QUÉBEC — A Quebec government cabinet minister has taken the stand in a civil case over her decision to cancel an event in 2023 because she thought it would promote anti-abortion views.

British Columbia-based Harvest Ministries International is suing the provincial government for $80,000 and seeking a declaration from the Superior Court that the Christian group’s Charter rights were violated by the cancellation.

Housing Minister Caroline Proulx defended her decision to block the “Faith, Fire, Freedom Rally” at Quebec City’s provincially owned convention centre in 2023, when she was responsible for the tourism portfolio.

She says she was shocked to discover anti-abortion “misinformation” on the group’s website.

The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms, which is representing the plaintiffs, says the matter at issue is whether a religious organization can be denied access to a publicly owned venue because of its beliefs.

The Quebec government maintains that the right to freedom of religion and non-discrimination applies only to individuals, not to legal entities.

Earlier in the day, Pastor Arthur Lucier, founder of Harvest Ministries International, testified that the Quebec City gathering was not an anti-abortion event, but rather a reconciliation event between the founding peoples of the Canadian federation.

Lucier told the court he was informed three weeks before the event that the rental agreement had been cancelled and said he approached 50 other venues without success, calling the situation “heartbreaking” for those who wanted to attend.

Superior Court Justice Alain Trudel is hearing the case at the Quebec City courthouse, where lawyers will make their final arguments on Tuesday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 23, 2026.

Caroline Plante, The Canadian Press