Parti Patriote Deregistered; Church Merger Proposed

Summary#

This Canada Gazette notice (Part I, Aug. 27, 2022) records two short parliamentary items. It says an application will be made to Parliament to merge two Roman Catholic corporate bodies into a single federal corporation, and it announces the deregistration of the political party Parti Patriote, effective August 31, 2022, under the Canada Elections Act.

What it does#

• Announces an intended private Act to combine the Ontario and federal church corporations known as the Roman Catholic Episcopal Corporation of Ottawa and the Roman Catholic Episcopal Corporation for the Diocese of Alexandria‑Cornwall into one federal corporation to be named The Roman Catholic Episcopal Corporation of Ottawa‑Cornwall. This is a notice that an application will be made to Parliament — it is not the final decision.
• States that the Parti Patriote is deregistered because it failed to meet obligations under section 413 of the Canada Elections Act, with the deregistration taking effect on August 31, 2022. The Gazette notice does not give details about which specific obligations were missed.

Who's affected#

• The two church corporations named above, their dioceses, and people who deal with them (for example, clergy, staff, parishioners, and anyone with legal or financial ties to those corporate entities).
• The Parti Patriote, and people connected to it (officials, supporters, donors and anyone planning to run or identify as that party in elections). The notice does not list downstream consequences; interested parties would need to check with Elections Canada or the party for details.

Why it matters#

• If Parliament approves the private Act, the two church corporations would be legally combined under a single federal corporate identity. That can change who legally holds assets, who signs contracts, and how local church governance is organized.
• Deregistration removes a party’s formal status under the Canada Elections Act. That change can affect how the party participates in future federal elections and its access to rules and benefits tied to registration, though this specific notice does not spell out those effects.