Public Health Charges Stayed Against Pastor Arrested for Feeding Homeless, Holding Outdoor Church Services

Artur Pawlowski’s Street Church service provides food for the poor at Olympic Plaza in Calgary, Alberta, on March 2021. Courtesy of Artur Pawlowski

Charges laid against pastor Artur Pawlowski for failing to comply with an order under the Public Health Act were stayed by the Crown on Dec. 16.

Pawlowski, of Calgary’s Street Church, was charged for attending an outdoor Walk for Freedom protest in Calgary on Dec. 13, and for feeding the homeless with his church on the same day, allegedly in breach of then-Chief Medical Officer of Health (CMOH) Dr. Deena Hinshaw’s orders that “private social gatherings” were prohibited.