2 days ago
Boyle Street, Katz Group reach ‘positive resolution' after $5M legal battle
Representatives from Boyle Street Community Services (BSCS) and Katz Group Real Estate say they have come to a 'positive resolution' following a legal battle over a $5 million donation.
Last year, the Ice District Corporation (IDC), a subsidiary of local billionaire Daryl Katz's business conglomerate, sued BSCS in a civil lawsuit, claiming it didn't have to donate an agreed upon $5 million because the charity failed to adequately raise funds to build a new drop-in facility.
A statement of claim filed in November 2024 argued that the Edmonton charity didn't make enough efforts to raise funds for the King Thunderbird Centre replacing the former location at 101 Street and 105 Avenue which IDC purchased from Boyle Street for $5 million in 2021.
King Thunderbird updated rendering
The most recent rendering of Boyle Street Community Services's King Thunderbird facility, released to CTV News Edmonton on May 3, 2024.
BSCS announced a $28.5-million campaign to raise money for the project, needing at least $8.5 million to begin it.
As part of the deal between the Ice District and Boyle Street, a $5 million donation, a 'backstop gift' was pledged by IDC in case BSCS didn't meet its fundraising goals that would decrease dollar by dollar if the charity exceeded its $8.5 million threshold.
BSCS moved out of their former location in 2023 because the lease on the building was up and it was 'no longer financially viable' for them to stay.
Oilers Entertainment Group (OEG) said it finalized the purchase and lease agreement with BSCS for its former facility in 2021. A two-year lease was signed, ending in fall 2023.
OEG said it offered an extension on the lease at the same nominal rate agreed upon in 2021 to allow BSCS to coordinate its relocation.
BSCS' new location, King Thunderbird Centre at 107A Avenue and 101 Street, has been in the works for nearly a decade, and is expected to open this fall. As of April 2025, the centre had reached the halfway point in construction.
CTV News Edmonton reached out to both groups to determine what a 'positive resolution' entails, but have yet to hear back.
More to come …
With files from CTV News Edmonton's Craig Ellingson
