Tory leadership candidate loses bid to recover tour licences before dispute with province settled

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 23/04/2025 (190 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A Manitoba judge has refused to grant an injunction in favour of Lazy Bear Lodge and Expeditions, the ecotourism company owned by Progressive Conservative leadership candidate Wally Daudrich, as it fights to regain lost permits to run polar bear tours in northern Manitoba.

Daudrich launched a lawsuit against the provincial government in March, asking for a judicial review after learning his business would lose two licences allowing it to operate in an exclusive area near Churchill.

The businessman’s lawyer, Rod Roy, described the decision as “draconian,” warning it could cost the company up to $10 million and cause irreparable harm to future business. He filed a motion asking the courts to halt the provincial order, restoring the two permits, until the lawsuit is tested in court.

“It’s absolutely critical,” Roy said during a hearing to review the motion last week. “This decision just does not show any transparent or justifiable line of reasoning.”

King’s Bench Justice Brian Bowman oversaw the two-hour court appearance, ultimately dismissing the injunction request.

Lawyers James Wall and Joseph Langan, representing the province, argued Lazy Bear’s potential financial losses can be calculated and do not meet the legal standards of “irreparable harm.”

Bowman agreed, finding although “there is no question that Lazy Bear has been affected by the decision,” its losses can be recovered via damages, should Daudrich win his lawsuit.

The defendants include the Government of Manitoba, minister of natural resources and the director of the province’s wildlife branch.

The case will continue May 12, when the parties meet again for another hearing.

In the interim, Lazy Bear has already booked about 75 per cent of its tours ahead of the summer season, Roy said.

The government sent a letter to Daudrich in February, saying it was reducing the number of off-road vehicle tour permits to 18 from 20 in the coastal plain of the Churchill Wildlife Management Area.

That region is lucrative for tourism companies because it has a large wildlife population and little human interference, Roy said.

Lazy Bear can still operate with four permits that allow it to drive in other areas near Churchill, but Roy said those spaces have fewer polar bears and are less attractive to tourists.

The government attributed the reduced number of permits to environmental concerns, but Daudrich previously alleged the NDP government was “weaponizing the bureaucracy” due to his ongoing campaign to become leader of the opposition party.

The provincial government has denied that claim.

The Tories will select a new leader at the Radisson Hotel in downtown Winnipeg Saturday; the winner is expected to be announced at about 5 p.m. The deadline for party members to vote was Tuesday.

Daudrich is running against Fort Whyte MLA Obby Khan.

The province declined to comment on the ongoing litigation Wednesday.

Roy did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

tyler.searle@freepress.mb.ca