In 1983, he joined the Worldwide Church of God and as part of his observance of the faith, he had to take a number of days off work.

The Dairy Plant was initially accommodating, but when he tried to take off a Monday, which was the busiest day of the week, it refused to let him off and told him that if he did not show up to work, he would be fired.

Christie did not show up on Monday and, when he returned from work on Tuesday, his job was filled with a new employee.

The issues before the Supreme Court were whether the Dairy Plant could justify the termination on the basis the requirement that Christie work on Mondays is a bona fide occupational requirement under section 7(3) of the Act and, if not, whether it still open to the respondent to demonstrate it had accommodated the complainant's religious beliefs up to the point of undue hardship and if so, whether the Dairy Plant reasonably accommodated Christie's religious beliefs.

Wilson J, writing for the majority, held there was no bona fide occupational requirement for Monday attendance and that the dairy farm did not accommodate to the point of undue hardship.