By; Braden Conrad and Jorden Conrad Freedom of religion By; Braden Conrad and Jorden Conrad

definitions Freedom of religion: is one of the fundamental rights of all Canadians. It allows all people the freedom to have and practice their religion as well as the freedom to practice no religion. Freedom of religion allows people to assemble and worship without limitation or interference. Kirpan: a sword or dagger that is carried by people of the Sikh religion as an article of faith. The Lords Day Act of 1906: an act passed by the government in 1906 to prevent non- essential business transactions and commercial entertainment on Sundays.

Early form of freedom of religion In 1851 the British province of Canada enacted the freedom of worship act. This was an early version of the freedom of religion, and gave legal protection for people to exercise and enjoy a religious profession and worship, without discrimination or preference.

Case 1: R v. Big M Drug Mart Ltd Big M Drug Mart Ltd was accused of violating the Lords Day Act of 1906, which prohibited business transactions on Sundays. The judgment of R v. Big M Drug Mart Ltd was on April 4th 1985 and in a unanimous decision amongst the 6 judges, the Lords Day Act was found unconstitutional for contradicting the freedom of religion. This is because it was forcing the Christian religion on the public.

Case 2: Multani v. Commission scolaire Marguerite‑Bourgeoys This case consisted of a 12 year old named Gurbaj Singh who was of the Sikh religion, who dropped a knife at his school. Under the Sikh religion, it required for people to carry 5 articles of faith with them. One of these items is a curved dagger that is called a kirpan. The schoolboard requested that, if Gurbaj is to carry the dagger, it must be covered at all times. The family happily agreed. This decision was contested in 2002 when the Quebec court of appeal argued that, because it was a weapon, it should not be allowed and suggested that he carry a non-metal kirpan instead. In 2006, the supreme court of Canada struck down the decision made in 2002, stating that it was a violation of freedom of religion and Gurbaj was allowed to carry the kirpan, sealed in its scabbard, and secured on his person.

Sources used Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_religion_in_Canada https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_freedom_of_religion_in_Canada https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R_v_Big_M_Drug_Mart_Ltd https://scc-csc.lexum.com/scc-csc/scc-csc/en/item/43/index.do https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Section_2_of_the_Canadian_Charter_of_Rights_and_F reedoms https://scc-csc.lexum.com/scc-csc/scc-csc/en/item/15/index.do