Marriages In Ontario, Canada

[Rev Kevin D]

Now I have reviewed the 'pinned' topic of marriage laws outside of the United States. I have also read some other posts that say that ULC ministers are unable to conduct marriages in Ontario.

Now I am slightly confused by this because upon further review of Ontario's Marriage Act I see nothing that would prevent a ULC minister living in Ontario from being able to perform said marriages. Of course, I'm no lawyer - but the language seems clear.

Here is section 20 of the Marriage Act which describes who can be solemnized to perform marriages in Ontario.

Who may solemnize marriage

20. (1) No person shall solemnize a marriage unless he or she is authorized by or under section 24 or is registered under this section as a person authorized to solemnize marriage. R.S.O. 1990, c. M.3, s. 20 (1).

Application for registration

(2) Upon application the Minister may, subject to subsection (3), register any person as a person authorized to solemnize marriage. R.S.O. 1990, c. M.3, s. 20 (2).

Okay, so far it states that the person needs to be authorized/registered to solemnized to perform the marriage. This is done by the Minister of Consumer and Business Services in Ontario. So far that means that I need to register with the Ministry of Consumer and Business Services in Ontario. What are the conditions to register? Read on....

Who may be registered

(3) No person shall be registered unless it appears to the Minister,

(a) that the person has been ordained or appointed according to the rites and usages of the religious body to which he or she belongs, or is, by the rules of that religious body, deemed ordained or appointed;

Okay so the person has to be ordained or appointed - so far so good.

(b) that the person is duly recognized by the religious body to which he or she belongs as entitled to solemnize marriage according to its rites and usages;

Seems clear, ULC recognizes me to solemnize marriage under its rites and usages.

(c ) that the religious body to which the person belongs is permanently established both as to the continuity of its existence and as to its rites and ceremonies; and

(d) that the person is resident in Ontario or has his or her parish or pastoral charge in whole or in part in Ontario; provided that in the case of a person who is in Ontario temporarily and who, if resident in Ontario, might be registered under this section, the Minister may register him or her as authorized to solemnize marriage during a period to be fixed by the Minister. R.S.O. 1990, c. M.3, s. 20 (3).

ULC would meet section C as far as I know. Section D. From what I read into this is simple. If you are a ULC minister residing in Ontario you can. They have worded it with 'or' conditions, not 'and'. My understanding would prohibit a fellow brother from the United States or another province from solemnizing a marriage in the province of Ontario.

I welcome any further comments or experiences from any ULC minister in Ontario, Canada.

** Please do not take my comments as legal advice....it is merely my interpretation of the Ontario Marriage Act that can be found here:

http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/statutes/...tes_90m03_e.htm

[Rev Kevin D]

Hmm the ULC Seminary has a good start on this - I missed that when I was researching this.

http://www.ulcseminary.org/canadianapproval.php

[mdtaylor]

Last I heard (and I don't listen very often mind you) is that 'permanently established' was interpreted in Ontario as permanently established IN CANADA. But that's just the email I received a couple of years ago.

[Sirius]

I sent in all the paperwork to the Registrar a couple of years ago. Bottom line was that they don't recognize (at least at the time) ULC as a valid denomination.

I went so far as to email the minister at the time but didn't get too far. Haven't pursued it since then

[Rev. Shabby Haze]

I can see that this thread was last commented upon over a year ago. Has there been any change in the recognition of the ULC by the Ontario Registrar General ith respect to the performing of marriage rites?

[Carl Harry Carlson]

Now I have reviewed the 'pinned' topic of marriage laws outside of the United States. I have also read some other posts that say that ULC ministers are unable to conduct marriages in Ontario.

Now I am slightly confused by this because upon further review of Ontario's Marriage Act I see nothing that would prevent a ULC minister living in Ontario from being able to perform said marriages. Of course, I'm no lawyer - but the language seems clear.

Here is section 20 of the Marriage Act which describes who can be solemnized to perform marriages in Ontario.

Okay, so far it states that the person needs to be authorized/registered to solemnized to perform the marriage. This is done by the Minister of Consumer and Business Services in Ontario. So far that means that I need to register with the Ministry of Consumer and Business Services in Ontario. What are the conditions to register? Read on....

Okay so the person has to be ordained or appointed - so far so good.

Seems clear, ULC recognizes me to solemnize marriage under its rites and usages.

ULC would meet section C as far as I know. Section D. From what I read into this is simple. If you are a ULC minister residing in Ontario you can. They have worded it with 'or' conditions, not 'and'. My understanding would prohibit a fellow brother from the United States or another province from solemnizing a marriage in the province of Ontario.

I welcome any further comments or experiences from any ULC minister in Ontario, Canada.

** Please do not take my comments as legal advice....it is merely my interpretation of the Ontario Marriage Act that can be found here:

http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/statutes/...tes_90m03_e.htm

Kevin,

You may want to establish your own church in Ontario, then have the church name you as the minister, authorized to perform the religious rites of the church including weddings.

I did this in Michigan, not because the ULC wasn't recognized here, but because I wanted to reassure people I was indeded a minister authorized to perform weddings here in Michigan.

In Michigan all I had to do was have 3 people sign and file papers for an "ecclesiastical corporation." I presume there is a similar process in Ontario.

Always glad to chat with my neighbors to the south.

[mark 45]

while carl is correct under us law,he is not under canadian law(as of this point).i am not an attorney,so this is worth what it cost you.

in canada,to be a recognized church,as i understand it,you have to establish a church in your province,it has to have a minimum number of parishioners(something like 100)and have existed about 5-10 years.if you have all this,then the minister might approve you to conduct marriages in your province.

always glad to chat with my neighbors to the north.i wish the information was better,however,as i understand it,the former british colonies are the same way,with the us being the execption.