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Organizational News

23 Jun 2021 Unanticipated opportunities and overflowing support: reflections on a decade with ARPA Canada

Posted at 16:21h in Blog, Organizational News 0 Comments
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By André Schutten Photo: Mark Penninga, executive director of ARPA Canada, presents a plaque to André Schutten on the occasion of his 10 years with ARPA.   I started my first day with ARPA Canada as Ontario Director and Legal Counsel on June 22, 2011. My office was a single room on the upper floor of an art gallery, managed by my wife Karyn, nestled in the picturesque hills of Gatineau Park. The day before I started, I was called to the bar, officially becoming a fully licensed lawyer. One of my first...

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05 Oct 2020 New Job Position: Ontario Manager

Posted at 18:46h in Organizational News 0 Comments
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The Association for Reformed Political Action (ARPA) Canada is a non-profit organization devoted to educating, equipping, and encouraging Canada’s Reformed Christians to political action and bringing a biblical perspective to our civil governments. By God’s grace, and through the support of our donors, we are looking to expand our work in Ontario by adding a full-time member to our team dedicated to mobilizing grassroots political action among the Reformed community in that province. Job Description: Ontario Manager (Full-Time) Location: Southern Ontario (successful applicant is responsible for providing their own office) Responsibilities: The focus of...

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31 Dec 2019 A year-end message from ARPA’s Executive Director

Posted at 10:54h in Blog, Organizational News 0 Comments
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As this year and decade comes to a close are you feeling somewhat fearful about the state of our nation and the world? If you have been following our work you will have good reason to be troubled by recent developments. A Quebec court undermined already weak protections for human life by striking down a limit on assisted suicide. In response, Canada’s federal government promised to broaden Canada’s euthanasia law in the new year. We saw a pastor arrested in Toronto for publicly bringing the message of God’s grace to sinners....

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10 Sep 2019 ARPA Gives Oral Arguments in Critical Court Case

Posted at 12:53h in Family, Gender and Sexuality, Legal Cases, Organizational News 0 Comments
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This week ARPA Canada was one of just two intervenors that was permitted to give oral arguments in a crucial and sad case in the BC Court of Appeal. We have produced a special Vlog about the case. However, due to a publication ban, we can’t share many details of what transpired in the court room. The case centres around a BC father who has been told he may not express his concerns about his 14-year-old daughter’s decision to take hormone treatments to appear as a boy. The case centres around a...

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22 Aug 2019 ARPA Approved to Intervene in B.C. Transgender Child Court Case

Posted at 15:22h in Family, Gender and Sexuality, Legal Cases, Organizational News 1 Comment
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Earlier this year, a British Columbia judge decided that a 14-year-old girl could receive “hormone treatments” for gender dysphoria despite her father’s strong disapproval. That judge also warned the father against “attempting to persuade A.B. [anonymized initials for his daughter] to abandon treatment for gender dysphoria; addressing A.B. by his birth name; referring to A.B. as a girl or with female pronouns whether to him directly or to third parties.” A subsequent court order authorized police to arrest the father without warrant and charge him with contempt of court if he...

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11 Apr 2019 ARPA Canada presents to Justice Committee as they study online hatred

Posted at 15:45h in Fundamental Freedoms, Organizational News 0 Comments
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ARPA's Director of Law & Policy presented to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights. The Justice Committee invited ARPA Canada to make submissions on the issue of online hatred. André Schutten was able to cite passages from the Old and New Testament to encourage the government to deal with this pressing issue properly, while also cautioning the government to not overstep its bounds and to make room for other institutions of society to play their part. You can read or listen to André's opening statement below: https://old.arpacanada.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Andre.ogg ...

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07 Mar 2019 Edmonton Chapter Launch!

Posted at 13:50h in Action Story, Organizational News 0 Comments
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ARPA Canada hosted a special presentation in Edmonton on January 30 with about 75 people in attendance. The focus was on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI 123) and its implications for schools in British Columbia and Alberta. Following the presentation, a small group met to relaunch an Edmonton ARPA chapter. These local groups are so valuable for community engagement and activism, and we are confident that the 15 people signed up are committed to keeping the local momentum going. ARPA Canada works closely with these groups to serve and lead...

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31 Jan 2019 A timeline of ARPA Canada’s engagement on the euthanasia issue

Posted at 12:41h in Euthanasia, Organizational News 0 Comments
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Euthanasia has been a top priority issue for ARPA Canada over the past few years. 2015: ARPA intervened in Carter v. Canada, the landmark Supreme Court case which struck down the prohibition on assisted suicide. 2015: ARPA produced a paper showing the government that their legislative options included affirming a total ban of euthanasia. 2015: ARPA  engaged in direct lobbying on Bill C-14, which amended the Criminal Code to legalize physician-assisted suicide.  The Hill Times recorded ARPA Canada as having the top number of Parliamentary lobby meetings on this...

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11 Jan 2019 ARPA Canada gets intervenor standing in Alberta’s Bill 24 challenge!

Posted at 15:40h in Bills and Motions, Education, Legal Cases, Organizational News 0 Comments
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The new year has just begun and already we have some encouraging news to share with you from Alberta! On Tuesday, January 8th, ARPA Canada applied for and was granted intervenor status in the court challenge to Bill 24, a bill which mandates unacceptable changes to school policies. You can read more about our concerns on Bill 24 here.We praise the Lord for the court’s decision to grant us intervenor status, and the added privilege of presenting evidence in this case. We pray that God will bless these efforts. Typically, a...

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08 Jan 2019 ARPA Canada – Plans for 2019

Posted at 16:23h in Blog, Organizational News 0 Comments
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In our weekly staff call this Monday morning, I read from 1 Corinthians 3:11-13: “For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done.” As we look into a new year with hopes, plans, and maybe also some anxiety or fear, we do well to...

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