Premier Alison Redford
Legislature Office Artur Pawlowski
307 Legislature Building Street Church Ministries
10800 – 97 Avenue 1740 – 25a Street SW
Edmonton, AB T3C 1J9 Canada
T5K 2B6 Phone: (780) 427-2251
Fax: (780) 427-1349
October 27 2011
I wanted to take this opportunity to congratulate you on your recent bid for Conservative Party leader. Also, I have been encouraged to hear that you are planning on implementing many good ideas which have been talked about by the Alberta Alliance party. This shows forward thinking and leadership. I hope to see many more good things from you as time progresses.
Now, so that I will not take too much of your time, I wanted to take the opportunity to bring to your attention a matter which has been ongoing for several years now. It is the mistreatment of my ministry, Street Church in Calgary, Alberta. To make a really long story very short, I have been arrested, fined, harassed, and otherwise persecuted for my faith while in the process of taking care of the poor in Calgary.
I have personally appeared in court over 70 times and have demonstrated my innocence by paying hundreds of thousands of dollars in court fees and finally having judges rule bylaws that I was charged under as unconstitutional and of no force and effect. Yet although the courts have repeatedly ruled that I am a citizen acting within the law, I continue to have to defend myself in the courts.
Needless to say, this has been a very expensive and daunting ordeal that should never have happened in a democratic country such as ours.
Mam, I must say that as a tax payer, I have seen tax dollars go up in smoke at an alarming rate, and those tax dollars were targeted at me and my ministry. It is estimated that well over two million dollars has been spent to try to remove my democratic rights and freedoms, and nobody cares to do a thing to call off the dogs nor to compensate me for my huge loss of time and money.
I also find all of this so ironic, because even as I write this letter, the group called Occupy Calgary has done many things openly and publicly without opposition from the police, bylaw officers, city lawyers, even to the point of causing an estimated $40,000 in damage to Olympic Plaza with no apparent consequence. Also, other groups have been extended relaxation upon relaxation where my Christian ministry has been targeted with a vengeance. This is a clear case of religious discrimination, bias and unequal application of the law.
I have included, for you reference, a letter which was written almost a year ago to Mayor Nenshi regarding this whole matter, and I have yet to have a satisfactory response from him. I desire to meet with him personally to discuss the matter as two mature men, yet I get continually brushed aside by the mayor and attacked in the courts.
At this time, Mrs. Premier, I ask for your kind assistance in remedying this matter which is long overdue a resolution. I would like to meet with you personally to present this matter to you and to discuss a resolution. One of your ministers, Jonathan Denis is intimately aware of this matter as he used to be our legal counsel before he went into politics.
Here is a copy of what was sent to our mayor:
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
I may be reached by phone at 403-607-4434 or by e-mail at [email protected]
Sincerely,
Artur Pawlowski
Lead Pastor
Street Church Ministries International