Church of Scientology builds new headquarters in Ontario

The Church of Scientology is planning to build its national headquarters in a former resort near Orangeville, just outside of Toronto. 

The church is planning a significant overhaul of the Hockley Highlands Inn and Conference Centre in Mono, which sits on more than 80 hectares of land and will allow Scientologists to establish a campus with five buildings totaling 160,000 square feet. 

“All told, it’s exactly what is required to assist Canadian Scientologists through the ultimate frontier at the top of the bridge to total freedom,” says the narrator in a promotional online video. 

But Adam Holland, a former member of the church says the isolated location of the site will make it difficult for people to leave the church of their own free will, and plans to “educate local residents to be ready to help out anyone who does escape.” 

Holland says that Scientology officials “did everything within the threshold of the law” to prevent him from leaving after volunteering at the church’s Toronto centre for two years. 

Church officials denied Holland’s claim and say that anyone is free to leave.

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