Kenneth G.G. Jones

The plaintiff brought a motion under s. 137.1 of the Courts of Justice Act to dismiss the defendant's counterclaim, arguing it was a SLAPP intended to silence his allegations of a poisoned workplace.

The plaintiff also moved to strike the counterclaim under the Rules of Civil Procedure, amend his statement of claim, and for summary judgment.

The court dismissed the anti-SLAPP motion, finding the plaintiff failed to show the counterclaim arose from his expressions.

The court also denied leave to amend the statement of claim as the proposed claim for deferred bonuses was statute-barred.

The remaining motions were deferred pursuant to the mandatory stay in s. 137.1(5) of the Courts of Justice Act.

The appellant, The Catalyst Capital Group Inc., appealed an order striking its claim for misfeasance in public office against Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Ontario (HMQ) without leave to amend.

Catalyst alleged HMQ improperly caused its removal as a participant in the Pan Am Athletes’ Village Project.

The Court of Appeal affirmed the motion judge's decision, finding that Catalyst's pleadings, despite being extensive, lacked sufficient material facts to plausibly support the required element of bad faith or unlawful conduct for the tort of misfeasance in public office.

The court reiterated that bald allegations of bad faith are insufficient without factual underpinning.

The Crown moved to strike out the plaintiff's Second Amended Claim for misfeasance in public office under Rule 21.01(1)(b) of the Rules of Civil Procedure.

The plaintiff alleged the Crown unlawfully directed Infrastructure Ontario to exclude it from participating in the financing of a public tendering project.

The court found that the Crown was entitled to make decisions adverse to the plaintiff's interests in a public tendering process, and the pleadings did not plausibly support a conclusion that the Crown acted for an improper purpose or in bad faith.

The claim was struck out without leave to amend.

The court also held that, alternatively, the plaintiff would have required leave to proceed under the Crown Liability and Proceedings Act, 2019.

The plaintiff, Catalyst Capital Group Inc., appealed a motion judge's decision to strike out several of its claims against Dundee Kilmer Developments Limited Partnership (DKD), Infrastructure Ontario (IO), and the Crown.

The claims arose from Catalyst's exclusion from financing the 2015 Pan/ParaPan American Games Athletes' Village project.

The Court of Appeal allowed the appeal in part, reinstating Catalyst's claims against DKD for breach of a funding term sheet, breach of fiduciary duty, and unjust enrichment/quantum meruit.

However, the court upheld the striking of unjust enrichment/quantum meruit claims against IO and the Crown, the public law duty claim against IO and the Crown, and the misrepresentation claim against the Crown, finding them either statute-barred, lacking direct benefit, or precluded by statutory immunity.

The appellants appealed the Divisional Court's dismissal of their judicial review application challenging three decisions of the Ontario Racing Commission: a Suspension and Freezing Order against the owner, a procedural decision dismissing motions to quash or stay the orders, and a merits decision imposing licence suspensions, account forfeiture, and a fine.

The appellants raised three grounds of appeal: inadequate notice and particulars, loss of jurisdiction due to a panel member's expired term, and inadequate reasons.

The Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal, finding that the notice was sufficient, the panel member could continue to sit under the Statutory Powers Procedure Act, and the reasons were adequate to permit review of the reasonableness of the decision.