MOOSE JAW — A Moose Jaw health provider alleges in a court document that he has suffered financial losses, reputational harm and a damaged social standing because of “negligent” reporting by CBC.
Dr. Dayan Goodenowe, whose corporation Lakeview Regional Wellness Centre Inc. operates the Restorative Health Centre in Moose Jaw, announced in mid-August that he was filing a defamation lawsuit against the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) and reporter Geoff Leo over an article about the provider’s services.
Goodenowe and Lakeview Regional Wellness Centre are referred to as the plaintiffs in the statement of claim. The plaintiffs allege they have suffered reputational harm, direct financial loss and damage to their social standing, including lenders refusing credit and clients withdrawing. Losses are ongoing, they state in the claim, with details to be provided at trial.
The remedies sought include general damages, removal of the articles, a prohibition on Leo or CBC publishing further articles, pre-judgment interest, costs on a solicitor-client basis, and other relief the court may allow.
It is not yet known whether CBC has filed a statement of defence.
Goodenowe’s statement of claim lays out the timeline of his interactions with Leo before the article’s publication, the article itself, the uploading of a related 17-minute video, and another story by Leo containing comments from the Opposition NDP and ALS Society of Saskatchewan.
The claim says Goodenowe’s lawyers emailed the executive director of ALS Saskatchewan, demanding a retraction and clarification of “defamatory statements” made to CBC, but no retraction or clarification has been issued.
His lawyers also emailed CBC and its ombudsman demanding an editorial review, citing CBC’s standards of fairness, balance and accuracy, the claim said.
The statement of claim also says Leo’s article contained “highly inflammatory and factually misleading statements,” such as alleging that Goodenowe misled vulnerable ALS patients, sold “false hope” for profit, exploited terminal patients, and operated “without oversight.”
The claim says Goodenowe’s lawyers also asked CBC to allow him to publish an op-ed in rebuttal, but the broadcaster refused.
The statement of claim alleged the articles harmed the plaintiffs’ reputations and were republished on platforms such as Reddit and other media outlets, “causing them to be viewed negatively by the community and potential clientele.”
It also alleged the claims were “without merit” and “blatantly false,” despite efforts by the plaintiffs to market their services responsibly. The document stated that the Restorative Health Centre operates with oversight and complies with governing legislation.
“Mr. Leo was negligent in not verifying the information as being accurate … (or having) editorial balance,” the claim said, adding that the reporting omitted context and misled readers.
