Calgary man charged after allegedly threatening congregation of Russian Orthodox Church
The priest of the All Saints Russian Orthodox Church says he received several calls on Tuesday night from a man threatening its members.
"He said are there going to be any Russians there? I said yes, although we have 15 nationalities in our parish," said Dmitry Grygoryev.
"He said I don’t care is there going to be any Russians? I said yes. He said you’re all going to be dead."
Grygoryev himself is Ukrainian and still has family back home. And 30 per cent of church members are from Ukraine.
He reported the multiple threats to police. 36-year-old Christopher Duchaine of Calgary has been charged with five counts of criminal harassment. All five of the reported incidents have been deemed hate-motivated crimes.
"We don’t tolerate hate crime in Calgary," said Constable Matt Messenger of the Calgary Police Service Hate Crime and Extremism Team.
"It’s not acceptable. We won’t tolerate people being victimized based on who they are as a person."
EARLIER ATTACK
It’s not the first time Grygoryev’s church has been targeted. Back in February when Russia invaded Ukraine, someone vandalized the church and splattered red paint all over the steps and doormat. The priest says they are managing the best they can with the repeated attacks.
The priest said about 30 per cent of the members at his church are Ukrainian and he himself was born and raised in Ukraine before going to school in Russia.
"We are not supporting the war. War is a tragedy for everyone and innocent people get killed and the best weapon to stop the war is prayer."
Messenger says earlier this year, CPS saw a large increase in hate crimes against Ukrainians and Russians.
"And in the last couple of weeks, we’ve seen another rise in files and we really aren’t sure what the trend is there," said Messenger.
On the same day Grygoryev received the threatening calls, CPS received four additional reports of threats and harassment against Russian-Calgarians. All of the incidents were investigated and found to be related. CPS is encouraging anyone who is a target of hate crime to report it to them.
Grygoryev is extending an olive branch to anyone who has questions about their congregation or about the conflict.
"Come and talk," he said.
"We can find the common ground and we can explain and share opinions right? We are humans. Not animals."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6971573.1721489566!/httpImage/image.png_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.png)
Alberta town takes action fighting crime, addressing homelessness, addictions issues
In Cold Lake, Alta., drivers leaning through windows at the McDonald’s drive-thru have been ambushed by people running by and snatching food right out of their hands.
Workplace habit of 'coffee badging' prompts reported new policy at Amazon
The term 'coffee badging' has gained some new significance this week with multiple outlets reporting Amazon is allegedly taking measures to counter the workplace trend it refers to.
Trudeau and family head to British Columbia for vacation in unnamed location
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will head to British Columbia on Sunday, where he will be on vacation with his family until Aug. 1.
Stranger sexually assaulted Surrey woman while she was asleep in her home, RCMP say
A woman in Surrey's Newton neighbourhood woke up to a stranger groping her early Saturday morning, according to local police.
Baby dies after pregnant woman fatally struck by vehicle in downtown Toronto
A woman fatally struck by a sedan in downtown Toronto earlier this week was pregnant, and her baby has also died, police say.
'I took a bullet for democracy': Trump holds first rally after assassination attempt
Donald Trump is holding his first campaign rally since he survived an attempted assassination, returning to the battleground state of Michigan alongside his new running mate.
Democratic consensus solidifies around Harris, should Biden step aside
No one quite knows what the process of picking a new nominee would be if Joe Biden did step aside – but many Democrats say that any process is likelier than ever to quickly end with Vice President Kamala Harris as the nominee.
A 12-year-old girl is accused of smothering her younger cousin over an iPhone
A 12-year-old girl in Tennessee has been charged with murder, accused of smothering her eight-year-old cousin as the younger girl slept. A relative said they had been arguing over an iPhone.
Here are the signs you're ready to downsize your home
Amid the cost-of-living crisis, many Canadians are looking to find ways to save money, such as downsizing their home. But one Ottawa broker says there are several signs to consider before making the big decision.