Religion in British Columbia

In British Columbia you are free to worship in whatever way you want. Part I of the Constitution Act, 1982 (called The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms) guarantees that all Canadians can have freedom of thought, belief, conscience and religion.

Most people in British Columbia are Christian. The Roman Catholic, United, Anglican, Baptist and Lutheran churches are the most popular Christian churches in B.C.

Many other religions are growing in popularity in B.C., including Sikhism, Buddhism, Islam and Hinduism.

At the same time, thirty-five per cent of British Columbians do not belong to any religion or faith.

Related Resources:

• Visit the Statistics Canada website for more information on religious identity in B.C.

Did you know...?

• B.C.’s public education system is secular, meaning that it is not connected with any religion. However, many religious faiths operate their own schools that centre on faith and tradition.
• Some official holidays or celebrations are based on religious observance, including Christmas, Easter, Hannukah, Diwali, Baisakhi and Ramadan.