They say history doesn’t repeat itself, but it rhymes. And today, a sadly familiar rhythm is echoing in Canada.
In 1946, Quebec Premier Maurice Duplessis ordered the cancellation of restaurateur Frank Roncarelli’s liquor license. Roncarelli had publicly supported his fellow Jehovah’s Witnesses, an unpopular religious minority aggressively evangelizing at the time. The Witnesses were frequently fined or arrested for minor regulatory violations, like failing to obtain permits for distributing leaflets. Roncarelli used his personal wealth, around $83,000, to pay their bail.
Frustrated, Duplessis held a press conference comparing the group to Nazis and communists. He announced the license revocation and specifically cited Roncarelli’s support for the Witnesses. Police entered the restaurant while it was full and seized all the alcohol.
Roncarelli sued. In a landmark decision, the Supreme Court held that Duplessis had acted outside his authority and in bad faith. Justice Ivan Rand famously wrote that in a society governed by the rule of law, “there is no such thing as absolute and untrammelled discretion.” The ruling became a foundational moment for constitutional governance in Canada, affirming that state power cannot be used arbitrarily to punish individuals for their beliefs or associations.
That lesson appears to have been forgotten.
American Christian singer and activist Sean Feucht recently attempted to tour eastern Canada. He blends worship music with political commentary, expressing right-wing and populist views on issues like abortion, gender identity, and COVID-19 policies. While his rhetoric can be provocative, none of his statements approach the legal threshold for hate speech, which is deliberately and appropriately high in Canada.
