Lachapelle v. St. Laurent Automotive Group Inc., 2025 ONSC 1956 (released on March 31) was heard over five days earlier this year. It appears to have been a fierce battle between the parties in which they raised a range of legal issues arising from an interesting set of facts. In addition, Justice Roger’s subsequent costs award, Lachapelle v. St. Laurent Automotive Group Inc., 2025 ONSC 2879 (released May 14), provides useful guidance on managing settlement negotiation and pre-trial conduct, particularly in the context of Simplified Procedure and Rule 49 cost consequences.
Background
The Plaintiff, an auto-technician, was employed by the auto dealership Defendant for a total of just under six years. His employment occurred in two parts: i) approximately 4.5 years, from September 2013 to April 2018, when he voluntarily resigned, and ii) approximately 14 months from February 2019 to March 2020, when he was temporarily laid off in the early days of COVID-19 shut downs.