Galpin to face appeal

Centretown business owner Brian Karam, whose lawsuit against activist Albert Galpin was thrown out of court in May, has filed an appeal, according to Galpin.

Karam, president of Bytown Investments, has appealed the decision to the Ontario Appeal Court in his lawsuit against Galpin, the activist wrote in an email Thursday afternoon.

Between 2004 and 2009 Galpin said he lobbied against the Gilmour Street parole office, which is located in a building owned by Karam.

Galpin opposed the parole office, he said, because it is close to Elgin Street Public School. According to Galpin, this violates Corrections Canada policy.

Galpin said he filed about a dozen access to information requests during the period, which he said he was instructed to do by Corrections Canada.

In 2009, Karam sued Albert Galpin for $3.8 million for economic interference and excessive access to information requests.

On May 5, Justice Robert Beaudoin threw the lawsuit out without trial. Beaudoin ruled private citizens have the right to lobby against the government and the businesses it deals with.

Galpin said the appeal will be heard in December.