Coutts border protester handed 2-year, at-home sentence for firearms offence

One of the final Coutts blockade-related prosecutions to make its way through the courts reached a conclusion this week.

Evan Colenutt, who earlier this year pleaded guilty to a firearms offence, was handed a two-year conditional sentence order (CSO), meaning he will serve his sentence at home, in the community.

Defence lawyer Matthew Browne asked Justice F.C. Fisher to consider an 18-month CSO while prosecutors Steven Johnston and Aaron Rankin had proposed a two-year jail term. 

Colenutt will serve 16 months on house arrest conditions and the final eight months on a curfew. 

In January and February 2022, protesters blockaded the Alberta-Montana Coutts border crossing, demanding the government lift all pandemic-related restrictions and vaccine mandates. 

At the time, Colenutt, who was living in Calgary, was staying near the protest site with one of the locals.

Guns, ammo, body armour seized

In mid-February, RCMP executed search warrants and seized a number of firearms, along with body armour and ammunition.

At least 15 people were charged with various offences stemming from the protests.

The home where Colenutt was staying was one of the buildings searched. 

Officers seized three firearms, 5,000 rounds of ammunition and body armour.

Colenutt was charged with mischief over $5,000 and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose.

Leaders’ charges 

He admitted to owning two of the semi-automatic guns as well as body armour, a tac vest and ammunition, according to an agreed statement of facts filed as part of his plea in March. 

After the plea, the mischief charge was withdrawn.

At least five of the protesters saw their charges stayed or withdrawn over the last three years. 

Four protest leaders were charged with the most serious Coutts-related offences — conspiring to murder RCMP officers.

All four were either acquitted or saw those charges withdrawn after pleading to lesser offences.

Christopher Lysak and Jerry Morin pleaded guilty to firearms offences and were handed time-served sentences. 

Chris Carbert and Anthony Olienick were convicted of mischief over $5,000 and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose. Both men were handed 6½-year sentences.