Pastor Found Guilty After Disrupting Children’s Library Event

Teacher reading to children in a library circle — Photo: Monkey Business Images / Shutterstock

A Calgary judge convicted Pastor Derek Reimer of causing a disturbance after ruling his shouting at a children’s library event crossed from protest into criminal disruption.

Story Snapshot

A retrial judge found Reimer intentionally disrupted a children’s “Reading with Royalty” event.
Witnesses described chaos, crying children, and a crowd forming at the library.
An appeals court said the first judge used the wrong legal test, clearing the way for retrial.
Defense argued loud speech alone is not a crime and independent patron proof was thin.

What the Retrial Judge Concluded

Justice Karim Jivraj ruled that Pastor Derek Reimer entered the programming room with a camera, shouted at very loud volumes, and aimed to disrupt the event. The judge described some of the language as homophobic and found the conduct intentional, not accidental. The court accepted that Reimer’s actions were directed at stopping or derailing the reading program for children. That finding anchored the guilty verdict for causing a disturbance under Canada’s Criminal Code section on public order offenses.

Jivraj relied on Crown witnesses who said the scene inside and outside the room turned chaotic. The court heard that staff moved children away, some children cried, and adults looked shaken. Reporting from the case also says a crowd formed in response. The judge found that the eyewitness accounts lined up with library mezzanine footage that showed events around the room, even though no video captured activity inside the programming room itself.

Why the Case Returned to Court

This verdict followed an appeal that threw out earlier acquittals and ordered a new trial. The appeals court said the first judge focused too narrowly on whether the library as a whole stopped operating and not enough on how people at the event were impacted. The appeals ruling clarified that the law asks whether the conduct caused an outward disturbance of the public peace in that setting, not only whether services halted.

Law coverage further reported that the appeals court rejected slicing the episode into isolated moments of loud speech. Instead, it said courts should assess the full context: a confined children’s event, entry into the room, continued loud speech, and crowd reaction. That view aligned the legal test with Supreme Court guidance that the disturbance must be externally manifested, not just private emotional upset, but can be shown through interference with ordinary public use of the place.

What the Defense Says Still Falls Short

Defense lawyer Alan Heapner argued that closed-circuit video showed Reimer speaking loudly but not screaming. He also said the prosecution blurred the line between an objectionable message and a legally recognized disturbance. He pointed to the lack of testimony from regular patrons and argued the Crown did not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that people’s use of the library was hindered, as opposed to staff and participants reacting to speech they disliked.

Earlier, the first trial judge had agreed in part, saying “shouting in a public place is not itself criminal,” and that any disruption might have flowed from other people’s responses rather than Reimer’s words alone. That judge called the conduct inconsiderate and disrespectful but not criminal. The appeal changed the legal framing, and the retrial judge weighed the same day’s events under that broader standard and reached a different result.

What This Means for Free Speech and Public Spaces

The ruling underscores a tough balance: protest is protected, but conduct that foreseeably disrupts a children’s event inside a public room can break the law. The key is the outward effect on people using the space. The court’s finding that children cried, adults were shaken, and a crowd formed supports the view that this crossed the legal line. The case shows how public libraries have become flashpoints where competing rights and duties collide in real time.

Another Christian being picked on…Pastor Derek Reimer Trial Verdict – Guilty!

Last Friday, the verdict from Pastor Derek Reimer's recent trial was given, and he was found guilty on 2 criminal charges! This related to peaceful protests against Drag Story hours at Calgary area…

— Joe Poisson (@JoePoisson2) October 20, 2026

Gaps remain in public materials. Reports say there is no video from inside the room, and the record seen by the public relies on witness testimony for the most important moments. That leaves supporters and critics arguing over volume, intent, and impact. But courts do not need perfect video to decide cases. Here, judges used testimony, available footage, and legal standards to conclude the conduct caused a public disturbance at a sensitive, child-focused event.