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About 20 people witnessed a historic moment Monday night as Dorval Mayor Edgar Rouleau recited for the last time a prayer seeking God’s guidance at the start of the city council meeting.

Before reading a short prayer as has been customary for decades in Dorval, Rouleau acknowledged a Supreme Court of Canada ruling is forcing his hand to end the practice.

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The April 15 ruling, which involved the city of Saguenay and was based on a complaint filed by an atheist, had declared that the practice of reciting prayers at the start of council meetings is an infringement on freedom of conscience and religion.

Rouleau, first elected to council in 1982, said he wanted to recite the council meeting prayer one last time to honour the city’s heritage.

“We’ve been doing it for many years,” he said of the council prayer. “It was, of course, way before my time. I said 100 years, it might be 50 years, I don’t know. I think it was fitting to record it was the last time we did the prayer on April 20.”