Activists rally outside Kelowna city hall to change religious tax exemptions

A group of activists have been trying to get the City of Kelowna’s attention in an effort to change religious tax exemptions to no avail, so Tuesday they rallied at city hall.

Kelowna Atheists, Skeptics and Humanists Association and Advocacy Canada have been asking the city to change religious property tax exemptions from five years to one year so the policy can be reviewed.

At the rally, July 22, Amber Hall with Advocacy Canada said the policy is outdated and ought to be looked at.

“Re-examine the people that are currently receiving those breaks to ensure that the monies are not being filtered out of Kelowna. Also, to make sure that the people that are receiving those exemptions aren’t religious organizations or faith-based organizations that are discriminatory towards a lot of people that live here in Kelowna.” Hall said.

Nina George with the Kelowna Atheists, Skeptics and Humanists Association said city council has declined a request for a delegation so the hope was to be able to get a word in with councillors as they headed into a meeting.

But she wasn’t surprised when no one came out to speak with the group since the responses the association has received indicate that the city doesn’t want to look into the issue.

“We are going to make it an election issue when it comes up,” she said. “The problem with city councillors, there’s a bunch of old boomers on there and older, and they are stuck in their ideology.”

She said religious groups donate to charitable causes for social good, but those causes are often in other countries. 

“They can pay their property taxes first and then donate. We’re not saying they can’t donate, but just pay your taxes. Taxes are a social good,” she said.

There are 54 religious groups listed under the public worship tax exemption for 2024 in Kelowna for a total loss of roughly $350,000 in tax revenue, according to the city’s annual report.

The city hasn’t changed its public worship tax policy since 2005.

The association previously sent iNFOnews.ca applications for tax exemptions in 2020 from churches in Kelowna.

Grace Baptist Church declared that it had more than $1 million in cash, bank accounts and investments. Evangel Tabernacle of Kelowna declared more than $3.8 million in capital assets in Canada.

Grace Baptist Church was exempt from $10,970 in property taxes in 2024 and Evangel Tabernacle Church was exempt from $5,245.