Breakaway believers warn PC party of 'Dominionist' religious movement
CBC
It looks like a bit of visual fun, a knowing wink to Canadian history.
In 2019, members of the Canadian Prophetic Council were meeting in Charlottetown and decided to pose for a photo in front of the lieutenant-governor's residence.
They were recreating an iconic image in the country's history.
In 1864, the Fathers of Confederation were photographed in the same location, in the same poses, during a break in their deliberations on the creation of Canada.
Among those in the 2019 photo was Faytene Grasseschi, a leading figure in the Christian conservative movement based in New Brunswick since 2020.
Sitting in the Sir John A. Macdonald position was Tatyana Russell-Chipp, a musician and missionary at Grasseschi's church in Quispamsis.
The new photo was more than a cheeky homage, said Russell-Chipp, and was meant as "a prophetic act."
"Like, 'we're going to be who you were, in a new time, in order to be God's hands and feet for Canada, to reestablish the Dominion of Canada as something that honours God,'" Russell-Chipp said in an interview.
The Fathers of Confederation called the new nation the "Dominion of Canada," inspired by Psalm 72:8 — "He shall have dominion from sea to sea and from the river unto the ends of the earth."
For some believers, that choice of words was a sign from God, according to former followers.
"It's prophetic to them," said Brent Harris, a Saint John city councillor who worked as a minister for churches affiliated with Grasseschi's church in Quispamsis.
"Using that word was the Lord coming in to put his fingerprint on the nation, and when the resurrection happens, you know this will be the nation of Canada rising to its proper place in the kingdom," Harris said.
To pave the way for that, adherents believe that "true believers must be elected," said Marci McDonald, the author of a 2010 book on the Christian conservative movement.
Grasseschi now leads the Canadian Prophetic Council, which lists "belief in the supremacy of the Word of God" as its first core value.
A report of fraud tied to a walleye derby is under investigation after Montreal Lake Cree Nation said a participant allegedly violated derby rules and was asked to leave the fishing area.
An Edmonton architectural firm says it is in talks with the provincial government to potentially redevelop the former Royal Alberta Museum.
Does junior football have a future in Prince George?
People are descending upon the city for the dozens of events and live music performances this week as the Juno Awards are set to take place Sunday at Hamilton's TD Coliseum.
For nearly two decades, Amanda Loewen's world ended where the pavement did.
The notion that home ownership guarantees financial security in old age is being challenged by a recent survey.
The family of Nash Prystie has identified him as the man who died in an Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) shooting earlier this month north of Kenora, and is calling for more and quicker help for people with mental health challenges.
Playoff action in the Ontario Hockey League gets underway Thursday night for Guelph and Friday in Kitchener.
UPEI wants its faculty to sign on to an updated version of its sexual assault and discrimination policy, but the union that represents the school's academic staff says it wants the policies to be part of its collective agreement.
In Texas this week for a global energy conference, the federal natural resources minister is proclaiming "Canada is back" and ready to bolster its energy sector and grow exports.
Members of Parliament last year went on the fewest sponsored international trips in the last 15 years, excluding the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ontario is running out of time to beef up rules that would crack down on negligent and misbehaving municipal politicians ahead of the next civic election, some experts and opposition critics warn.
Six London teens are each facing multiple charges following a break-and-enter spree at homes in the city's southwest end early Sunday, police said.