BCPSEF December Member Meeting with Special Guest, Darold Sturgeon, CPA, CA

Darold Sturgeon is a Chartered Professional Accountant, father of seven, and man of deep and abiding faith. He was terminated as an executive with Interior Health in 2021 for declining COVID-19 vaccination as mandated by B.C.’s Provincial Health Officer (PHO), Dr. Bonnie Henry. His story was featured recently by The Canadian Press on November 26, 2024.

Darold was part of a group of B.C. healthcare system employees who petitioned B.C. Supreme Court for judicial review of the PHO’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate order, which remained in effect from October 2021 to July 2024. On May 10, 2024, Justice Coval ruled that religious petitioners’ Section 2a rights to freedom of conscience and religion were infringed by the PHO order, but that this was justified under Section 1 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The Court also ruled that the termination of remote workers, like Darold, without reconsideration was unreasonable and ordered the PHO to review its policy. Shortly after this verdict, the B.C. government dropped its two-dose COVID-19 vaccination requirement for employment in the B.C. healthcare system.

Darold was terminated by Interior Health without reasonable notice (i.e., severance), and denied Employment Insurance by the Canada Employment Insurance Commission which ruled that his dismissal was the result of his own “misconduct.” Darold appealed this determination up to the Federal Court of Canada, seeking relief for the infringement of his Charter rights and judicial application of the “correctness” standard of review to his denied EI claim. Ultimately, this challenge was unsuccessful, however Darold continues to pursue other claims related to harms stemming from the B.C. government’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

Darold will join us to share his story, answer questions, and tell us what inspires him to continue seeking justice for the infringement of Canadians’ constitutional and human rights.