In the case of Vogel v. Canada, the Court of Queen's Bench of Manitoba ordered the province to begin issuing marriage licences to same-sex couples.
Manitoba was the fifth jurisdiction in Canada, after Ontario, British Columbia, Quebec and Yukon, to extend civil marriage to same-sex couples.
In 1974, Chris Vogel and Richard North were married in the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Winnipeg but the government refused to register their marriage.
Fouhse and Cantwell were married two days later; "I'm extremely pleased that our wedding this weekend will not only be celebrated and witnessed by our friends and family and by God in the sanctity of our church, but it will also be recognized by our government.
[5] Archbishop James Weisgerber of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Winnipeg condemned the court ruling, saying that prohibiting same-sex couples from marrying was "a foundational principle of our society....It is difficult to understand how the unique importance of marriage to both children and society will not be gravely undermined by including in the definition of marriage unions which are not equipped for reproduction.
The federal Conservative justice critic Vic Toews announced he would file a complaint with the Manitoba Human Rights Commission if this policy was not rescinded.
Kisilowsky filed a legal challenge with the Court of Queen's Bench in September 2016, again arguing that the government's requirement that civil marriage commissioners not discriminate against same-sex couples violated his religious beliefs.
Simonsen said Kisilowsky could apply for temporary certification or register as a religious official, which would allow him to perform marriages to whomever he wishes.
[8] In 2015, Richard North filed a discrimination complaint with the Manitoba Human Rights Commission when the government again refused to register his 1974 marriage to Chris Vogel.
[10] In June 2021, Justice Gerald Chartier of the Manitoba Court of Queen's Bench agreed with the adjudicator's decision, ruling that the province did not discriminate against the couple by not recognizing their 1974 marriage.