Letter to Council: Sean Feucht rally in Mill Lake Park
Subject: Request to deny Special Event Permit for Aug 24/25 Sean Feucht rally in Mill Lake Park
Dear Mayor and Council,
I respectfully ask Council to deny the Special Event Permit application submitted by Burn 24‑7 Canada Worship Ministries Society to stage an outdoor concert featuring Mr. Sean Feucht in Mill Lake Park on 24 August 2025. This request is based on established municipal bylaws, provincial statutes, and Council policy—not on personal opinion.
1. Outdoor Special Event, Filming & Activities Bylaw No. 2513‑2016
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The bylaw empowers the City to refuse a permit where an event poses “extraordinary costs to the City” or cannot meet public‑safety standards.
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Abbotsford Police Service policy (II.K.040) requires a risk assessment and cost‑recovery plan for high‑risk events. Feucht’s recent Canadian stops have been cancelled after police identified crowd‑control and protest‑related risks that would demand significant policing resources.
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The expected policing and security requirements far exceed the $100–$200 permit fee schedule and would shift costs onto taxpayers, contrary to the bylaw’s cost‑recovery intent.
2. Parks Bylaw No. 2456‑2016 – Protection of Peaceful Use
The Parks Bylaw prohibits activities that disturb, interfere with or obstruct others’ enjoyment of a park. Mill Lake Park is Abbotsford’s most heavily used urban green space; recent Feucht events elsewhere have drawn large demonstrations and counter‑protests, making peaceful co‑existence with regular park users unlikely.
3. Council Diversity Policy A001‑08
Council has formally committed to “breaking down barriers, deconstructing biases, and fostering an inclusive, respectful and welcoming environment for all who interact with the City.” Allocating a prime public venue to a speaker whose message has been repeatedly characterized as anti‑2SLGBTQ+ and exclusionary conflicts with this policy commitment.
4. BC Human Rights Code, s. 8
As a service provider, the City must not deliver services or facilities in a discriminatory manner. Granting a permit that facilitates a public event centred on messages that target protected groups risks creating a discriminatory service environment and could expose the City to Code‑based complaints.
5. Criminal Code, ss. 318–320 (hate‑propaganda offences)
While the City is not asked to rule on criminal liability, it is prudent to avoid facilitating events that may approach the threshold of “public incitement of hatred” against identifiable groups, particularly given the event’s open‑air format and large, un‑ticketed audience.
6. Precedent and foreseeable public‑safety risk
Within the last week, Parks Canada (Halifax), Moncton, Charlottetown and Quebec City all revoked or refused permits for Feucht rallies after police cited “heightened public‑safety concerns.” The same factors—anticipated protests, crowd‑control challenges, and community division—are present in Abbotsford. Denial at the application stage avoids costly, last‑minute cancellations or bylaw enforcement actions.
7. Alignment with provincial event‑safety guidance
The BC Major Planned Events Guidelines recommend denying or conditioning permits when an applicant cannot demonstrate an adequate safety, insurance and emergency plan proportionate to known risks. Given the history of last‑minute venue changes and security incidents on this tour, risk‑mitigation requirements are unlikely to be met within the normal permit timeline.
8. Charter‑compliant alternative
Denying the use of Mill Lake Park does not prevent Mr. Feucht or his hosts from exercising freedom of expression or religion; it merely confines the event to a private venue where access controls, security screening and cost‑recovery are feasible—an accepted “time, place and manner” limitation under the Charter.
Conclusion
For the reasons above—public‑safety risk, inconsistency with City bylaws and policy, potential liability under human‑rights and hate‑propaganda statutes, and the availability of private alternatives—I urge Council to refuse the current permit application.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Ross F. Brown
Abbotsford Resident / Abbotsford's Policy Corner (APC)