The Mayor of Tache says there continues to be confusion over whether council meetings in this province can open up in a word of prayer.

The Supreme Court of Canada ruled in April that a town in Quebec can no longer include prayer in its meetings because it infringes on freedom of conscience and religion. Robert Rivard says his council has sponsored a resolution to be debated at next week's annual convention for Association Of Manitoba Municipalities. The resolution asks AMM to review the matter on behalf of all municipalities and report back to the membership.

"What we are bringing forward to the AMM is for them to come up and find us firm guidelines on what we are allowed and what we are not allowed to do in invocation," says Rivard.

According to Rivard, there are varied opinions on this topic. He says some councils feel the Court ruling is for all municipalities, while others say it is just for that one particular council. Rivard adds some municipalities have since dropped their customary invocation, while others have decided to keep it.

"If we are doing a religious invocation then we could be at risk of not following the proper statutes for how councils are supposed to act," says Rivard. "What's the risk if some councils are still moving forward with a religious invocation?"

Rivard says from what he knows, Tache council has always had invocation, and usually it has been with religious tones. In Tache, it is the Head of Council that leads it and Rivard says once it's over, some Councillors will say 'Amen.'

Following the Court ruling in April, the RM of Hanover Council indicated it would continue praying before meetings. At the time, Hanover Reeve Stan Toews suggested it was the Court's decision that infringed on freedom of conscience and religion; not prayer that was infringing. Toews mentioned meetings start on a more positive note if they follow a prayer.

Delegates meet in Brandon November 23-25 for the 17th annual convention for Association of Manitoba Municipalities.