Mission7 pastor Derek Reimer said Calgary bylaw is going after him for giving out food to homeless people near Stephen Avenue. .“So at the end of the month, what we’re doing is compiling the charges because we’ve asked you to stop,” said a Calgary bylaw officer in a video. .“At the end of the month, we’re just going to give you all of those charges in something called a long-form summons.” . Derek ReimerCalgary Bylaw Services officers tell Derek Reimer they are going to ticket him every outreach going forward. .Reimer received this notice after around 30 people attended a protest against Social Beer Haus for holding an all-ages drag show on Saturday. .READ MORE: Thirty people gather to rally against Calgary all-ages drag event.“This is the sexualization of children,” he said. .The protest saw people demonstrate in front of the Palace Theatre, across the street from Social Beer Haus. Protestors waved Canadian and Albertan flags and held signs with messages such as “Liberalism is clearly a mental disorder” and “Sexualized cosplay isn’t education.” .The officer describes the long-form summons as “a ticket with a bunch of different tickets on it.” He added Reimer could go to the courthouse to pay the ticket. .Reimer said he thought he was allowed to set up near Stephen Avenue. .“We can set up here,” he said. .Another bylaw officer said the Calgary Downtown Association (CDA) requires people to have a permit to set up on Stephen Avenue. The officer asked if he had been able to obtain the permit. .“Then nothing has also changed on our end,” said the officer. .Reimer said he would be appearing in court on February 28 to fight the tickets for operating without a permit. He added he had been setting up near Stephen Avenue for years without issue until the COVID-19 pandemic. .The pastor went on to say Mission7 had moved onto Second Street like Calgary police had requested, but bylaw officers continue to bother him. He said officers are “just hammering us.” .“We are so clearly targeted,” he said. .City of Calgary spokesperson Kaila Lagran said the Stephen Avenue Mall Bylaw requires tablings to obtain a permit from the CDA to operate to not disrupt or interfere with businesses in this area. .“There are a wide range of options and locations available to groups to be able to carry out events such as this, so we encourage event organizers to contact 311 to work with us to understand permitting requirements before proceeding with events in public spaces,” said Lagran.
