A Prince Albert church will contest in court the large fine it received from government authorities in October for violating public health orders and provincial COVID-19 guidelines. The Alberta lawyer who will represent Full Gospel Outreach says religious groups — and street churches in particular — have been targeted by authorities during the pandemic and the case will revolve, in part, around the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Meanwhile, the church’s pastor says the government has been “unbalanced” in its enforcement of the laws and argues health officials don’t understand the importance of spiritual gatherings. The church’s legal costs will be paid for by the far-right political online media outlet Rebel News, which has run a crowdfunding campaign to give legal assistance to those who, as they say, “have received a lockdown ticket.”