An Alberta judge sentenced Calgary pastor Derek Reimer to 12 months of probation after a retrial in which he was found guilty of causing a disturbance and mischief for protesting a library’s children’s drag-themed story-time event.
Justice Karim Z. Jivraj of the Albert Court of Justice on Oct. 16 found Reimer guilty of intentionally shouting and disrupting the Reading with Royalty program at the Seton-neighbourhood library on Feb. 25, 2023, and of wilfully interfering with the Calgary Public Library board’s operation and use of its property.
Jivraj imposed the 12-month probation sentence on Oct. 29, subject to several conditions.
Judge’s Decision
The charges stemmed from Reimer’s protest against Reading with Royalty, a children’s program the Calgary Public Library organized with Calgary Pride. The event featured drag performers reading books and participating in songs and activities the organizers said were intended to promote inclusion and gender diversity.
Reimer opposed exposing children to such programming and attended the event to express his Christian beliefs. His lawyer argued that Reimer was exercising his right to communicate religious and moral convictions about what children were being taught.
The defence maintained that Reimer spoke loudly but did not shout, and that offending some attendees does not constitute a criminal disturbance.
“Convincing the public of the merits of one’s protest is not criminal conduct,” the defence submitted, arguing that Reimer’s actions were protected under a Criminal Code provision allowing people to attend public places to communicate information.
Reimer entered the program room after two other protesters had separately interrupted the event and been escorted out, the court heard. Witnesses said he spoke loudly about his religious objections as he walked toward the front of the room, prompting several adults to intervene.
Witnesses estimated that Reimer remained inside for about 30 seconds to two minutes before he was physically removed. He continued protesting outside the room, where security footage showed him refusing library employees’ requests to leave.
Witnesses testified that some children and adults became frightened or upset, while others left the event. Library staff said the program continued but ended earlier than planned, without some scheduled activities, including photographs, dress-up opportunities and a question-and-answer session.
The court also heard that Reimer did not assault anyone or carry a visible weapon. He complied when police eventually directed him to leave the library. Witnesses said he continued expressing his objections as he departed.
Jivraj accepted the Crown’s evidence that Reimer’s conduct disrupted the program and interfered with other patrons’ use of the library. He also concluded that the protest appeared coordinated with two other individuals who had entered the room earlier.
The judge rejected the defence’s argument that Reimer’s conduct was protected under Section 430(7) of the Criminal Code, which provides an exception to mischief offences for people attending a location solely to obtain or communicate information.
“It is one thing for a person to stand on a street corner or outside a public building with or without a placard and publicly express his or her views on a controversial issue,” he wrote.
The judge said Reimer’s actions went beyond communicating information because they interfered with the library’s scheduled program and required staff and security to intervene. Jivraj emphasized that his decision should not be interpreted as a judgment on Reimer’s religious convictions or the acceptability of his opinions.
“Individuals remain free to express opinions, including unpopular opinions, in public spaces,” Jivraj wrote.
The Epoch Times contacted Reimer for comment but didn’t hear back by the time of publication.
In past comments, Reimer told Rebel News, “We’re tired of these grooming, pervert story time hours. … Why the obsession with indoctrinating the kids?”
Other Charges
Reimer has faced a series of legal battles since February 2023, when Calgary police first arrested him for protesting the children’s drag story-time event.
In August 2024, he was convicted of criminal harassment and breaching bail conditions in connection with separate library protests, although he was acquitted of two charges of causing a disturbance.
The following month, another judge acquitted him of mischief and causing a disturbance over the original February 2023 protest, but the Crown successfully appealed that decision in July 2025, resulting in a retrial.
Reimer also spent 62 days in jail in 2025 after breaching court conditions by participating in a prayer rally outside a Calgary courthouse before a scheduled hearing. His lawyer maintained that Reimer had not realized he was violating the conditions.
In November 2025, Reimer said he faced further imprisonment after refusing to write a court-ordered letter of apology to a librarian involved in another case. He told The Epoch Times that the ongoing proceedings had taken a toll on him and his family, but that his Christian faith continued to sustain him.
