First Freedoms
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to advancing freedom for all Canadians through public advocacy and litigation
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The Lure and Danger of Fog On Border Security
In recent years, the balancing act between ensuring national security and safeguarding personal privacy has tipped alarmingly toward state overreach. This trend is akin to the slow, creeping fog banks of Newfoundland "roll in" that I observed with a mix of curiosity...
Fred’s Big Idea, Documentary on the Convoy – Interview with Fred Weening
https://rumble.com/embed/v6sdabp/?pub=vs2ia Beat the censors, sign-up for our newsletter: https://firstfreedoms.ca/call_to_action_pages/stay_informed/ In this interview Fred Weening shares his story of suffering from a dangerous stroke in January, 2025. He is...
Religious Freedom Under Threat: Quebec’s Laws and the Battle to Protect Core Rights
Recent legal decisions in Quebec reveal a troubling trend: legislation and regulations that undermine fundamental freedoms, particularly religious liberty, are increasingly coming under scrutiny—and in some cases, being upheld. From the municipal court ruling against...
Speech From The Throne/Mandate Letter – Tea With Barry Ep 11
https://rumble.com/embed/v6rq02b/?pub=vs2ia Beat the censors, sign-up for our newsletter: https://firstfreedoms.ca/call_to_action_pages/stay_informed/ Barry reviews the week ahead with the visit of King Charles III visit and Prime Minister Carney's Mandate Letter to...
Unwarranted Attack on Sir John A. MacDonald – Interview With Patrice Dutil
https://rumble.com/embed/v6rpmcx/?pub=vs2ia Beat the censors, sign-up for our newsletter: https://firstfreedoms.ca/call_to_action_pages/stay_informed/ In this interview historian Patrice Dutil shares with Barry the story of John A. MacDonald in the 1867 election – the...
Tea With Barry – EP 10
https://rumble.com/embed/v6rd1lb/?pub=vs2ia In this episode Barry discusses the government's decision not to table a budget in the House of Commons. This decision violates longstanding parliamentary tradition in keeping the government accountable. Barry suggests that...
Embassy Church Loses Tax Exemption – Interview With Pastor Meghan Mayer and Lawyer Philip Fourie
https://rumble.com/embed/v6rced9/?pub=vs2ia Beat the censors, sign-up for our newsletter: https://firstfreedoms.ca/call_to_action_pages/stay_informed/ Pastor Meghan Mayer, of the Embassy Church in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, describes how her church lost property...
Two-Tiered Justice and the 2025 Election – Interview with Tom Marazzo
https://rumble.com/embed/v6qg14v/?pub=vs2ia Beat the censors, sign-up for our newsletter: https://firstfreedoms.ca/call_to_action_pages/stay_informed/ Barry recently had the opportunity to discuss with Tom Marazzo the current election and the apparent two tiered...
Could Your Church Lose Its Charitable Status – Interview With Sherry Griffin of Lighthouse FM
https://rumble.com/embed/v6qfoij/?pub=vs2ia Beat the censors, sign-up for our newsletter: https://firstfreedoms.ca/call_to_action_pages/stay_informed/ Sherry Griffin recently interviewed Barry W. Bussey on the Canadian House of Commons Finance Committee’s report...
They Don’t Get It: Mainstream Media’s Lack of Free Speech – Interview With Peter Menzies
https://rumble.com/embed/v6q39t5/?pub=vs2ia Beat the censors, sign-up for our newsletter: https://firstfreedoms.ca/call_to_action_pages/stay_informed/ Peter Menzies shares with Barry the Canada’s struggle for freedom of speech in an environment when government pays so...
Border Security and Our Freedoms – Tea With Barry Ep 12
The Liberal Government has introduced a new bill allegedly to deal with border security but there is much more to it than security. Hidden within its 100 pages are new government powers to limit our freedom including our use of cash to buy and sell what we want....
First Freedoms
Justice Ivan Rand, in a 1953 Supreme Court of Canada case involving religious freedom in Quebec, described “freedom of speech, religion and the inviolability of the person” as “original freedoms which are at once the necessary attributes and modes of self-expression of human beings and the primary conditions of their community life within a legal order.” We refer to these “original freedoms” as “first freedoms” (with the view that freedom of religion is a subset of freedom of conscience).
Freedom First
These freedoms are inherent and inalienable. They exist prior to the state. They can be recognized (or violated) by governments but they are not created through legislation or constitutions.
They are foundational. Other rights build on these freedoms. A functioning liberal democracy depends on free speech, freedom of conscience and religion, and respect for the inviolability of the person.
Justice and civil peace rest on the equal dignity and freedom of every human being, regardless of status, ability, political affiliation, race, age, sexuality, or creed.
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We are taking action to help Canadians discuss and defend freedom. Discover upcoming events, publications and more
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Depending on the situation, we are prepared to offer resources and provide legal support to those in need.
