Wagners filed a proposed class action lawsuit in the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia, on June 1, 2020. The claim was amended on March 15, 2022.<\/p>\n
The proposed class proceeding is filed on behalf of the Plaintiff against Northwoodcare Group Inc. and related entities. The lawsuit seeks damages on behalf of the Plaintiff and other individuals who are entitled to bring an action under the\u00a0Fatal Injuries Act<\/em>,\u00a0R.S.N.S. 1989, c. 163, including the spouse, common-law partner, parent or children of residents of the Northwood Halifax Long-Term Care Facility who passed away due to COVID-19 or COVID-19 related complications from March 15 to June 30, 2020.<\/p>\n The lawsuit alleges that Northwood Halifax\u2019s practices, policies, and procedures, and lack thereof, caused the viral spread of COVID-19 through elderly and vulnerable residents as well as staff, causing untimely death to residents, and harms, losses, and damages to their surviving family members. It is alleged that the Defendants had full knowledge of the dangers and health risks posed by a COVID-19 pandemic to which its residents were uniquely vulnerable; yet, they maintained the\u00a0status quo\u00a0<\/em>at the cost of numerous individuals\u2019 safety and lives.<\/p>\n In Nova Scotia, Northwood has been called the epicentre of this highly contagious and deadly virus, and it holds claim to the vast majority of deaths due to COVID-19, province-wide.<\/p>\n On December 18, 2024, the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia released its decision, Surette v. Northwoodcare Group Inc., et al.<\/em>, 2024 NSSC 388, certifying the class action. A copy of the decision is available on the documents section of this page.<\/p>\n On January 28, 2025, Northwood filed an appeal of the certification decision released on December 18, 2024. A hearing was held in the Court of Appeal on April 10, 2025, to determine if Northwood\u2019s appeal could proceed. The Nova Scotia Court of Appeal ultimately denied Northwood\u2019s application for leave to appeal. Therefore, there will be no appeal of the certification decision, and the action remains certified.<\/p>\n A copy of the decision denying leave to appeal can be found under the Documents section.<\/p>\n