letter was simply going through the motions to appear to be fair, not an exercise in fairness itself.”.Redeemer is a Reformed Christian campus opposed to same-sex marriage, but its summer student program was unrelated to its Christian teachings, the court was told..Mosley said there was no evidence the department made any attempt to “consider Redeemer’s right to freedom of religion, freedom of expression or freedom of association in considering its application.”.The University’s 2021 application has been approved. The department was ordered to pay all the University’s court costs totaling $102,000..“They did target religious groups,” said Polizogopoulos, of The Acacia Group of Ottawa..“I don’t know if the government got the message. This decision does hold the department’s feet to the fire and says they cannot string religious groups along anymore.”.Mosley, in a second case, similarly struck a ruling by the Department of Employment against Bible Centred Ministry (BCM) International Canada Inc. that sought $45,600 to hire guides at a Bible camp..The group had successfully applied for Canada Summer Jobs funding for seven years and had “the right to stand in the line for assessment with other eligible projects,” but “was never given a fair chance for its application to be considered on its merits,” wrote the court..BCM was repeatedly told its paperwork was out of order. Organizers said the loss of the grant meant they had to turn away schoolchildren from the Mill Stream Bible Camp at Omemee, Ont. that promoted “leadership skills” and physical exercise..The department “breached procedural fairness and made an unreasonable decision,” wrote Mosley..The department beginning in 2018 faced a string of successful lawsuits after it arbitrarily denied Canada Summer Jobs funding to groups it suspected were pro-life or opposed gay marriage..Cabinet required applicants to swear a federal oath they recognized “the right to access safe and legal abortions” even if funding was unrelated to any Christian teaching..Cabinet subsequently issued a new 2018 oath requiring applicants swear their “core mandate” complied with the Charter Of Rights And Freedoms regardless of the project being funded..Dave Naylor is the News Editor of the Western Standard.,dnaylor@westernstandardonline.com,.Twitter.com/nobby7694
