Ontario Church Refuses To Close Despite Lockdown & MPP Hillier Has Reportedly Attended

An Ontario church is under investigation after holding an in-person service in Waterloo over the weekend.

Trinity Bible Chapel reportedly hosted a large gathering on Sunday despite the province's strict COVID-19 lockdown restrictions.

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In a statement, Pastor Jacob Reaume stated that two in-person services were held on Sunday, one at 9 a.m., the other at 11:15 a.m. 

He argues that the government's objectives and measures can "no longer be trusted" and that "life is much greater than avoiding a virus."

"Do people not gather at Walmart, at Costco, on movie sets, and at the Beer Store?" reads the statement. 

"Is the mission of the church not more important than a bottle of whiskey at the LCBO or a bag of Cheetos at the Dollar Store, both entities being deemed 'essential' while the church is deemed 'unessential.'"

MPP Randy Hillier, who made headlines last month for hosting a 15-person party, was also reportedly in attendance. 

Hiller tweeted out a photo of the chapel on Sunday, which appeared to show a large group gathering for the service with no masks.

The church event, which was streamed on YouTube, reportedly defied Ontario's gathering limits. 

Waterloo Regional Police confirmed in a statement that they were aware of the event.

"We are working with Public Health and Waterloo Region by-law officials to ensure appropriate action is taken."

The church already faces numerous charges for exceeding the limits to in-person gatherings for other events in December and January.