KITCHENER 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. 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 pushback from a few religious communities in southern Ontario to public health restrictions and involvement in anti-lockdown protests is perplexing to other congregations in Waterloo Region, which have made the virtual shift to continue practicing their faith.
Posted: May 11, 2021 12:04 PM ET | Last Updated: May 11
A protester holds a sign that reads the church must gather during an anti-lockdown demonstration in Waterloo, Ont., on May 9. Three churches in Ontario are challenging the constitutionality of provincial lockdown measures.(Hala Ghonaim/CBC)
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