Metro Taxi vs Ottawa returns to court March 25

Ottawa hopes to change its tact

In a letter sent to Ottawa Taxi plate owners on March 18th, president and CEO of Coventry Connections Inc. Marc Andre Way wrote, “We are writing to provide you with a clear and brief update on the progress of our class action against the City of Ottawa.”

Full text of the March 18th letter is reproduced below:

“Recent Development: City’s Motion

The City has recently filed a motion attempting to strike (remove) the expert report prepared by our damages expert, Professor Martin Boyer (HEC Montréal). This report has been in the City’s possession since October 2025, and their own experts already responded to it in January 2026.

The City is now arguing very late in the process that the report improperly introduces a new legal claim related to “expropriation.” We strongly disagree. Professor Boyer’s reference is economic in nature, not legal, and does not change our claim in any way. In addition, the City has already addressed this point through its own expert evidence.

Our Position

We believe this motion is tactical and without merit, aimed at delaying the proceedings and consuming valuable court time.

We raised these concerns with the City and asked them to withdraw the motion, but they refused.

Court Intervention

We then requested assistance from the Court to prevent delays.

As a result:

• Justice Smith has ordered that the motion will be heard separately on March 25, 2026 (by videoconference).

This is a positive development, as it ensures the motion will not take time away from the scheduled trial dates for expert testimony.

What Happens Next

• The City has submitted its written arguments (factum).

• Our legal team is finalizing our response, which will be filed shortly.

• The four previously scheduled trial dates remain unchanged.

• We expect the Court to decide on the motion before or around the continuation of the trial.

While the City is attempting to introduce delays, we have successfully ensured that this will not interfere with the trial schedule. We remain confident in our position and continue to move forward.

We will keep you informed as soon as there are further developments or a decision from the Court.”

On May 13, 2024, Justice Marc Smith issued his decision in the case of Metro Taxi Ltd., Marc Andre Way and Ishkak Mail vs the City of Ottawa. Justice Smith found that the “the City’s response to Uber’s arrival was negligent, causing harm to the taxi industry.” The class action seeks $215 million in damages.

On April 4, 2025, the trial Metro Taxi et al vs. City of Ottawa resumed for the hearing of oral submissions on the aggregate damages issue. The matter was adjourned because the Court was of the view that expert evidence was required to determine this issue. The trial was then scheduled to resume during the week of March 30, 2026, which has now been moved up to March 25th.