A Quebec free expression ruling handed down on 31 July 2026 has found that the provincial government and former Tourism Minister Caroline Proulx acted unlawfully when they cancelled a Christian organisation’s booking at a publicly owned convention centre, ordering the government and Proulx to pay combined damages of approximately $60,000 CAD to the affected group.
The Quebec Free Expression Ruling in Detail
The Quebec Superior Court ruled that Harvest Ministries International had its freedom of expression infringed when Proulx ordered the cancellation of its rental contract with the Société du Centre des congrès de Québec (SCCQ). The court held that a government body cannot refuse access to public facilities on the basis of disagreement with a group’s message.
The planned conference, titled ‘Faith, Freedom, Fire,’ was led by Kelowna-based pastor Art Lucier and scheduled to run from 23 June to 2 July 2023 at the Quebec City Convention Centre, according to the Canadian Council of Christian Charities (CCCC).
Proulx intervened after Radio-Canada journalist Sébastien Bovet sought comment on the booking. La Presse reported that Proulx was ‘outraged’ upon learning of the gathering and promptly ordered the contract cancelled, citing the group’s opposition to abortion. The minister has not held office since April 2026, having left government before the court’s decision was issued.
Damages, Personal Liability, and What the Court Left Unanswered
The Quebec Superior Court ordered the provincial government and the convention centre to pay Harvest Ministries International $30,636.92 CAD (approximately US$21,991) in compensatory damages for breach of contract. Proulx was ordered personally to pay a further $30,000 CAD (approximately US$21,523) in punitive damages.
Crucially, the court held Proulx personally liable for 100 per cent of the damages arising from the breach, according to the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms, which represented the ministry. The Justice Centre had sought total damages exceeding $80,000 CAD on Harvest Ministries International’s behalf.
CBC News confirmed the combined award stands at approximately $60,000 CAD across both heads of damages.
The court confined its analysis to freedom of expression and declined to rule on freedom of religion. As the CCCC’s legal commentary noted, the court concluded it was unnecessary to examine the religion ground because the minister’s decision already infringed the group’s freedom of expression. The freedom of religion question therefore remains unaddressed by this decision.
Following the cancellation, Harvest Ministries International made extensive efforts to relocate the event to a private venue but was unable to do so, a factor the court acknowledged in its assessment of the harm suffered.
The case underlines a constitutional boundary that Canadian courts have long recognised: government bodies exercising control over public facilities may not discriminate against groups on the basis of the content or viewpoint of their expression. The minister’s intervention, prompted by a journalist’s enquiry rather than any formal complaint, went directly to that line.
Subject to any onward appeal, the decision stands as authority that a minister who personally directs the cancellation of a lawful public contract, on viewpoint grounds, assumes personal exposure to punitive damages. Whether the Quebec government will seek to appeal, and whether the freedom of religion question might be tested in a separate or future proceeding, are the next questions for Harvest Ministries International and its legal team.
