More charges laid for ignoring restrictions
Street preacher, rodeo organizers have court date
• Several people behind some of the highest-profile COVID-19 protests and gatherings in Alberta will have to defend themselves in court, as police have moved to enforce public-health provisions in the midst of a spike in infections.
While there had already been some charges — most notably of James Coates, the pastor of Gracelife Church just outside Edmonton, who had been holding worship services without adhering to social distancing or gathering restrictions — one of the major criticisms of the province’s response to the pandemic has been an apparent lack of enforcement in the face of open refusal to follow the rules.
In recent days, though, police seem to be more aggressively enforcing public-health orders, leading to several arrests and charges in the province.
On Monday, Ty and Gail Northcott, who organized an anti-lockdown rodeo earlier this month that saw thousands attend in Bowden,
Alta., were served a court summons by the RCMP for violating public-health rules.
In a fiery Facebook post Tuesday, Ty Northcott, called Kenney “ruthless and spineless” for summoning him and his wife. (The premier does not direct police or health officials to arrest or charge people.)
“If he is willing to do this to yours or my wife or mother, would he do this to your children?” Northcott wrote.
In Calgary, there was yet another arrest over the weekend, this time of Artur Pawlowski, who styles himself a street preacher in Calgary. His brother, Dawid Pawlowski, was also arrested. Both face charges for promoting and hosting an illegal gathering at a Saturday church service.
In the weeks since the weather has turned, and with restrictions continuing and becoming more severe, there have been a number of rallies in cities and towns across the province, in addition to several businesses that have simply decided to remain open instead of following closure orders.
Premier Jason Kenney, last Tuesday, pointed to the issue of non-compliance with health restrictions as one of the factors behind the third wave in Alberta.
“The reason we are at this critical stage of the pandemic in Alberta … is precisely because, for whatever reason, Albertans are ignoring the rules we currently have in place,” Kenney said.
Kaycee Madu, the justice minister, also announced a new task force that would co-ordinate the inter-agency response to COVID-19 rules violations, since enforcement involves not just Alberta Health Services, but the police, Occupational Health and Safety, and the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission.
“As minister of justice and solicitor general, it troubles me to see the rule of law being eroded in this way. Action must be taken,” Madu said.
Last Thursday, Alberta Health Services also obtained a court injunction that further clarified police powers to prevent Albertans from promoting or organizing an “illegal public gathering.” While it specifically named a handful of people, it also applies more broadly, AHS said.
“Law enforcement agencies can act immediately under this injunction, without the necessity of Alberta Health Services attendance,” RCMP said in a statement.
The RCMP and the Calgary Police Service, which described the injunction as “a significant development,” have both since moved on to arresting organizers and ticketing attendees.
There have been a number of protests in recent weeks in Alberta, including a large rally at the legislature in Edmonton and a gathering at Gracelife to protest the church’s closure. In Mirror, Alta., a hamlet of 500 people northeast of Red Deer, the Whistle Stop Café has routinely flouted rules that would have closed its doors.
On Saturday, hundreds of protesters gathered in the rain, and owner Christopher Scott — who was specifically mentioned in the court order — was arrested. Other protesters received tickets, the RCMP said.
Glen Carritt, a former town councillor in Innisfail, and the organizer of the United We Roll convoy to Ottawa in 2019, had been planning a Family Jamboree this upcoming weekend, but Carritt said it has been cancelled, given the risk of fines and tickets. Carritt, who had spoken at the Bowden rodeo, was also specifically named in the court injunction.
“I’ll stick up for myself ... but I can’t put anybody in jeopardy,” Carritt said in a video on Facebook.