Despite model prison behaviour, Coutts blockade leader denied parole over 'lack of accountability'

Meghan Grant · CBC News

· Posted: May 20, 2025 7:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 5 hours ago

One of the men serving a condemnation for their actions during the Coutts pandemic-era borderline blockade and protestation has been denied parole contempt a mostly glowing reappraisal of his clip successful prison. 

Chris Carbert and Anthony Olienick were convicted of mischief implicit $5,000 and possession of a limb unsafe to the public. They were acquitted of the much superior complaint of conspiring to execution RCMP officers during the 2022 borderline protest. 

In September, some men were handed 6½-year sentences, but with recognition for the clip he'd served pending trial, Carbert had 2 years, 7 months near down bars. 

Seven months into his remaining 31-month sentence, Carbert applied for parole. A proceeding took spot earlier 2 Parole Board of Canada members.

"You person dedicated yourself to idiosyncratic maturation done assorted acquisition and spiritual activities," reads the parole committee report. 

'Quiet and respectful'

The board's 10-page, precocious released determination sheds airy connected Carbert's advancement successful situation and the reasons the committee denied him merchandise connected some time and afloat parole.

The determination notes that Carbert completed his precocious schoolhouse diploma, worked 3 situation jobs, attended Bible assemblage and completed vocational tickets. 

Carbert is described successful the papers arsenic "quiet and respectful," having "not demonstrated immoderate grounds of an cognition of disrespect for authority."

During his hearing, the committee noted Carbert described attending the Coutts protestation arsenic "the worst determination you person ever made."

'Your thoughts became disoriented'

In the months starring up to the convoy, Carbert began stockpiling nutrient and supplies successful mentation for surviving off-grid. 

"The planetary pandemic appears to person contributed to your self-radicalization by mode of online accusation done untrustworthy sources," reads the report. 

"Your thoughts became disoriented and you did not see alternatives," reads the report. 

• Two men get 6½-year sentences for roles successful borderline blockade astatine Coutts, Alta.

The week-long blockade progressive semis, trucks and workplace vehicles arsenic protesters railed against government-imposed nationalist wellness measures. 

Carbert was among a tiny radical identified arsenic acting arsenic information for the convoy. 

Two weeks into the protest, Carbert and 3 others were arrested aft constabulary seized a fig of guns, assemblage armour, high-capacity magazines and thousands of rounds of ammunition.

Many of the seized weapons were recovered successful a trailer Carbert was staying successful with 2 others.

Prepared to engage

Investigators believed Carbert saw the protestation arsenic a warfare against constabulary and was fully prepared to prosecute officers with deadly force.

None of the 4 men were convicted of the astir superior offence they faced: conspiracy to execution RCMP officers. 

• Protesters not blameworthy of conspiring to termination Mounties astatine Coutts blockade

Earlier this year, Christopher Lysak and Jerry Morin pleaded blameworthy to firearms offences and were handed time-served sentences. 

In sentencing Carbert and co-accused Anthony Olienick, the justice noted determination was a credible menace to constabulary and the public. 

"Both equipped themselves for the intent of utilizing those weapons against police," said Justice David Labrenz.

"Fortunately, neither antheral decided the timing was close for a astonishment attack."

'Lack of accountability'

When asked astir the harm helium had caused, Carbert noted the "inconvenience" he'd created for radical looking to question crossed the border. 

The committee recovered this was 1 illustration of Carbert's "attempts to minimize" his engagement and grounds of "cognitive distortions."

When questioned astir the firearms recovered successful his trailer, Carbert told the sheet that helium had 1 weapon for coyote hunting and the different weapon was for "showing off."

"You demonstrated a deficiency of accountability for your actions, peculiarly arsenic it relates to the stockpiling of firearms and ammunition, and their intended purpose," wrote the board.

Appeal pending could origin problems 

Another occupation the committee recovered was that Carbert refused to sermon definite aspects of his crimes due to the fact that of a pending appeal. 

When this happens, the parole committee reverts backmost to the judge's findings, said Amy Matychuk, a lawyer and the laminitis of Prison and Police Law, a steadfast that specializes successful situation justness and constabulary misconduct. 

"It mightiness not be the information that the entreaty is pending but conscionable that the parole committee considers having an entreaty pending arsenic being an denotation that idiosyncratic doesn't instrumentality accountability … they are truthful focused connected accountability."

Matychuk suspects the committee was looking for Carbert to place hazard factors that led to his offences. 

"They wanted him to accidental 'my hazard factors were, I was isolated: present are the steps that I'm taking to marque definite I americium not isolated … my hazard origin was that I was radicalized online: here's what the steps I'm taking to not go radicalized online anymore,' and helium conscionable didn't look consenting to admit that helium had been radicalized, perhaps," said Matychuk. 

"I deliberation that they wanted him to springiness them much item astir wherefore helium wouldn't marque the aforesaid determination again."