A Red Deer city councillor, who attended an event featuring a controversial Calgary street pastor who was criminally charged for stalling traffic at the Coutts border crossing during an anti-COVID restriction protest, said he did nothing wrong.
“I don’t think this is a news story,” said a Coun. Kraymer Barnstable. He can be seen on Facebook at a function of The Remnant Church, with Calgary Pastor Artur Pawlowski as an invited guest.
Barnstable declined to state whether he supports Pawlowski, who has likened government health measures to those imposed by the Nazis. Instead, the councillor said there are people on social media who are trying to “smear” him.
“I posed in a picture with two pastors. I am not ashamed of standing with two pastors who (spread) the gospel,” said Barnstable. He emotionally added that Pawlowski speaks “God’s truth” and that he planned to post the same photos of them to his own social media account later on Monday.
Although a previous Red Deer city councillor, Buck Buchanan, was censured and ordered to apologize for seeingly supporting COVID rule-breaking on social media, Barnstable defended himself again in a statement on Facebook accompanying a photo with Pawlowski and Penhold Councillor Shawn Hamm.
“This isn’t a photo I’m embarrassed of or need to apologize for,” he said.
“There are a handful of people on social media that are currently stalking me and trying to make my life miserable. They think this photo should be front page news and the fact that the media is feeding into their hatred is shameful.
“If you find this photo offensive, so be it. I am not apologizing for it.”
Pawlowski was charged and fined for taking various actions against government pandemic measures. He was recently in the news for his recorded conversation with Premier Danielle Smith, speaking of his criminal trial for his role in a protest over government health measures that blocked the U.S.-Canada border at Coutts in January 2022.
As a result of this conversation, Smith was accused by the NDP and others of potentially compromising the case. In the recording, Smith can be heard saying she thinks the charges against Pawlowski could be politically motivated.
The church he founded, The Street Church Ministries, is no longer recognized as a religious or charitable organization by the Canadian government.
In September, he became leader of the Independence Party of Alberta. On March 28, the party decided to “part ways” from Pawlowski as leader.
“The Independence Party of Alberta has a party platform and policies that reflect the hope of Albertans as an independent nation. Art Pawlowski has not reflected this vision in a way that properly aligns with what the party and our platform need to convey and communicate to Albertans,” they said in a statement.
On the weekend, Pawlowski was invited to The Remnant Church in Red Deer. Pastor Shawn Hamm, who is also a Penhold Town Councillor was praised by Pawlowski on Facebook for being a great friend, who is willing to stand for the “King of kings and Lord of lords, Jesus, Christ.”