Joshua Ross Mandryk

This decision concerns the approval of a $30 million settlement in a class action alleging that major junior hockey players were employees entitled to minimum wage and other benefits.

The court approved the settlement, finding it fair, reasonable, and in the best interests of the class, given the high litigation risks and uncertain legal landscape.

The court also approved Class Counsel's fees but declined to approve honoraria for the representative plaintiffs, reiterating that such awards should be rare and reserved for exceptional contributions.

The plaintiff in a proposed class action moved for leave to amend the Statement of Claim to add the corporate directors of the defendant companies as new defendants.

The amendment was sought due to concerns about the existing defendants' ability to pay outstanding wages, particularly in light of the global travel industry's collapse due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The court found no prejudice to any party, as the defendants did not object and the action was still at an early stage.

Leave to amend was granted, with no costs awarded.

The court approved a class action settlement concerning unpaid hours and overtime for non-managerial, non-unionized employees of GoodLife Fitness Centres Inc. The settlement, reached after mediation, provides $7.5 million to approximately 22,000 class members across various employment categories, along with $1 million in class counsel fees and a $10,000 honorarium for the representative plaintiff.

The court certified the class action for settlement purposes and found the settlement fair and reasonable given the litigation risks and the benefits secured for the class, including compensation without individual proof of damages.