Class-action settlements Canadians could cash in on this year
There are several class-action settlements Canadians may be eligible for, and with deadlines fast approaching, make sure you don’t miss out.
Three settlements have deadlines coming up in October. These settlements cover issues including racial discrimination in the Canadian Armed Forces, a listeria outbreak linked to the recall of plant-based milk, and mutual fund fees paid to discount brokers.
If you meet the criteria, you could potentially receive up to thousands of dollars in compensation, so here are the upcoming deadlines to keep on your radar.
Canadian Armed Forces settlement
Bumble Dee/Shutterstock
Deadline: Oct. 15, 2026
In January 2025, the Federal Court certified a class action and approved a settlement for current or former CAF members who faced racial discrimination or racial harassment during their military service.
The claims period for the $150-million settlement opened on Oct. 15, 2025, and will close exactly a year later on Oct. 15, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. PST.
The settlement covers anyone who has been or is currently enrolled as a CAF member starting from April 17, 1985, up to and including the settlement approval date of January 2025, who asserts that they have been subjected to racial discrimination and/or harassment.
The amount depends on the duration and severity of your experience during your military service, and ranges between $5,000 and $35,000.
For more information, visit the settlement website.
Plant-based milk recall settlement
PJ McDonnell/Shutterstock
Deadline: Oct. 16, 2026
A $7.5-million settlement was reached in a class-action lawsuit in Canada last year following a deadly listeria outbreak linked to contaminated plant-based beverages. The outbreak led to 15 hospitalizations and three deaths nationwide.
LPC Avocats filed the lawsuit on behalf of all Canadians who purchased or ingested Silk Canada or Great Value products that were part of the recall that was first announced on July 8, 2024. The lawsuit was filed against Danone Canada, Walmart Canada, and Intact Insurance Company.
The compensation depends on the severity of the injury:
- If you experienced symptoms that lasted up to 48 hours, you may be eligible for $400
- If you had symptoms that lasted more than 48 hours and up to one week, you may be eligible for $1,500
- If you had symptoms that lasted longer than a week and didn’t require hospitalization, you may be eligible for $7,000
- If you were hospitalized for more than a week and didn’t develop complications or permanent symptoms, you may qualify for at least $10,000 to a maximum of $30,000
- If you had symptoms that lasted more than one week, were hospitalized, and developed severe complications or permanent symptoms, you could receive a maximum of $150,000
- If the illness resulted in the death of a loved one, eligible claimants could receive compensation of up to $300,000
You must provide supporting documentation and file a claim by Oct. 16, 2026. For more information, visit the settlement website.
CIBC Mutual Funds and Renaissance Mutual Funds settlement
ACHPF/Shutterstock
Deadline: Oct. 21, 2026
Eligible Canadians can claim part of a $26-million settlement in the class-action lawsuit regarding CIBC and Renaissance Mutual Funds.
The settlement will resolve a class action lawsuit against mutual fund trustees and managers, challenging the trailing commissions they paid to discount brokers on mutual funds under their management. Trailing commissions or trailer fees are paid to fund dealers who advise investors; however, these commissions were also paid to discount brokers who aren’t allowed to provide investment advice.
Discount brokers, which mainly operate online, include BMO InvestorLine, TD Direct Investing, RBC Direct Investing, CIBC Investor’s Edge, Scotia iTRADE, and National Bank Direct Brokerage.
Canadians are eligible if they held or hold units of a CIBC Mutual Fund trust or a Renaissance Mutual Fund trust through a discount broker from Sept. 18, 2003, to Jan. 25, 2024.
The deadline to file a claim for compensation is Oct. 21, 2026. Visit the settlement website for details.
With files from Isabelle Docto