Sarnia Mayor Mike Bradley says an Ontario Court of Appeal decision on the River City Vineyard case is to be released Friday morning.
River City appealed a Superior Court of Justice ruling upholding the city's legal right under its zoning bylaw to shut down the Mitton St. homeless shelter.
The church complied with the initial ruling and closed its shelter June 15 of last year.
In March 2014, Justice Thomas Carey rejected the argument that Charter religious freedom exempts a church-based shelter from having to adhere to city zoning bylaws.
A three-member judicial panel heard River City's challenge in the court of appeal in Toronto in late October last year.
In late 2011, city council voted 6-2 against River City's application for permanent rezoning, citing neighbourhood complaints about drunkeness, crude comments, noise and threats.
The city says the cost of the River City legal action so far is over $168,000.