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Claims Process Concluded in City of Leduc Workplace Harassment Class Action Lawsuit

Claims Process Concluded in City of Leduc Workplace Harassment Class Action Lawsuit

Business Wire05-05-2025

CALGARY, Alberta--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Burnett, Duckworth & Palmer LLP (BD&P) announced today that the claims process for the class action lawsuit against The City of Leduc has now concluded. The class action sought damages for women who worked at the City of Leduc between 2002 and 2023 and who had suffered sexual assault, sexual harassment, and discrimination.
155 women who had worked at the City of Leduc came forward and had their claims approved. The total payout to these women was $9,527,500. This remains one of the highest per person payouts in Canadian legal history for workplace sexual misconduct.
On July 4, 2023, the Court of King's Bench approved a settlement to provide compensation to these women. At a hearing on January 31, 2025, the Plaintiffs asked the Court's permission to disclose the total number of claimants and the amounts paid out, the City of Leduc asked the Court not to allow the release of these numbers. On March 31, 2025, the Court dismissed the City of Leduc's request and allowed these numbers to be publicly disclosed.
Over the past 18 months, the parties have also participated in a restorative engagement process to allow women who suffered sexual assault, sexual harassment, and discrimination at the City of Leduc to communicate their experiences to the city's leadership.
On January 24, 2024, the Mayor of Leduc apologized to the women who worked at the City of Leduc.
Former Leduc Firefighter and plaintiff Christa Steele said: "When I started this journey, my goal was simple: to bring the truth to light. Because the truth, above all else, is what brings validation. It's what gives people peace. As we moved forward in the lawsuit we also wanted to ensure that class members would receive compensation they were entitled to as part of the class action. Over the past year, we have worked hard to reach as many women as possible and this has resulted in 155 women making claims and receiving over $9.5 million in settlements. I continue to be amazed at the bravery of all the women that have come forward. We hope these settlements can help with their long process of healing and let them know that they are not alone. Moving forward, we will continue to work and advocate for women to ensure that their voices are heard and to seek transparency and real change. I am grateful that we set a precedent and made history. We left a mark and I am proud of what we accomplished together."
BD&P's lead lawyer in this case, Robert Martz, spoke to these settlements, "Throughout this class action we have been amazed by the strength of the women that have come forward. This continued throughout the settlement process with so many women telling their story and making a claim. We recognize how hard this was for them and the bravery it took. We hope that through these settlements we have helped provide some small measure of recompense for these women."
Spokesperson Interviews
Robert Martz - Partner, BD&P LLP
Case Facts
The City of Leduc was sued in a class action lawsuit for their inaction against, and role in maintaining, sustained and systemic gender-based harassment and discrimination.
Instances of gender-based harassment, discrimination, assault and sexual assault within the Leduc Fire Department was ongoing for approximately 20 years.
Victims have suffered serious mental health and physical harm, PTSD, out-of-pocket expenses, violation of their personal dignity, and loss of income.

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Vestis Corporation (VSTS) Investors Who Lost Money – Contact Law Offices of Howard G. Smith About Securities Fraud Investigation
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Vestis Corporation (VSTS) Investors Who Lost Money – Contact Law Offices of Howard G. Smith About Securities Fraud Investigation

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Andrew Peller Limited Reports Financial Results for Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year 2025
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Andrew Peller Limited Reports Financial Results for Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year 2025

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These instruments are considered to be effective economic hedges and are expected to mitigate the short-term volatility of changing foreign exchange and interest rates. Other expenses (income), net were $0.6 million and $3.5 million for the three months and year ended March 31, 2025. The expense in fiscal 2025 related primarily to a restructuring initiative completed in fiscal year to align the Company's business structure with the changing retail landscape in Ontario. During the year ended March 31, 2025, the Company undertook certain tax planning initiatives as it relates to capital gains with respect to the Port Moody lands. This included transferring the beneficial interest in the land to a newly registered partnership. All parties associated with the limited partner are within the consolidated APL group and there has been no legal ownership change. 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These statements are subject to certain risks, assumptions, and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those included in the forward-looking statements. The words 'believe', 'plan', 'intend', 'estimate', 'expect', or 'anticipate', and similar expressions, as well as future or conditional verbs such as 'will', 'should', 'would', 'could', and similar verbs often identify forward-looking statements. We have based these forward-looking statements on our current views with respect to future events and financial performance. 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Sable Offshore Corp. (SOC) Investors Who Lost Money – Contact Law Offices of Howard G. Smith About Securities Fraud Investigation
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