CALGARY, AB: The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms announces that a court date has been scheduled for journalist and commentator Cory Morgan to challenge two trespass tickets totalling $2,000 issued to him by Siksika Nation under its trespass bylaw.
Mr. Morgan is a popular Calgary-based journalist and political commentator who covers Alberta affairs. In March 2025, he published a short documentary video commenting on living conditions on the Siksika Nation and broader issues related to the reserve system.
The video was filmed entirely from public roads and publicly accessible locations. There was no signage indicating restricted access, and Mr. Morgan was never personally notified that he was prohibited from entering the area. However, after the video was published, Siksika Nation officials publicly criticized Mr. Morgan’s commentary and subsequently issued two trespass tickets under the Nation’s bylaw.
Mr. Morgan said, “This case presents an important opportunity to affirm that journalists and commentators cannot be punished simply for documenting realities and expressing lawful opinions in public spaces.”
Lawyers will argue that the Siksika Nation bylaw’s failure to require notice before issuing trespass penalties violates fundamental principles of fairness and due process protected by the Charter. They will also argue that freedom of expression under section 2(b) of the Charter, which protects freedom of thought, belief, opinion, and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication, protects Mr. Morgan’s right to film and publish commentary on matters of public interest.
Constitutional lawyer Chris Fleury said, “This case raises important questions about whether trespass by-laws can be enforced in what appear to be public areas where no notice of any kind is given to the alleged trespasser.”
“Enforcement of this bylaw is arbitrary, unconstitutional, and in Mr. Morgan’s case appears to be retribution for the expression of his opinions about the reserve system,” he added.
The trial is scheduled for June 30, 2026, at the Alberta Court of Justice in Siksika.
