Friends of Lansdowne has just learned that the Ontario Superior Court has dismissed our application to quash the City of Ottawa's approval of the Lansdowne Partnership Plan. We are very disappointed.

We will take the time we need to carefully review Judge Hackland's decision and to meet with our lawyers before making further comments or considering further legal action. We believe our case is important and has already made a significant contribution by making public many details of the plan--particularly the financial costs--that were not previously known to taxpayers.

We would also point out that, contrary to what you may have heard, the legal case is not the only thing preventing the Lansdowne Partnership Plan from proceeding. The project has not received necessary heritage, environmental and site plan approvals. These will take many months and may require significant changes to the current plan. Moreover, City Council has not yet given final approval to the project nor has it rectified the major financial discrepancies in earlier documents that may mean that taxpayers will have to spend tens of millions more on the project.

We remain committed to working towards a revitalized Lansdowne Park that will benefit the public, not private interests.

You can read the full text of the decision here.

Friends of Lansdowne lawyer Steven Shrybman has provided an update on the legal case currently awaiting decision from Justice Charles Hackland of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. You can read the FOL legal update here.

Friends of Lansdowne is pleased to be finally having our day in Court. Over three days our legal team has presented two of the three grounds upon which we say City Council acted illegally in approving the Lansdowne P3 plan:

i)  that the City failed to invite and evaluate competing proposals as required by its purchasing policies and the Municipal Act and
ii) that the City breached the Municipal Act by providing financial assistance to OSEG, largely by agreeing to reimburse it for costs and losses of acquiring and operating the CFL and OHL franchises.

Read a summary of what's happening in court here.