Lawyers representing Ottawa residents in the proposed $300 million class action lawsuit against organizers of last year’s convoy protest have added new defendants and added the “occupation zone,” the geographic area encompassing the plaintiff classes, expanded.
Donation platform GiveSendGo, New Brunswick donor Brad Howland and Harold Jonker of Jonker Trucking Inc. have been added as named defendants.
None of the defendants added to the lawsuit were immediately available for comment.
The Ottawa area, which contains the plaintiff classes — residents, corporations and employees — was expanded after a “large number” of residents came forward, said Paul Champ, the attorney behind the proposed class action lawsuit.
The zone now extends west past Bronson Avenue to Booth Street to include residential buildings in a built-up section of LeBreton Flats.
In ByWard Market, it now covers the area north of St. Patrick Street to Boteler Street.
Champ estimates that the expanded plaintiff class zone adds about 3,000 people, bringing the number to about 15,000.
He said he expects “damages will end up increasing” because the number of plaintiffs has increased.
According to Champ, everyone in the zone is automatically part of the class and doesn’t have to give their name. In the event of a settlement or arbitration in the case, his company will contact people and advertise.
Testifying at the Ottawa People’s Commission
Gaëlle Muderi, project coordinator for the Ottawa People’s Commission, said they heard testimonies from residents of the newly added area during their investigation into the protests.
“The effects of the convoy extended beyond the red zone, from Lowertown to Vanier to Overbrook. So people in those communities experienced trauma, loss and harm,” she said.
“These communities have been deeply impacted and I think this is a step towards recognizing that.”
Muderi said the expanded class reflected the scope of the issues residents had to contend with during the protests.
“People have lost income because they couldn’t reach their jobs or had to spend them in other ways to access basic needs,” she said.
“In that sense, it includes more people. It opens up the possibility for more people to be heard.”
The attorney heard from 1,000 Ottawa residents
Champ said his team will be ready to plead for certification in the case by the end of the year, calling those motions “a significant issue in the litigation.”
“The vast majority of class actions are fought because of certification, and if the class action is certified, the defendants will often settle,” he said.
Champ said his team spoke to about 1,000 people.
“We really do have all the information and evidence we need to establish damage and determine the damage caused.”
Champ said this is another step to defend his customers.
“It seems like the convoy crew protesters thought they were just causing people inconvenience, not realizing that they were, you know, seriously disrupting the lives of people who were really just innocent bystanders,” he said.
