Quebec’s former tourism minister has been ordered to pay a Christian group $60,000 in damages after a judge ruled she violated the organization’s free speech rights when she cancelled their rally at the Quebec City Convention Centre. Caroline Proulx defended her decision to cancel the event on June 2, 2023, because she said the group, which promoted anti-abortion content, espoused views that were against Quebec’s values. However, Superior Court Justice Alain Trudel ruled on Friday that she exercised her power as Minister of Tourism in “an arbitrary and abusive manner” and that her decision “is not justified in a free and democratic society.” The event was organized by Harvest Ministries International, a Christian organization based in British Columbia. “Faith, Fire, and Freedom” was scheduled to be held June 22 to July 2, 2023, and was intended to be the culminating event of a series of gatherings in cities across Quebec as part of the “Battle for Canada” movement, according to the judgment. Organizers had expected about 1,200 participants per day. As Minister of Tourism, Proulx was responsible for the Société du Centre des congrès de Québec (SCCQ). After she was asked by a Radio-Canada journalist to comment about the event in late May of 2023, she looked into the group by visiting its website, which said, among other things, that abortion has “made the mother’s womb the most dangerous place for a child in Canada. We must pray for the sanctity of life, and for an end to abortion in Canada!” the ruling stated. She then instructed her chief of staff to inform Pierre-Michel Bouchard, President and CEO of the Convention Center, in writing of her decision to cancel the lease agreement for the event. “We firmly believe in freedom of expression, but just as strongly in freedom of choice. We have serious reservations about holding this event in a public venue. Nothing prevents them from holding the event elsewhere, in a private venue,” the message read. With the event cancelled only 10 days before it was supposed to begin, organizers tried unsuccessfully to reschedule it at another private venue. “Despite this, nearly 200 people gathered at another venue in Quebec City and still participated in prayer meetings and gatherings on the Plains of Abraham,” according to the judgment. Harvest Ministries International sued Proulx and the Quebec government for $80,000 in damages. ‘A restriction on freedom of expression’ At trial, the Attorney General of Quebec defended the minister’s decision by arguing that freedom of expression also protects the right not to be associated with a particular discourse. Proulx also argued that she relied on existing legislation that allows the minister to issue directives regarding the general direction of convention centres, which are Crown corporations. But the judge ruled that there is no specific directive or policy governing the nature or content of conventions, meetings, or gatherings at the convention centre. “Preventing a message that displeases the minister or causes deep unease within the government from being conveyed in the public sphere does not constitute an urgent and genuine objective that justifies a restriction on freedom of expression,” Justice Trudel wrote in his 26-page decision. “Her interference in the SCCQ’s decision-making process, motivated by considerations of an essentially political nature, and her contemporaneous public statements based on personal convictions to the effect that the plaintiff’s expression of anti-abortion views had no place in a public space owned by the State, demonstrates a willingness to infringe upon the plaintiff’s freedom of expression and to bring about the foreseeable consequences resulting from that decision.” The judge ruled that Proulx, the Société du Centre des congrès de Québec, and the Attorney General of Quebec to pay Harvest Ministries International $30,636.92 in compensatory damages, but that Proulx “shall bear 100%” of the amount. He also ordered Proulx to pay $30,000 in punitive damages. Proulx reacts to judge’s ruling Proulx is no longer Minister of Tourism but remains a Coalition avenir Québec (CAQ) member. She reacted to the judgment in a social media post Friday night, writing that she is still reviewing it before deciding next steps and that the government will stand up for fundamental freedoms in Quebec. “We reiterate our unequivocal commitment to women’s right to control their own bodies and make their own choices regarding reproductive health. Québec has always defended these rights and will continue to do so. We will NEVER back down on women’s rights to voluntary termination of pregnancy,” Proulx said. “We will continue to support women and ensure their access to the services to which they are entitled. Since the matter may be subject to further legal proceedings, we will not issue any further comments at this time.” In March, Proulx announced that she was not running in the Oct. 5 provincial election.
