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The reason for our existence
For many of us it is not enough to avoid personal military service because we know that funds taken from us in the form of tax will be used for war and other violent purposes. In other words, we know that we will be made complicit in war through our taxes no matter what our beliefs and values might be.
As Conscientious Objectors we want to know that all funds that we turn over to government will be used only for peaceful purposes. We therefore call ourselves Conscientious Objectors to Military Taxation (COMT).
Conscience Canada has worked since 1978:
- to promote a change in law to allow all Canadians the right to conscientiously object to military taxation as a right of conscience guaranteed in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms;
- to educate Canadians about freedom of conscience and conscientious objection to military taxation;
- to support conscientious objection to military taxation; and
- to defend freedom of conscience.
Join us and make a positive contribution to peace
Conscience Canada welcomes everyone to become a member. Our Peace Tax Trust Fund allows people to divert the military portion of their taxes, to be held in trust until there is a law respecting conscientious objection to military taxation. Supporting Conscience Canada also helps us educate for peace and work for a legal alternative to paying for war.
Conscience Canada
901-70 Mill Street
Toronto ON M5A 4R1
+1 416 203 1402
Pour nos ami(e)s francophones
Nos impôts pour la paix était, jusqu'en janvier 2008, une organisation québécoise distincte, travaillant étroitement avec Conscience Canada et faisant la promotion, en français, de l'objection de conscience fiscale. Depuis cette date, Nos impôts pour la paix ont fusionné avec Conscience Canada et ne maintiennent plus de site internet francophone. CC souhaite servir ses membres et sympathisant(e)s francophones aussi bien que possible dans leur langue mais nos capacités sont limitées. Toute aide en ce sens sera grandement appréciée, tout comme tous les francophones sont les bienvenus comme membres de CC à part entière.
Nos impôts pour la paix used to be the French-speaking counterpart of Conscience Canada (CC) in Quebec and both worked closely together. Since January 2008, Nos impôts pour la paix has merged with CC and no longer has a separate French website. CC wants to serve its French-speaking constituency as well as possible in its own language but our capacities are limited. We would be grateful for any help in that respect. All French-speaking people are welcomed to join CC and be fully part of our organization.
A Theme Song for Conscience Canada
At the Gandhi Peace Festival in Hamilton in Oct 2007 , the Raging Grannies sang a song about taxes for war and peace, to the tune of Frere Jacques. It captures the message of Conscience Canada and should be our theme song. To view ( and hear!) it, go to:
Raging Grannies sing about Military Spending
Latest Conscience Canada Newsletter
The January, 2010 issue of CC's newsletter is available in PDF format; please click here 
if you need to download Adobe Reader.
Conscience Canada 2010 Annual General Meeting
Date and time: Saturday, 27 March, 2010 at 3 pm
Place: Toronto School of Theology, 47 Queen's Park Cres. E., Toronto
Speaker: Jeremy Hinzman, US war resister
Members and supporters of Conscience Canada are encouraged to come to the business part of the meeting at 3 pm. We hope that members of the public will join us at 4 pm to hear Jeremy Hinzman, one of the courageous US war resisters now living in Canada.
2009 Peace Tax Return
This form, to be sent in at tax time, is a way to make a statement against military taxation. It includes an option to just declare your opposition to military taxation, or to declare your opposition and also redirect a symbolic amount or the full military portion of your federal taxes.
2009 Peace Tax Return (English)
Déclaration d'impôts pour la paix 2009 (en français)
2009 Web-based Peace Tax Return
For those who would prefer to submit their Peace Tax Return (PTR) electronically we have developed an 'ePTR' which you can fill out on the web and submit with copies to various political leaders by email. For those making a declaration of conscience only, it can be entirely completed on the website. For those redirecting taxes to the Peace Tax Fund, you will be guided through the necessary steps.
To access the ePTR, please go to
http://www.consciencecanada.ca/eptr/
Pour une version française:
http://www.consciencecanada.ca/eptrfr/
The Department of Peace
Conscience Canada has endorsed the Department of Peace Initiative since 2005. We strongly support of a separate department of peace, whose sole focus is "supporting and establishing activities that promote a culture of peace and assertive non-violence in Canada and the world." The minister would have a seat in cabinet and could bring a creative understanding of peace grounded in familiarity with the many viable approaches to conflict other than military intervention. We would like the department of peace to be the recipient of our redirected military taxes.
To see our Memo to the Department of Peace Initiative, click here.
New film available!
Work for Peace: Stop Paying for War
a DVD on conscientious objection to military taxation,
by award-winning director/producer Sarah Zammit
In Conscience Canada’s fast paced, informative, emotionally engaging film Justice Thomas Berger, Hon. Jean Augustine, MP Bill Siksay, and others discuss the Conscientious Objection tax bill, a citizen’s responsibility to obey conscience, non-violent interventions, and personal experience.
Click here to watch on YouTube
Also available: presenter's notes and discussion guide
New Play
If you are planning a special event to present Conscience Canada's DVD Work for peace, stop paying for war, you might like to take a look at S-T-O-P, a new play written for Conscience Canada by Montreal book and song writer Marguerite Bilodeau. This 40 minute play (available in English and French) blends information and humour. The action takes place in a Montreal family living room and revolves around income tax, military spending, peace marches, Afghanistan, army recruitment and Raging Grannies. It ends with the showing of Conscience Canada's DVD. Linking this play with the Work for peace, stop paying for war DVD would be a great way for schools, colleges and other groups to offer a positive alternative to military recruiting efforts. You can download a copy of the DVD here.
«Samuel s’en va en guerre» en français
Live & Interactive on Facebook
We have a presence on Facebook where you can meet other conscientious objectors to military taxation, post videos and pictures, and blog about your experiences with war tax resistance. You don't have to be a member of Conscience Canada to join -- everyone is welcome.
Tax Time = Time for Action!
Peace work is year-round, but tax time offers a special opportunity to make a statement against war through objecting to military taxation. Below are some key resources you can use to take action.
Peace Tax Return: This form, to be sent in at tax time, is a way to make a statement against military taxation. It includes an option to just declare your opposition to military taxation, or to declare your opposition and also redirect a symbolic amount or the full military portion of your federal taxes.
CONSCIENCE CANADA MP TOOLKIT: The Canada Revenue Agency only applies the law, it does not make it. Therefore at the same time as we use the Peace Tax Return to inform CRA of our objection to military taxation, we must work to persuade politicians of the necessity for legislative change. Below are the key components of our "MP Toolkit". Click here for tips on contacting your MP.
- Sample letter to MP
- Conscience Canada brochure (English/en français)
- Recent copy of the Conscience Canada Newsletter
- The most recent Conscience Canada Peace Tax Return (English/en français)
- History of Conscientious Objection in Canada
- Bill C-460, "An Act respecting conscientious objection to the use of taxes for military purposes"
- Description of international activities
- Dialogues report and dialogues summary on non-violent alternatives for security
OTHER ACTIONS: Interested in helping Conscience Canada reach out by making presentations or showing our DVD to peace, justice, environmental, labour, and faith groups? Hosting a local event about military spending and the option to redirect the military portion of taxes? Submitting letters or articles to magazines and newspapers? Blogging about Conscience Canada and conscientious objection to military taxation? Email our Outreach Coordinator at consciencecanada@consciencecanada.ca