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Featured Initiatives
Part Two: Age of Nihilism – Interview with Curtis McManus
Beat the censors, sign-up for our newsletter: https://firstfreedoms.ca/call_to_action_pages/stay_informed/ This is part two of a two-part interview with Curtis McManus, an author Curtis McManus, who skillfully navigates the complexities of our modern age. As we delve...
Canadian Journal of First Freedoms: Call for Papers
In 1968, then-Minister of Justice Pierre Trudeau opined that “A constitutional bill of rights in Canada would guarantee the fundamental freedoms of the individual from interference, whether federal or provincial. It would as well...
Utopian Danger: Freedom Feature with Dr. Ryan Alford
Dr. Ryan Alford, Professor at the Bora Laskin School of Law, Lakehead University, joins Dr. Bussey for a remarkable Freedom Feature discussion, recorded on February 23. Author of Seven Absolute Rights: Recovering the Historical Foundations of Canada's Rule of Law...
Legal Cases:
Case Comment: Aga v. Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (2021)
The Supreme Court Got It Right in Extending The Wall Barry W. Bussey (note that an abbreviated version of this case comment was previously published by The Lawyer's Daily) In free and democratic societies, membership in a religious community is premised on freedom:...
Case Comment: Trinity Western University (2018)
Law Matters but Politics Matter More: The Supreme Court of Canada and Trinity Western University The following case comment was originally published in the Oxford Journal of Law and Religion 2018 7(3) Barry W. Bussey[1] The law on religious accommodation in Canada has...
Case Comment: Loyola High School (2015)
The following is extracted from my chapter "Human Dignity Found in Religious Community," in The Inherence of Human Dignity Vol. 2: Law and Religious Liberty, edited by Barry W. Bussey and Angus J. L. Menuge (Anthem Press, 2021). In 2008 the province of Quebec...
Featured Upcoming Events:
Garden Party – Register Through Eventbrite Today!
Register here: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/garden-party-tickets-682297810117?aff=oddtdtcreator Join us for an afternoon of great conversation, fellowship, learning, and inspiration. We are privileged to introduce our special guest speaker, Pilot Greg Hill, of Free to...
2022 Diefenbaker Lecture: A Free Society Makes Constitutional Rights Meaningful
Thursday, November 10, 2022, 7:00 pm St. Peter's St. Paul's Anglican Church, 152 Metcalfe Street, Ottawa Augustine College and First Freedoms are pleased to announce the 2022 Weston-Diefenbaker lecture titled A Free Society Makes Constitutional Rights Meaningful by...
Diefenbaker Freedom Lecture
A Free Society Makes Constitutional Rights Meaningful Professor Ryan Alford November 10, 2022, at 7:00pm at St. Peter's St. Paul's Anglican Church, 152 Metcalfe Street, Ottawa. Augustine College and First Freedoms are pleased to announce the 2022 Weston-Diefenbaker...
Publications:
The Lure and Danger of Fog On Border Security
In recent years, the balancing act between ensuring national security and safeguarding personal privacy has tipped alarmingly toward state overreach. This trend is akin to the slow, creeping fog banks of Newfoundland "roll in" that I observed with a mix of curiosity...
Religious Freedom Under Threat: Quebec’s Laws and the Battle to Protect Core Rights
Recent legal decisions in Quebec reveal a troubling trend: legislation and regulations that undermine fundamental freedoms, particularly religious liberty, are increasingly coming under scrutiny—and in some cases, being upheld. From the municipal court ruling against...
The King Is Coming To Save Canada
Another historic week lies ahead for Canada as King Charles and Queen Camilla cross the Atlantic in a symbolic gesture to strengthen ties—and perhaps influence—Canada’s future amidst shifting global dynamics. Is this a sign that "The Empire Strikes Back," or merely an...
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Our Top Priorities
The original freedoms are inherent and inalienable. Other rights build on these freedoms. A peaceful and prosperous liberal democracy depends on free speech, freedom of conscience and religion, and respect for the inviolability of the person.
FREEDOM OF SPEECH
“Freedom in thought and speech and disagreement in ideas and beliefs, on every conceivable subject, are of the essence of our life.” (Justice Rand)
FREEDOM OF CONSCIENCE
“An emphasis on individual conscience and individual judgment also lies at the heart of our democratic political tradition” (Justice Dickson)
Inviolability of the Person
“Freedom must surely be founded in respect for the inherent dignity and the inviolable rights of the human person” (Justice Dickson)
“Freedom of conscience is the cornerstone of our most cherished freedoms. Logically, this position leads to the bold assertion that meaningful manifestations of all other civil liberties would be jeopardized if freedom of conscience were diminished.
Indeed, to remove freedom of conscience is to deal a battering-ram blow to the liberal democratic ideals that support all human rights protections. “
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