Lawyers leading a class action lawsuit against the Ontario government over the early cancellation of a pilot basic income project will be in Brantford next week.

Stephen Moreau and Kaley Duff, of Cavalluzzo LLP, of Toronto, will be at the Brantford and District Labour Centre, 1100 Clarence St S., on Dec. 5 from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

“This is an opportunity for people in Brantford-Brant to learn more about the class action and how it might impact them,” Moreau said. “We know that there were people from Brantford who were part of the pilot project but we don’t know how many.”

Launched by the former provincial Liberal government in April 2017, the three-year pilot project sought to provide a guaranteed annual income to participants in Hamilton, which included Brantford and Brant County residents,, Thunder Bay and Lindsay. Single participants received up to $16,989 a year, while couples received up to $24,027, less 50 per cent of any earned income.

It’s believed about 1,000 people in Hamilton and Brantford-Brant were part of the pilot project.

The project sought to determine if providing a guaranteed annual income would help lift people out of poverty and off social assistance. However, it was cancelled by the Conservative government elected in June 2018.

Then-social services minister Lisa MacLeod said the project was expensive and wasn’t meeting its purpose. Instead, she said the government would work to get people back into the workforce.

However, anti-poverty groups called the government’s decision to cancel the project disappointing and said they were looking forward to seeing its results.

In Brantford- Brant, officials said there were a small number of Ontario Works recipients who had moved to the basic income pilot program.

Following the project’s cancellation, four Lindsay residents filed a class action against the government. Cavalluzzo LLP then became in involved in the case as the lead law firm.

In a statement of claim filed earlier this year, the lawyers say the early termination of the basic income payments amount to a breach of contract and negligence, among other things. And, according to the statement of claim, people who were receiving payments will suffer damages as a result of the project’s cancellation.

“This is a case of a promise being made but not being kept,” Moreau said. “People enrolled in the program were required to do certain things include disclosing personal information, taking part in surveys and give up social assistance.

“In exchange, they would receive payments through this program.”

Court dates in the lawsuit have been set for June 24-25 in Lindsay.

For more information about the class action visit www.cavalluzzo.com/basicincomeclassaction .