While the City of Vancouver turned down a request to proclaim December as Christian Heritage Month, another Lower Mainland municipality had no difficulty making the recognition, even displaying its offices in purple to mark the beginning of Advent.

 Port Coquitlam City Hall was lit up in Advent colours on Dec. 1, and Mayor Brad West declared December Christian Heritage Month for the second straight year.
 The proclamation recognizes the significance of December to the Christian faith, “encompassing key events such as the start of Advent and the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ.”

Christian Heritage Month “offers Canadians of all backgrounds an opportunity to recognize and celebrate the profound influence of Christianity on our collective history,” it says.

 A City of Port Coquitlam Facebook post showed city hall glowing in purple light and saying Advent is “a Christian season of anticipation and preparation for the celebration of Christmas.” It called it “a time to reflect on hope, peace, joy, and love.”

Our Lady of the Assumption parishioner Brad Chase, who petitioned the city to declare Christian Heritage Month in 2024 and to light the Advent colours this year, was grateful for West’s support and pleasantly surprised by the response to the Facebook post. “It’s a beautiful list of comments,” he said. “I do think it’s important, because instead of celebrating Christianity we are often going the other way.”

The comments were uniformly positive, with readers voicing thanks for the recognition of the true meaning of Christmas.

“Thank you so very much for sharing the real meaning of the word CHRISTMAS,” wrote Rhonda Madaski. “Thank you from all of us around the world who believe in the real meaning of December 25.”

Port Coquitlam’s response stood in sharp contrast to that of Vancouver, which declined the Christian Heritage Month request without explanation, leaving organizers wondering why other religious and cultural observances are recognized but not theirs.

Molly Banerjei, CEO of the Christian Heritage Month Initiative, received a brief email on Nov. 18 from the office of Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim stating that her request “does not meet the criteria for a Proclamation.” The message did not specify what criteria were not met.

Banerjei followed up, requesting clarification and pointing out that the city regularly issues proclamations or public acknowledgments for other cultural and religious observances, such as Sikh Heritage Month, Islamic History Month, Jewish holidays, and Indigenous cultural observances.

The city did not respond nor has it replied to a request for comment from The B.C. Catholic.

Banerjei said the initiative highlights the role Christian communities play in Canadian society. In her formal submission to Vancouver on Nov. 21, she argued that the city’s own diversity and inclusion policies recognize the contribution of multiple faith groups, and that Christians—many of whom in Vancouver are immigrants or refugees from countries where Christianity is persecuted—should not be excluded.

She pointed to Christian organizations in Vancouver operating shelters, food banks, addiction recovery programs, and seniors services. “Recognizing December as Christian Heritage Month is not asking Vancouver to create a new standard — it is asking Vancouver to honour the standard it has already set for itself,” she wrote.

Banerjei confirmed to The B.C. Catholic that Vancouver has not recognized Christian Heritage Month in past years but said she will continue trying to get clarification from the mayor and council. She has asked for the request to be brought formally before city council.

Christian Heritage Month has been formally recognized by almost 60 municipalities across Canada, along with three regional governments and the Province of Saskatchewan. Toronto will host a large Christian Heritage Month unity event on Dec. 6, bringing together Christians from multiple cultural traditions.

In several communities the motion passed with broad support, adding a civic acknowledgment of the historic role Christianity has played in shaping Canadian institutions, culture, and public life.

Other attempts have been less successful, with some cities rejecting the declaration despite repeated requests from local advocates. A few that once issued the proclamation have since declined to renew it, resulting in a patchwork across the country when it comes to recognizing Christian heritage in the public square.

City of Vancouver’s official celebrations and observances

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