For the second week in a row, the RCMP showed up at a 91大黄鸭 church on Sunday (Jan. 10) as parishioners congregated in possible contravention of public health orders.
A Mountie arrived at 91大黄鸭 Harvest Fellowship just after noon, knocking on a door where an unknown number of people were participating in a church service. Pastor Heather Lucier emerged from the room to speak with the officer.
The RCMP has visited the church twice before. The first on Dec. 6, when an 鈥渆ducational approach鈥� was taken by officers, and the second on Dec. 19, when the RCMP issued a $2,300 fine to Lucier for violating public health orders.
READ MORE: Second large gathering at 91大黄鸭 church results in ticket
While it is not known at this point whether the RCMP has fined the church again, Lucier said she鈥檚 still undeterred, citing it as their 鈥渃onstitutional right鈥� to gather and worship. She refused to reveal how many people had attended the service.
UPDATE: Neither the single Mountie on scene nor Heather Lucier could confirm whether a fine had been given before I left. Request in with RCMP to confirm. More to come.
鈥� Michael Rodriguez (@MichaelRdrguez)
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Lucier said several COVID-19 protocols are in place to ensure social distancing and keep parishioners safe. Asked whether mandatory masks were among those measures, she said it鈥檚 鈥渇reedom of choice鈥� for everybody who attends and is not enforced. Lucier herself emerged from the service without a mask.
Lucier said she doesn鈥檛 feel as though she鈥檚 putting lives at risk by holding in-person services.
鈥淲e鈥檝e not had any COVID outbreaks; we鈥檝e not had anyone [become] sick because of our gatherings. So, we鈥檙e just going to proceed.鈥�
Heather Friesen, a local activist who has counter-protested several anti-restriction rallies in 91大黄鸭, was also at the church on Sunday afternoon, planning to go in and 鈥渆xpose them [herself].鈥� She said a lot of people who were attending the service at the church are also frequent attendees of the 鈥渇reedom rallies.鈥�
鈥淲hat鈥檚 happening in our city is very dangerous right now,鈥� she said, after 鈥渃harming鈥� her way into the building and leading media and a Mountie through the building to the door of the room where the service was being held. 鈥�91大黄鸭 needs to start seeing with its own eyes, hearing with its own ears, what鈥檚 going on.鈥�
91大黄鸭 Harvest Fellowship is among several B.C. churches challenging public health orders in court. The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms announced on Friday (Jan. 8) it would be fighting more than a dozen $2,300 fines given to individuals and faith communities across the province for their alleged violation of public health orders.
READ MORE: Two more Central Okanagan schools exposed to COVID-19 in first week back
Do you have something to add to this story, or something else we should report on? Email: michael.rodriguez@kelownacapnews.com
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