500-06-001243-233 – Dollarama Ecofees Settlement

If you purchased a product subject to an Environmental Handling Fee from Dollarama in Quebec between December 11, 2019 and July 4, 2023, or elsewhere in Canada between May 29, 2021 and July 4, 2023,
you are a member of a national class action.

A proposed national Settlement has been reached in a class action lawsuit about prices advertised and charged by Dollarama for products subject to Environmental Handling Fees (“EHFs”) it sold in Canada. The Plaintiff in the lawsuit alleged that Dollarama did not properly display the price of products subject to EHFs and charged a total price or EHFs higher than displayed for these products or allowed by law. Dollarama denies any liability or wrongdoing and no Court has concluded in any wrongdoing on its part. The Court will hold a hearing on April 9, 2024 to decide whether to approve the Settlement before any compensation is provided to Class Members.

Am I a Class Member?

You are a Class Member if you are a natural or legal person who purchased a product subject to EHFs from Dollarama in Québec between December 11, 2019 and July 4, 2023, or elsewhere in Canada between May 29, 2021 and July 4, 2023. More information about the definition of the Class Period and EHFs is available at the Settlement Website: www.dollaramaehfsettlement.com

What Can I Get from the Settlement?

Subject to Court approval, Dollarama has agreed to pay a total amount of $2,500,000.00 (the “Settlement Fund”) to be used to (a) compensate eligible Class Members in the form of Gift Cards (see below), (b) pay Class Counsel’s legal fees and expenses of $825,000 plus taxes, and (c) pay the Settlement Administrator’s fees and expenses.

Each eligible Class Member may obtain compensation in the form of a Gift Card with a maximum value of $15.00 that can be redeemed in any Dollarama store in Canada, does not expire and can be used in multiple transactions. You may link the Gift Card to your Dollarama mobile application which can be downloaded in the app store on your mobile phone. The compensation available to eligible Class Members will be reduced proportionately depending on the total number of eligible claimants, such that the value of each Gift Card may be less than $15.00. In order to receive compensation, Settlement Class Members must provide a valid e-mail address. More information about the details of the Gift Card is available on the Settlement Website.

Although Dollarama denies any wrongdoing, and no Court has concluded there was any wrongdoing, Dollarama has voluntarily implemented business practice changes detailed in the Settlement Agreement.

What are my Options?

1. If you wish to be bound by the proposed Settlement and are a Class Member, you may claim compensation as detailed below (see the next section: “How do I Claim Compensation?”).
2. If you do not wish to participate in the Settlement, you may exclude yourself from the class (“opt out”) by April 5, 2024, by sending a written notice to the Court with a copy to Class Counsel. If you exclude yourself, you cannot obtain compensation from this Settlement if it is approved.
3. You may also object to any part of the Settlement, and the Court will consider your objection in whether to Approve the Settlement or not, if you are a Class Member. Your objection must be received in writing by the Court by April 5, 2024. Please note that the Court cannot change the terms of the Settlement.
4. As a Class Member, you have the right to intervene in the present class action in the manner provided by law. No Class Member other than the Plaintiff or an intervenor may be required to pay legal costs arising from the class action.

The Court will hold a hearing on April 9, 2024, at 9:30 a.m., in room 6.61 of the Montreal Courthouse (1, Notre-Dame Street East, Montreal, QC, H2Y 1B6) or in any other room as may be designated by the Judge sitting in room 6.61 on that day or via a TEAMS link available on the Settlement Website. At this hearing, the Court will consider whether the Settlement is fair and reasonable. You may attend the hearing and you may hire your own lawyer, but you are not required to do so either.

How do I Claim Compensation?

To claim a Gift Card as described above, you must provide your e-mail address by April 5, 2024, by clicking on the link included in the header of this notice. If the Settlement is approved by the Court and you are eligible to receive compensation, an online Claim Form will be sent to you to the email address you provided, which you must then complete and submit by the deadline specified in the Claim Form.

What If I Have Questions?

This notice is a summary. A detailed notice, as well as the Settlement Agreement and other documents filed in this lawsuit can be found online at the Settlement Website: www.dollaramaehfsettlement.com