An Edmonton pastor whose persistence against Alberta’s COVID-19 regulations landed him 35 days in prison has testified at the National Citizens Inquiry..Pastor James Coates of Edmonton’s GraceLife Church made headlines in 2021 after he was arrested for alleged breaches of COVID restrictions..Coates told the inquiry Friday that the RCMP and AHS began attending his church services in Dec. 2020, when society was told to limit mass gatherings to prevent the spread of COVID.. GraceLife ChurchCourtesy CBC .“We honour the RCMP, and we believe the RCMP were being scrutinized, and we think they do an important job,” Coates said, adding that the congregation gave them standing ovations for several weeks..“All we were doing was opening our doors. We knew in our obedience to Christ that we could not capitulate.”.In Feb. 2021, Coates was arrested. He explained he was woken up in the middle of the night to be processed and have his mugshot taken, a process in which he was shackled and chained..Coates told inquisitors that he could not “in good conscience” agree to bail conditions which ordered him to comply with health regulations at the time, an act which landed him five weeks’ imprisonment..Two months later, his GraceLife was forcefully closed, with the government installing multiple layers of fencing, 24-hour surveillance and new locks on the building, forcing his congregation into hiding until the building was returned to the church on July 1.. Pastor James Coates and family .Throughout his testimony, Coates sought to steer clear of blaming police officers for their role, suggesting they were the “front men for these orders.”.“The officers that we were engaged with were good guys, they treated us well,” said Coates..“I may not have approached the situation the same way they did. But these officers had to weigh the pros and cons of being the front men for these orders.”.“They were respectful, kind and gracious. We honour them.”
