OTTAWA — A settlement has been reached in a case that pitted many Ottawa parents against foodies who think restaurants should be out of bounds to young children.

And though details of the settlement are secret because of a signed agreement forbidding disclosure, one thing is certain: parents and their children are the victors as a result of Ruth Gard’s human rights complaint against Taylor’s Genuine Wine and Food Bar in Old Ottawa South. Taylor’s now says kids are OK if parents want to bring them along.

The complaint was filed after the trendy establishment at Bank Street and Sunnyside Avenue made it clear that a party of five adults, including Gard and her two sisters, were not welcome if they brought along Gard’s three-month-old son, Jackson.

The story, first reported by The Public Citizen on June 30, 2010, went viral across much of Canada. It was much-debated on radio talk shows in Ottawa and other cities, and resulted in thousands of comments on various websites. When CTV converged on Gard’s home and tried to make contact with the other two sisters, one of the siblings had some choice words for me. I assumed they were OK with more publicity (even though they were being ripped apart on social media by those who believe a baby’s place is in the playpen) and had told other reporters how to find them.

The controversy began when Gard’s sister, Trieste Rathwell, booked a table at the then-newly opened Taylor’s. Rathwell, a fan of John and Sylvia Taylor’s other restaurant, the Domus Café in the ByWard Market, was thrilled that she would be celebrating her birthday at their new digs on June 24.

But then she ran into Sylvia Taylor, who turned out to a party-pooper after Rathwell explained that her baby nephew was coming, too, and requested a sixth chair be set aside for his car seat.

Taylor’s reaction left Rathwell “dumbstruck.” She said Taylor told her that having an infant in the restaurant would not help the atmosphere she and her husband were trying to create. “‘We don’t want children, here. ... We don’t want that kind of environment,’” said Taylor, according to Rathwell.

Rathwell’s other sister, Joey, called Taylor’s to give her two cents’ worth. She was told by an employee that though they wouldn’t be asked to leave, there were reasons why Jackson wasn’t welcome. What if Ruth had to nurse him? How inappropriate would that be? (Ontario’s human rights code says children can be breastfed in public places such as restaurants.) She was also told the men’s and women’s washrooms lacked change tables.

When The Public Citizen spoke with Sylvia Taylor, she said the establishment was “an adult place,” except for Sunday brunches. There was no space for strollers, she said, and because Taylor’s included a wine bar, people would be drinking.

“We felt for everyone’s comfort, it would better for the opening if we started with that policy.”

Gard filed a discrimination complaint with the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario.

Taylor’s avoided going before the tribunal by resolving the complaint through mediation last February. A spokeswoman for the tribunal says files resolved through mediation only indicate a settlement was reached and do not provide details.