Kelvin Zawadiuk is not the same man he once was. Years ago, Kelvin Zawadiuk was one of Alberta’s “lost souls”, struggling with a combination of drug addiction and a variety of mental disorders. This toxic mix eventually caused Kelvin to develop a full-blown psychoses. One fateful day in May 2019, while high on methamphetamine, he stole an ATCO truck, crashed it into a government building, and then vandalized the indoors with racist and anti-Semitic graffiti.

After being arrested, Kelvin finally began to receive treatment for his psychoses, and slowly began to grasp what he had done. Almost immediately, he wanted to accept responsibility and change who he had become. In 2020, as he fought off his inner demons with the assistance of strong medication that left him in a haze most of the time, he took full responsibility for what he had done, pleading guilty to six charges, for which he was sentenced to five-years of imprisonment

What followed could have been the end of his story.

But it wasn’t.

While incarcerated, Kelvin committed even further to the change he had begun. Step by step, he fought his way out of addiction, faced his mental health problems, and fully committed himself to becoming someone better for himself and for others. He repeatedly renounced his prior lifestyle and the racist ideologies he had once embraced to appear cool to friends.

It took time, but the transformation was incredible, as Kelvin became a “poster child” for the rehabilitation principle that is one of the key principles of sentencing.

Today, Kelvin is sober and has created a future where he gives back to those addicts who are most in need of help. He has trained hard to become a support worker for Hope in Strathcona using his lived experience to help others escape the same cycle that nearly destroyed his life and future. The Executive Director of Hope in Strathcona, Doug Sedore, raves about the changes Kelvin has made, telling the courts that he is “an honest, self-starting man of integrity, and a valued member of our team. [Kelvin] embodies all the characteristics that a successful worker in our field needs, and brings his strong character to work with him every day.”

As a sponsor, one of his mentees stated that “Mr. Zawadiuk has shown me limitless compassion and understanding,” and encourages his mentee to become a sponsor.

But despite Kelvin’s post-jail success, he soon came to realize that he could not entirely leave his past behind and move on.

On the day he was sentenced to a term of five years’ imprisonment, Kelvin was taking strong anti-psychotic medication, and not able to focus. After hearing his sentence, he barely noticed that the sentencing judge imposed restitution orders against him, for almost $400,000, to account for the damage he caused. The orders were imposed as an afterthought, and took no account of his ability to pay.

Nonetheless, when he came out of prison, he was told he would have to pay back these orders, one dollar at a time – effectively for the rest of his life. True to his desire to make amends, Kelvin scraped and saved and made small – often token – payments for more than three years. He wanted to do what was right, and make amends.

But for Kelvin, this wasn’t just a debt. It was a life sentence. Restitution orders survive bankruptcy, and he was served with liens on the modest property he owned (an old car, mainly), making this a lifetime sentence he could never ever get away from. He would be unable to ever own a home or acquire any of the things most Canadians take for granted, forever haunted by what he did in May 2019.

Years after the 30 day time period to appeal had passed, he realized that this was an unsustainable approach, and that he could not simply make small payments for ever, and have his life pass by without being able to buy a home or even a new car, or start a family. He went to several lawyers to get help, but they all told him there was nothing they could do. That’s when Peter Sankoff stepped in.

After learning about Kelvin’s amazing journey, Sankoff Criminal Law took on the matter pro bono (without charge). “When I read about what he had done, I won’t lie – I was very skeptical”, said Peter. “I literally asked for proof. Before taking the matter on, I wanted him to write me a letter explaining who he was today, and I asked for letters from colleagues. They were astounding references from a wide range of people, and I came to realize that he was the real deal.”

Once on the case, the challenge was getting to permission on appeal. This was no easy thing to do, as Kelvin had missed the regular notice period by five years, and there was no Alberta precedent in which permission had been granted over such a lengthy delay. Thankfully, the applications judge was persuaded by the larger injustice, Kelvin’s strong legal arguments, and, to some extent, by the changes Kelvin had made. (View on Canlii)

Next up was the appeal itself, with help from his research associate Caity Palfy, Peter filed a factum in the Alberta Court of Appeal, seeking to have the orders set aside. Surprisingly, the Crown agreed that the sentencing judge had made legal errors in imposing the orders and agreed that they should be set aside. The Crown maintained, however, that a smaller amount should be repaid.

On April 21st, 2026, (which was also his birthday) Kelvin and the Crown agreed on a joint submission to a reduced order of $25,000. Despite the fact that there were legal arguments suggesting that he had a reasonable chance of having the amounts reduced to zero, Kelvin wanted to acknowledge his obligation to make payments as part of his ongoing rehabilitation, and emphasize how far he had come. During an emotional appeal hearing, Peter spoke to Kelvin’s journey and his commitment to rehabilitating himself. Justice Ho, the Chair of the Panel, spoke directly to Kelvin and emphasized appreciation for his commitment to atoning by making small payments for years, and commended him for his rehabilitation. As part of that final arrangement, Sankoff Criminal Law agreed to help Kelvin raise at least half of what he owed to ease his burden and help him move on.

Kelvin has already paid for his past—with his freedom, years of his life, money, and with outstanding efforts in redeeming himself by becoming a valued member of society. Consistent with his belief that he should pay for what he did, Kelvin will do his best to pay at least $10,000 over the next six years. Sankoff Criminal Law and Criminal Defence Essentials have agreed to help him raise the remainder. Though Kelvin has a stable job as an addiction counsellor, it is not a well-paying job, and he could use our assistance.

“I’m deeply grateful for the help you are all providing”, says Kelvin. “I hope to be worthy of that help through my continued efforts to be a better person and productive member of society.”

Your donation towards our goal of $15,000 makes it possible to give Kelvin a real chance to reclaim his life and celebrate his tremendous rehabilitative story.

Help Kelvin move forward and support him in giving back to the most vulnerable members of society. Donate today.