Simon Trela, Immigration and Criminal Lawyer

Simon was born in Poland and, at the age of 11, was forced to flee his home country due to difficulties his family faced under the Communist regime. He spent three years in a refugee camp in Germany before immigrating to Canada in 1992. 

Simon completed his secondary education at University Hill Secondary School in Vancouver, British Columbia. He went on to attend the University of Alberta, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in German Literature in 2001. He subsequently obtained his law degree from the University of Alberta Faculty of Law in 2004 and was admitted to the Alberta Bar in 2006.

Simon is fluent in English, Polish, German, and Russian, and is pleased to provide legal services in any of these languages.

Simon’s personal immigration experiences, though often challenging, inspired him to practise predominantly in the area of immigration law. His practice encompasses all areas of Canadian immigration law, including temporary foreign workers, refugee law, deportation and removal matters, sponsorship appeals, and judicial reviews before the Federal Court. He also represents a significant number of Canadian employers utilizing the Temporary Foreign Worker Program.

Simon has been actively involved in the legal community. He served as Chair of the Citizenship and Immigration (Northern Alberta Section) from 2010 to 2012. He has been consulted by the media on immigration-related issues and has appeared on CTV News to provide commentary on legislative developments in immigration law.

In addition, Simon is a seasonal guest instructor at the University of Alberta Faculty of Law, where he teaches Law 522: Sentencing and Collateral Immigration Consequences each winter term. He is regularly retained by criminal defence counsel across Canada to provide opinion letters on the immigration consequences of criminal charges and sentences, assisting counsel during sentencing hearings and in the resolution of complex criminal matters. Simon has over 100 reported decisions from Alberta courts, the Federal Court, and immigration tribunals. He has also presented as a speaker for the Edmonton Bar Association, Alberta Legal Aid, and the Canadian Trial Lawyers Association on the topic of collateral immigration consequences resulting from the changes to Canada’s impaired driving laws.

In addition to immigration law, Simon practises criminal law and has successfully defended clients facing serious criminal charges.

In his free time, Simon enjoys spending time with his family and competing with the Edmonton Dragon Boat Racing Club. He is a proud member of the  Edmonton Senior Competitive Team, most recently winning a gold medal at the 2025 Edmonton Dragon Boat Festival.