- The suicide prevention charity, founded in 1999, was ticketed by Waterloo for violating a city bylaw by soliciting without a permit.
- For 25 years, Le Groupe Jaspe, with 70 volunteers, has visited 50 cities and 771 villages across Quebec, saving lives through suicide prevention efforts.
- The charity is challenging the bylaw in court, arguing that it violates their freedom of expression and religion -- rights protected by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
- A victory for Waterloo could set a precedent for restricting religious expression across Canada, potentially silencing organizations sharing beliefs.
- Previous court rulings have supported religious freedom for organizations like Jehovah's Witnesses, and the 2015 case involving Claude Tremblay provides a precedent that the charity is relying on to fight this new challenge.
Suicide prevention charity Le Groupe Jaspe has been ticketed by the city of Waterloo for violating a bylaw by soliciting without a permit.
Le Groupe Jaspe, a charity founded by Claude Tremblay in 1999 following the tragic suicide of his son, has tirelessly worked to combat isolation and promote dialogue with vulnerable individuals, particularly those with suicidal thoughts for the past 25 years. The charity, supported by 70 dedicated volunteers, has taken them to the doors of 50 cities and 771 villages across Quebec, delivering a powerful message of hope and the value of life. Their work has saved countless lives, often through the simple act of a volunteer knocking on the right door at the right time.
However, this vital work is now under threat.
Earlier this year, a volunteer of Le Groupe Jaspe was ticketed for soliciting without a permit in Waterloo. Despite Quebec law explicitly recognizing the right to share moral or religious messages door-to-door, the prosecutor argued that the law has changed since the adoption of Loi sur la Laicité de l'État in 2019. This law, designed to promote the separation of state and religion, is being used to argue that religious expression no longer deserves constitutional protection. (Related: Suicide rates in the U.S. seriously underestimated because "drug intoxication suicides" are misclassified, according to public health expert.)
The case raises a critical question: Should the state have the power to block religious messages from reaching the public? For Le Groupe Jaspe and its supporters, the answer is no. The charity, with the backing of the Justice Centre, is now challenging the bylaw of Waterloo. They argued that it violates their freedoms of expression and religion -- rights enshrined in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Quebec court rulings, which serve as binding precedents, also support their position.
This legal battle is set to unfold in early 2025, with the potential to set a precedent that could reverberate across Canada.
If Waterloo wins, it could embolden other municipalities to restrict religious expression. This, in turn, could undermine the freedoms of expression, conscience and religion that Canadians hold dear. The separation of church and state, a cornerstone of modern democracy, should not be used as a pretext to silence individuals or organizations that seek to share their beliefs.
Furthermore, a victory for Waterloo would not only silence their message but also set a dangerous precedent for religious freedom in Quebec and beyond.
Quebec has been stifling freedom of religion
This is not the first time Quebec municipalities have attempted to stifle religious expression.
In 1996, the city of Blainville passed a bylaw requiring door-to-door canvassers to obtain a $100 permit, leading to the ticketing of 17 Jehovah's Witnesses. Fortunately, the religious group successfully challenged the bylaw, winning their case in the Quebec Court of Appeal in 2003. The court ruled that equating Jehovah's Witnesses with salespeople was an affront to their religious mission and that their outreach addressed critical community issues.
Similarly, Claude Tremblay himself was ticketed in 2015 for "soliciting without a permit" while delivering his suicide prevention message in a Quebec village. The court found that the ticket violated his constitutional right to freedom of religion, relying on the 2003 Blainville precedent. Now, Waterloo is attempting to circumvent this precedent by invoking the province's secularism law.
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