Woolwich church will not be allowed to reopen until it provides plan to follow Ontario COVID rules | Globalnews.ca

An Ontario judge has issued more fines to a church in Woolwich, Ont., which will also remain padlocked until it provides an approved COVID-19 safety plan, according to a spokesperson for the attorney general.

The Trinity Bible Chapel in Elmira has been battling COVID-19 restrictions since last December, racking up thousands of dollars in fines before its locks were ordered to be changed in April.

On Monday afternoon, a judge fined the church and its elders $85,000 for not following COVID-19 protocols the Ontario government had put in place on Boxing Day.

“Ontario sought fines of $35,000 against Trinity Bible Chapel, $10,000 against each of Jacob Reaume and Will Schuurman, and $7,500 in fines for the remaining respondents,” Alexandra Wilkes said in a an email.

“In a decision from the bench, the Court determined that the fines sought by Ontario were fair and reasonable and ordered the Respondents to pay fines totaling $85,000, forthwith.

“The Court also ordered that the church doors may be unlocked to provide access following receipt of a safety plan and evidence from the Respondents confirming their intention to comply with the ROA.”

In addition to collecting dozens of tickets from Waterloo Region bylaw officers and local law enforcement, the church and its elders were also given more than $80,000 in fines by a judge in February.

Trinity Bible Chapel is one of three churches involved in a court battle with the province over the whether the Re-Opening of Ontario Act is constitutional.

That case will not come before the courts until later in the fall.

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