Manitoba legalizes same-sex marriage
Manitoba on Sept. 16 became the fifth Canadian province or territory to legalize full same-sex marriage via court order.
The first gay wedding took place later in the day in Winnipeg between plaintiffs Michelle Ritchot and Stefphany Cholakis.
'It is just so wonderful to be able to marry my beautiful Stefphany,' Ritchot told the Winnipeg Sun.
Plaintiffs Laura Fouhse and Jordan Cantwell got married on Sept. 18.
'Words cannot express how much this means to us as a family,' Cantwell told The Globe and Mail newspaper. 'Now our daughter will grow up knowing that her family is recognized and valued like those of her friends.'
In the ruling, Court of Queen's Bench Justice Douglas Yard declared that the federal definition of marriage as the union of a man and woman violates the Canadian constitution's Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Essentially identical rulings over the past 16 months legalized full same-sex marriage in British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec and the Yukon Territory.
'The cumulative effect and the overwhelming effect of that judicial authority is to the effect that the traditional definition of marriage is no longer constitutionally valid in view of the provisions of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms,' Yard said. 'The traditional definition of marriage in Manitoba is reformulated to mean a voluntary union for life of two persons at the exclusion of all others.'
One of the plaintiff couples in the Manitoba lawsuit—Chris Vogel and Rich North—were the first Canadian couple to attempt to register a same-sex marriage, in 1974, after they were united in a ceremony at a Unitarian church. A court declared that marriage invalid.
The next province expected to legalize same-sex marriage is Nova Scotia, where a court case is advancing. The jurisdictions where same-sex marriage is permitted already encompass 79 percent of Canada's population. It is not yet permitted in Alberta, the Northwest Territories, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Nunavut, Prince Edward Island and Saskatchewan.
'We look forward to the day when all Canadians have the equal right to marry, when Parliament finally passes legislation to make that a reality,' said Cicely McWilliam of Canadians for Equal Marriage. 'Until then, we call on all the remaining provinces to accept equal marriage and begin issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples.'
The federal government is expected to enact legislation redefining marriage to include same-sex couples in coming months.
