Calgary pastor vows to tell his side of phone call with Danielle Smith after guilty verdict

After Calgary pastor Artur Pawlowski was found guilty of mischief at the Coutts blockade in 2022, the pastor says he will tell his side of the story.

He made the claim after receiving the verdict, when he told protestors to hold their ground in February last year, where people blocked the main border crossing into the U.S. for over two weeks.

“I am satisfied Mr. Pawlowski intended to incite the audience to continue the blockade — intended to incite protesters to commit mischief,” Justice Gordon Krinke said as he delivered his verdict in Lethbridge on Tuesday.

Krinke said that although there was enough evidence to find Pawlowski guilty of a charge under the Alberta Critical Infrastructure Defence Act, he couldn’t record a verdict on that charge Tuesday because the defence has given notice of a constitutional challenge.

In a phone call from January released by the NDP weeks before the start of the pastor’s criminal trial, Smith told Pawlowski that she was speaking on a “weekly basis” with justice officials regarding his case.

Smith also said she was very “sympathetic” to his situation.

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After the guilty verdict for mischief, the street preacher took the opportunity to target United Conservative Party leader Danielle Smith.

“She did not only (break) the promise to me, she didn’t follow with her promises to all Albertans, because before she was elected, she was very precise and very clear,” Pawloski said outside the courthouse in Lethbridge.

“She said that when elected, ‘when you choose me over another man, I’m going to bring the amnesty.'”

He also had other words for Smith.

“I would say, ‘shame on you for not standing for the little man’. When a politician cannot keep his or her words or promises, that politician is absolutely good for nothing. I think I have more trust in my dog than I do politicians right now,” Pawlowski said.

Watch: Artur Pawlowski found guilty for role in Coutts border protest

In his verdict, the judge said Pawlowski’s speech to supporters came when many considered leaving the border and protesting elsewhere. He then urged “sacrifice and heroism in support of a just cause.”

“Some of the protesters were thinking of leaving. He told the protesters the whole world was watching. He told the protesters not to break the line,” the judge said.

Outside Pawlowski’s verdict, several people were charged after RCMP found a cache of guns, body armour and ammunition in three trailers during the blockade, with four men facing counts of conspiracy to commit murder.

Political and legal experts have said the call has been concerning and that Smith must explain her reasoning behind the call.

Smith has faced down questions about the call since it was leaked, leading to a changing story on speaking with prosecutors.

She also said she may sue the CBC over its coverage and must respect the ongoing investigation by ethics commissioner Marguerite Trussler, who is looking into whether Smith violated the Conflicts of Interest Act with the Pawlowski call.

In addition, she has also said there was no harm in doing so as she speaks with all kinds of people as premier.

The election is set for May 29, and at the moment, the UCP holds a very narrow lead over the NDP, according to an IPSOS poll.

Calgary could be the deciding factor for the election, with lots of uncertainty in the weeks ahead.

-With files from The Canadian Press