LETHBRIDGE –
An Alberta man was sentenced to prison and another was ordered to serve a community sentence for their role in the illegal 2022 Coutts border blockade.
Marco Van Huigenbos was sentenced on Friday to four months in prison and Gerhard (George) Janzen to three months in prison, to be served in the community. Janzen was also ordered to complete 100 hours of community service at the end of his sentence.
None of the defendants showed emotion and spectators filling the courtroom remained silent as Judge Keith Yamauchi delivered the sentence in Lethbridge Court of King’s Bench. He had ordered both men to leave the tables with their lawyers and sit inside the prisoners’ box. Both men handed over their phones and wallets.
Yamauchi told the two that the illegal blockade affected the lives of many Canadians, saying, “The sentencing should make clear that the majority of Canadians denounce your actions.”
“The protesters and criminals thought they had a legitimate cause. They took the vigilante approach of taking Highway 4 until their demands were met. This is a significant case of mischief and a period of incarceration is warranted,” Yamauchi said.
As the two men left the courtroom, Van Huigenbos’ lawyer handed his client’s phone and a coin to a family member.
One person in the crowd said “Goodbye Marco.” Another added: “I love you Marco. God bless you.”
The judge said Janzen had expressed genuine remorse for his actions, but Van Huigenbos had not.
The couple was convicted of mischief totaling more than $5,000 for their role in the blockade, which paralyzed cross-border traffic with the United States for two weeks to protest COVID-19 pandemic rules and vaccination mandates.
A third man, Alex Van Herk, was also to be sentenced. However, Van Herk’s lawyer told the court Thursday that the defendant had fired him. Van Herk was given 30 days to find new legal representation.
During the original trial in April, the Mounties testified that as the protest dragged on, officers increasingly turned to the three men to negotiate. The Crown argued that the trio became the faces of the blockade and spoke on behalf of the protesters.
On Thursday, Crown prosecutor Steven Johnston recommended Van Huigenbos be sentenced to nine months in jail and Janzen to six months. Johnston said Van Huigenbos had a higher leadership profile and should therefore receive more jail time.
Johnston told the court it was about sending a broader message that actions have consequences.
“The most appropriate sentence for these gentlemen is to sentence them to jail time, real jail time,” Johnston said. “You can’t break the law and not expect to be punished for it.”
Brendan Miller, Van Huigenbos’ lawyer, asked Yamauchi to grant full or conditional release. Failing that, Miller asked for a suspended sentence or no more than two months served in the community.
Miller told the court that Van Huigenbos’ underlying motive was political advocacy and a desire to be heard by the government. He said Van Huigenbos did not lead or incite the blockade and did not act differently from the hundreds of other protesters, but was unfairly singled out because he spoke to police and became their liaison.
Alan Honner, representing Janzen, said he wanted his client to receive absolute freedom, a fine or a suspended sentence, claiming his client had played a minor role.
Janzen apologized in court Thursday.
“Our actions, intended to express our concerns about important issues, negatively affected the daily lives of many people in Milk River and Coutts,” he said.
“I’m sincerely sorry.
“Laws were broken. This was not in line with our intentions to promote change through peaceful and legal means.”
The Crown said it is an aggravating factor that the men were motivated by politics. “Politically motivated crime is always a calculated decision. We do not change our governments in this country through criminal acts,” Johnston said.
“This was the taking of hostages on a highway with the goal of generating political change.”
The 2022 COVID protests sparked polarized debates across Canada about individual rights versus collective responsibility. That emotional debate has been reflected in Coutts’ court hearings.
Outside court, Honner said the result was positive.
“We are very happy with the outcome in one sense. We are happy that Mr Janzen avoided a real prison sentence and we are happy that he received a short suspended sentence,” he said.
Miller said he was disappointed by the four-month sentence and so was his client.
“Of course he’s disappointed. At the end of the day, it was always understood that jail was on the table,” Miller said.
“The sentence is what the sentence is… the remedy here is to go to the Court of Appeal if you don’t like what happened and the court will consider whether it creates a remedy.”
On Friday, about 300 people lined up in front of the court to get one of the 90 available seats.
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 10, 2025.
