Street preacher’s battle with City of Calgary continues with appeal

Published: Wednesday, December 23, 2009

The City of Calgary is appealing a court decision that acquitted a street preacher of five bylaw charges.

 Art Pawlowski, pictured, who preaches in public while feeding the homeless, has been in a battle with the city over the use of a loudspeaker to spread his message and for placing boxes of food and a large wooden cross on the street.

City solicitor Paul Tolley said the city believes the 91-page provincial court judgment, released earlier this month, has "both errors in fact and errors in law."

Mr. Pawlowski called the city’s decision to appeal unfortunate. "The city, instead of focusing [on helping the homeless] are wasting taxpayer money." he said. "We are not the city’s enemies."

Mr. Pawlowski, who preaches in front of Old City Hall and in a park near a drop-in centre, has argued he needs the loudspeaker to be heard by drug dealers and prostitutes.