Pastor could be sent back to jail for refusing court-ordered apology
Pastor Derek Reimer could be sent back to jail if he refuses to write an apology letter to a Calgary library manager after he was convicted of criminal harassment during a protest against a drag queen story time event for children.
Calgary street pastor Derek Reimer could eventually be returned to custody. During his application to vary the conditions of his year-long house arrest sentence, which ends next month, Reimer made it clear he will not comply with a controversial court order requiring him to write a letter of apology to Saddletowne Library manager Shannon Slater.
The letter is due November 28. Slater is the woman Reimer was convicted of “criminally harassing” following a brief conversation over a drag-themed story hour for children hosted at the library.
Reimer, who leads Mission 7 Ministries in Calgary, has insisted he cannot in good conscience apologize for warning about the drag event — an event aimed at kids and known in Calgary as “Reading With Royalty.”
Reimer represented himself in court during his appearance. His submissions regarding his Charter right to freedom of religious of expression and liberty of conscience were not accepted by Justice Karen Molle, who ruled them irrelevant to his application.
Molle also refused to accept as evidence a submission by Reimer demonstrating that his probation officer, Santander Parmer, wrote in a report that his mission was to “break down [Reimer’s] traditional views.”
Justice Molle denied Reimer’s application to remove a condition which, as he credibly argued, amounts to the state compelling a retraction or admission of guilt.
In an interesting turn, Crown prosecutor Matt Dalidowicz conceded that the court cannot “make Mr. Reimer feel remorse.”
While Reimer could be found in breach if his decision to not write an apology letter holds, the Crown was clearly steering the judge into a course of action other than incarceration.
The court could decide to respond to a potential breach by tightening up Reimer’s probation conditions set to begin late December as part of Reimer’s sentence, advised Dalidowicz.
Angelica Toy
Social Media Coordinator
Angelica was taught from a young age to question the mainstream narrative and seek the truth. Guided by her faith and commitment to freedom, she regularly hits the streets of Calgary, Alberta, where she lives and attends university.
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COMMENTS
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Benoît-François de Champlain commented 2025-11-27 18:13:03 -0500Exactly, Mr. Atchison. And, as it says in the article above, such an apology would be compelled speech, which, if not worse, is every bit as bad as gross disregard for free speech.
So, let me get this straight; this Justice Karen Molle, who, yet, by virtue of her very position and function, is supposed to uphold such Canadian Charter rights, will not do so because she is in fact one of those numerous activist judges, not a principled and sound one, thus proving that, sadly, any system in this world is only as good as the human beings of which it is made are. [Sigh!] -
Bruce Atchison commented 2025-11-26 20:02:37 -0500Never ever apologize for telling the truth. Making Pastor Reimer apologe is enforced denial of his Lord and Saviour by advocating for perversion. That’s what those drag queen story time shows are.
