National Post
· collected 2026-08-20 · by Special to National Post
analysis
A former Quebec minister, Caroline Proulx, was involved in a case where she terminated a lease agreement with Christian group Harvest Ministries International (HMI) due to their views on abortion. According to the Superior Court's ruling, Proulx acted "without legislative or regulatory authority" and in an "arbitrary and abusive manner", motivated by her own political beliefs. The court found that HMI's event had nothing to do with abortion, but rather aimed to unite Canada's two founding peoples. Proulx has refused to admit wrongdoing despite the harsh ruling, instead shifting focus back to the issue of abortion.
Written by the local model on 2026-08-20,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
In July 2023, Caroline Proulx, a former Quebec minister of tourism, forced the termination of a lease agreement with Harvest Ministries International (HMI) because she disapproved of their views on abortion. However, the event in question, "Faith, Fire and Freedom," had nothing to do with abortion and was meant to unite Canadians from different backgrounds. The Superior Court ruled on July 31 that Proulx's actions were an example of discrimination that has no place in a free and democratic society like Quebec. This decision highlights the importance of freedom of expression, which is a fundamental right recognized in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and can only be infringed upon in rare cases with strict limits established by case law.
Written for “Quebec Freedom of Assembly” on 2026-08-31,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
Can we, in Quebec, exclude certain citizens from public facilities because of their political views?
asserted
we → exclude → views
This type of discrimination, common under authoritarian regimes, “has no place in a free and democratic society like Quebec,” the province’s Superior Court said on July 31, in deciding a case involving a Christian group, B.C.-based Harvest Ministries International (HMI) and the former Quebec minister of tourism Caroline Proulx.
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Court → have → tourism
The drama began in 2023, when Proulx forced the termination of a lease agreement because she disapproved of HMI’s views on abortion.
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she → begin → abortion
Her communications team tried to frame this cancellation as part of the abortion debate despite the fact the event in question, called “Faith, Fire and Freedom,” had nothing to do with abortion.
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event → try → abortion
Freedom of expression is one of the fundamental rights recognized in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
asserted
Freedom → recognize → Rights
The state may infringe upon these rights only in rare cases and within strict limits established by case law, such as a violent situation.
uncertain
state → infringe → situation
But that is not what happened here.
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what → happen → ?
First, the evidence presented did not indicate that HMI hosted an “anti-abortion event,” but a gathering that “had as its primary objective to unite Canada’s two founding peoples.”
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that → present → peoples
Second, it was not the nature of the event that prompted the minister to cancel its holding at the Québec City Convention Center, but rather the organizer’s beliefs regarding abortion which she discovered by visiting the organizer’s website.
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she → prompt → website
Finally, the minister claimed to have acted entirely within the law to protect the “fundamental rights and freedoms” of Quebec women.
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minister → claim → women
On this point, the ruling could not be harsher: the Superior Court found that she acted “without legislative or regulatory authority,” meaning she lacked the legal authority to force the termination of the lease.
uncertain
she → find → lease
The court found that Proulx acted “in an arbitrary and abusive manner, without any regard for (HMI’s) rights.”
asserted
Proulx → find → rights
It further emphasized that “her interference” was “motivated by considerations of an essentially political nature and her contemporaneous public statements based on personal convictions.
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interference → emphasize → convictions
It was not the minister of tourism who acted here in her capacity as a minister.
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who → act → minister
It was Caroline Proulx who abused her position to stifle the freedom of expression of a group with which she disagreed.
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she → abuse → which
It is regrettable that, following such a harsh ruling, Ms. Proulx refuses to admit any wrongdoing and is once again attempting to shift the focus of the case to the issue of abortion by claiming to defend Quebec’s “fundamental rights and freedoms.”
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Proulx → follow → rights
These so-called fundamental rights do exist, but it is not up to a minister to redefine them.
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it → call → them
They are already enshrined in the Charter.
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They → enshrine → Charter
If, after such a harsh ruling, the minister can simply reiterate her narrative and reject the court’s conclusions outright; if media attention shifts elsewhere; if citizens shrug it off — this signals that this kind of anti-democratic behavior can pay off politically.
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kind → reiterate → behavior
One can find some comfort in the fact that, notwithstanding the ministers’ claims, the government of Quebec will not be appealing the decision according to the lawyer for HMI.
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government → find → HMI
It is important to remember that the real issue is whether we accept that a member of the government can trample on the rights of a group because of their own personal beliefs.
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member → remember → beliefs
A democracy that answers “yes” to this question is already beginning to forget why it adopted a Charter in the first place.
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it → answer → place
National Post
Jean-Christophe Jasmin is the Québec director at Cardus, where he draws on his background as a federal public servant and his training in political philosophy and theology to foster collaboration between faith communities, policy-makers, and the broader public.
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he → draw → communities
