Canadian Nationalist Party founder sentenced to 200 days for racially targeting off-duty police officer

Travis Patron, founder of the now-defunct Canadian Nationalist Party, argued that he was upholding the law when he approached an off-duty police officer and questioned his relationship with his girlfriend.

Patron, 32, was found guilty in January of criminal harassment and breaching a probation order to keep the peace.

On July 30, 2023, he confronted an off-duty police officer in Saskatoon's Midtown Plaza asking them questions about their culture, background and why the officer was walking around with a Canadian woman when he was not born in Canada.

Neither the officer or his girlfriend can be identified because of a publication ban.

Patron represented himself during the trial at Court of King's Bench in Saskatoon. On Friday, he said he doesn't understand the harassment charge and claimed his acts were a call of duty.

Justice John Morrall sentenced Patron Friday to 200 days for criminal harassment and 30 days, to be served concurrently, for breaching his probation — the result of a conviction in October 2022 for wilfully promoting hatred against Jewish people.

With credit for time served, he has 15 days left to serve.

Patron argued he should not be sentenced and referenced several federal acts, including the RCMP Act and the Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Act. He also referenced the Bible and appeared to quote or paraphrase verses from it to make his point.

He argued the officer and his girlfriend had contravened an act of parliament "by acting in a discourteous, disrespectful, dishonourable manner in a public place."

Crown prosecutor Lana Morelli read a victim impact statement from the officer's girlfriend.

"What is difficult to portray to the court and what isn't shown in the video footage is the look Mr. Patron had in his eyes. He looked at the one I love with pure hatred," the statement said.

The woman wrote that she is concerned Patron would act on his racist beliefs and harm members of the public.

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Court heard that when the officer walked away with his girlfriend, Patron yelled after them not to "violate our laws."

Crown prosecutor Lana Morelli argued that Patron be ordered to attend cultural sensitivity training and counselling as part of his probation order.

Justice Morrall considered those orders to be pointless as there was "no hope" for the accused to change his views and the probation order would only be "setting him up to fail." He did order that Patron not go to the mall in question any more.

He also said that while Patron hadn't used any racist epithets, his statements were "overtly racist."

"Rehabilitation is unfortunately not a factor to consider here, given that you maintain your racist ideology," Morrall said.