Was Tim Hortmen promised a boat by all Canadian people? This Ottawa man thinks like this

Michelle Level is a loyal Tim Hortmen customer.

The Ottawa man says that he seizes two or three times a day for his big double-dobbal, and he always participates in “Roll up the Rim to Win”-annual promotion that gives customers an opportunity to win prizes from donut to all inclusive holidays.

So when Level became one of the thousands of Canadians across the country last year, who was told in an email, he could not believe it, he won 2024 Targa 18 WT boats and trailers.

“(There) there were tears of happiness,” he said. “And then there were tears of deception.”

Victory was a mistake. Tim Hortmen reached its customers by email, faulty “Technical errors.”

Montreal-based legal firm LPC avocates Then started a class-action case, arguing that thousands of affected customers should be awarded the price of boat and trailer or award-almost $ 64,000, the firm is estimated.

He intended to represent all Canadians. In June 2025, a judge ruled that the case could proceed – but only for Quebec residents, because the consumer protection laws in that province are strong.

Level said that he would be happy for any customer who can get justice, but Tim Hortmen should be attributed to all those who received information.

“If you buy a coffee at Cubek (of the Ottawa River), and then you roll the rim and win in Ontario, whatever you are, whatever,” he said, seeing that he often stops for coffee in Gatinue, Q.

Ontario law ‘not as strong’

Leviles and his wife want to fight the case outside Quebec, but can create a risky effort to take the differences in consumer protection laws.

LPC avocatesThe legal argument was that Tim Hortmen and his customers enter a contract through roll up to roll up. The customer buys something, and Tim Hortmen gives them a chance to win, Joy Zukaran explained, who owns the firm.

Under Queback Consumer Protection ActA company cannot claim that there was some “mistake” because they were protected to get out of the contract, Zukran said.

“This is not a consumer who is going to bear the responsibility of the error,” Zukran said. “It is a businessman. And the message is that the court is sending loud and clearly through this decision.”

Because his argument was based on the law of Quebec, the judge ruled that it could not be implemented at the national level, Zucran explained. Based on his team’s research, Zukran said that he believes that “the question of error” is not as clear in the rest of the Canada as it is in Quebec.

Quebec is the best consumer law in Canada as it is regularly updated, according to Gills Levassur, Professor of the University of Ottawa.

He said, “The law in Ontario is not as strong (because) the way we do things, if there is a crisis, we will add it,” he said.

Consumer protection laws should be standard across the country, Levasura argued that it would become rapidly important because trade obstacles between the provinces are removed.

“The way we do things in Ontario (about) the tragic part (about) would like to see these real measures of consumer safety more,” he said.

‘We are going to do something about it’

Lavile agrees that the same rules should be applicable in Canada.

For him, the case is about keeping a large corporation for his word, he must have won life changing money after learning from the customers who passed through an emotional roller coaster.

He has reached some other customers, hoping to work together, including a woman in Cornwal, Onts, who said that the boat could pay money from her house.

“These big boys do not care about good old Canadians who get up in the morning (and) go to work,” he said. “We are just regular citizens, we are not a lawyer … but we are on a role. We are going to do something about it.”

Levile and his wife are also contacting lawyers in Ontario, but they have only heard back to the person who is interested in the case.

Zukaran said that he has heard from some people who have told him that other lawyers are not ready to take risks. LPC avocates On the shoulder – that is, on a square action suit to spend time and resources that will only pay to lawyers if they win.

Nevertheless, any customer outside Quebec who realizes that he has a case, a lawyer should try to find, he recommended – paying attention to $ 64,000 per person “not a small claim.”

Zukaran said, “One of the things I love about my job is that we see big, strong, big, rich corporations as a lucrative vs. small men.”

“And what did Tim Hortmen do in this position? He did not even give his customers a free coffee.”

The CBC reached Tim Hortmen for comment, but refused as the matter is still in court.