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.