Background
Bernard Langlois, Samuel Demers, and Stéphane Fontaine applied for and received grants under the federal Canada Greener Homes Grant program after renovating their Quebec residences, including by installing heat pumps. They alleged that Natural Resources Canada took longer than the publicly stated service periods: 40 business days to review a complete file and another 30 business days to mail payment.
The proposed class consisted of eligible Quebec residents whose grant processing exceeded that 70-business-day total. The plaintiffs sought compensation tied to the delay and grant amount, including interest and additional indemnity, as well as damages for stress, trouble, and inconvenience. Because the program had ended and all eligible applicants had been paid, they abandoned their requests for declaratory and mandamus relief concerning outstanding applications; the associated punitive-damages theory could not continue.
The Court’s Holding
Justice Danielle Ferron certified the action, with modifications, under the Federal Courts Rules. At the certification stage, the pleadings disclosed an arguable claim that Natural Resources Canada incurred contractual liability under article 1458 of the Civil Code of Québec. The Court emphasized that certification did not decide the merits and stated that it was far from convinced the claim would ultimately succeed.
The Court found an identifiable class, genuinely common questions, and a class proceeding to be the preferable procedure. The certified questions concern whether Natural Resources Canada undertook to pay eligible applicants, whether its representations created an obligation to pay within 70 business days or another period, whether it breached the applicable deadline, and whether class members may recover interest or compensatory damages. Samuel Demers and Stéphane Fontaine were appointed representatives, but Langlois was not because his grant was paid within 64 business days and he therefore fell outside the class. The class definition must be amended to make clear that the 70 days are business days. No costs were awarded.
Key Takeaways
- Certification permits the contractual claim to proceed but does not establish that Natural Resources Canada promised or breached a binding payment deadline.
- Government website statements about grant-processing times may support common contractual questions capable of class-wide determination.
- A proposed representative who does not fall within the certified class cannot represent it; Demers and Fontaine qualified, while Langlois did not.
Why It Matters
The decision allows Quebec grant recipients to pursue collectively whether the federal government assumed contractual obligations through the grant program and its published processing representations. It also illustrates the relatively limited merits inquiry at certification: an imperfectly pleaded case may proceed when its essential allegations disclose a reasonable cause of action and the other certification requirements are met.
The ruling narrows the litigation to damages and additional indemnity arising from the alleged contractual fault. It does not revive claims for processing orders, declaratory relief, or punitive damages, and it does not determine that any class member is entitled to compensation.