Real estate board hits back at Wellness program dissidents

by Shane Dingman

Legal filings in a civil court case related to the controversial Ontario Realtor Wellness Program insurance plan allege one of the country’s largest real estate boards is attempting to use litigation to silence protests.

“TRREB [Toronto Regional Real Estate Board] now brings this lawsuit to silence dissent and to intimidate the defendants and other realtors in Ontario. In reality, this claim is a political dispute disguised as a tort claim, and bears all the hallmarks of strategic litigation against public participation (SLAPP),” reads a March 29 statement of defence filed by lawyers for Sandra Mary Maher and Penny Dutkowski, two realtors who opposed the imposition of the ORWP plan.

In June, 2023, the Ontario Real Estate Association passed changes to its insurance and benefits plan that would force the association’s almost 100,000 realtors to pay increased dues to cover so-called “wellness” programs. The move sparked outrage among some realtors.

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