Summary

If you purchased a construction heater or a heating appliance manufactured by Ouellet, Stelpro or Dimplex between 1989 and 2016, your rights could be affected by a national class action settlement.

In March 2019, certain construction heaters or heating appliances branded Ouellet, Electrimart, Global Commander, Stelpro Design, Uniwatt, Chromalox, Centurion, Electromode, Westcan and Dimplex manufactured between 1989 and 2016 (the “Heaters”) were recalled as a result of a safety issue and fire hazard that could result in severe damage to property or bodily injury (the “Recalls”).

By way of the Recalls, the owners and users of the Heaters were informed to immediately cease using and disconnect their devices.

Construction heaters and heating appliances are heating devices intended to provide a temporary or permanent additional source of heating for certain locations, including construction sites, workshops and garages.

The list of specific Heaters captured by the class action is included below and available at https://constructionheaters-classaction.ca/.

If you are still owning one of the Heaters, you must immediately stop using and disconnect your device if you have not already done so as directed by the Recalls.

The Class Action

The class action lawsuit was commenced in Quebec against Ouellet Canada Inc., Stelpro Design Inc., Glen Dimplex America Ltd and Thermon Group Holdings, Inc. (the “Defendants”) in furtherance to the Recalls (the “Class Action”).

By way of the Class Action, the Plaintiff is alleging, inter alia, that the Heaters were defective in their manufacture and that they presented dangerous safety issues and fire hazards.

The Class Action was not authorized or certified by the Court against any of the Defendants before this settlement was reached.

The Settlement

Although the Defendants deny any wrongdoing or liability, a national settlement was reached with the Plaintiff for the global resolution of all claims pertaining to the Class Actions (the “Settlement”), subject to approval of the Court in Quebec (the “Court”).

The Settlement provides for the following benefits for the Settlement Class Members (see below) in exchange for a full release of claims against the Defendants and other related entities:

1. Compensation by way of a discount for the purchase of a replacement heating device from the manufacturer having initially manufactured or sold it;
2. The payment of the fees and disbursement to Class Counsel independently from the above up to $500,000, inclusive of taxes, if approved by the Court.

If the Settlement is approved by the Court, this will put an end to the Class Action, which will resolve all claims in relation to the Heaters and entailing that no further claim could be brought in relation thereto.

Claiming your compensation for a replacement device

If the Settlement is approved by the Court, further information about how to claim your compensation for the purchase of a replacement heating device will be made available.

At such time, another notice intended to the Settlement Class Members will be published containing all the relevant information.

If you would like to receive direct notice of any distribution efforts, please register at https://constructionheaters-classaction.ca/, or contact Class Counsel at the address below.

Authorization as Class Proceedings for Settlement Purposes

In order to implement the Settlement, the Court has authorized the Class Action as class proceedings against the Defendants for settlement purposes only.

As the case may be, the refusal by the Court to approve the Settlement will entail its termination and that of all the benefits to the Settlement Class Members and resume the litigation between the parties.

Who Are The Settlement Class Members?

You are a Settlement Class Member, if on April 25, 2023, you owned in Canada one of the following Heaters: