Proclaiming the Class Proceedings Amendment Act

Further to our email alert on November 2, 2010, the Government of Alberta on February 3, 2011 proclaimed changes to the Class Proceedings Amendment Act, 2010 to become effective March 1, 2011.

As previously reported, these amendments will make it easier to conduct class actions, with Alberta becoming an “opt-out” province, like Ontario. Previously, class actions with potential class members in more than one province would typically be commenced in Ontario, because of case law in Ontario which permitted "opt-out" class actions, thus facilitating class actions with potential members in other provinces.