MacQueen v Nova Scotia, the Sydney Tar Ponds class action, is still mired in wrangling over the proper definition of the class. Last fall, the plaintiffs were hopeful that certification was just around the corner, and proposed a revised, narrower class definition for the court’s approval. The defendants, the Attorneys General of Canada and Nova Scotia, continue to raise numerous objections about the proposed class definition. There was a further court hearing in December, and written submissions were exchanged well into January.
Past and present neighbours of the famous Tar Ponds are suing both governments for damages, for property loss and for battery because they were exposed to contaminants from the ponds.