Canada Summer Jobs Program’s Penalizing of Religious Groups ‘Very Concerning’: Lawyer

Court rules in favour of Christian organization that was denied funding for youth summer camps

A sign at the entrance to Mill Stream Bible Camp and Retreat Centre in Omemee, Ontario. A judge ruled that the youth camp was subjected to an “unreasonable” decision when the federal government refused its application for $45,600 to fund six camp counsellor jobs for its 2019 summer camps. BCM International

A lawyer representing the operator of a Christian youth camp in Ontario says all Canadians should be concerned about the federal government’s failure to uphold the rights of religious communities. His comment comes on the heels of a second Federal Court ruling recently that the Canada Summer Jobs (CSJ) program withheld funding from an organization due to its religious beliefs.

“Canada is a country governed by a Constitution, and the very first freedom protected in that Constitution is the freedom of conscience and religion,” said Marty Moore, a lawyer with the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF), a non-profit legal advocacy organization, who represented camp operator BCM International Canada Inc. in court.