Quebec Class Action Administration Plan
This page provides a summary of the key elements of the Plan of arrangement and the Quebec Class Action Administration Plan (hereafter “Quebec Administration Plan”). The Quebec Administration Plan contained in the Plan of Arrangement sets out the process by which Quebec tobacco victims, their heirs and the heirs of their heirs may submit a claim for compensation pursuant to the judgment rendered in the CQTS-Blais class action file by the Honourable Justice Brian Riordan in 2015 and the judgment of the Court of Appeal in March 2019.
Plan Approved by the Ontario Superior Court
On March 6, 2025, the Ontario Superior Court approved the Plan of Arrangement, which provides, among other things, for the compensation of class members of the CQTS-Blais class action through the Québec Administration Plan.
In his judgment, Judge Geoffrey B. Morawetz addressed the tobacco victims and emphasized the importance of this plan for them:
“The Claimants, who wil be receiving meaningful compensation as a result of the sanctioning of the CCAA Plans, have waited long enough. Litigation was commenced in 1998. Judgment was obtained in 2015 and confirmed on appellate review in 2019. The CCAA Proceedings were commenced in 2019 and are before this court today to be sanctioned. Thousands of Claimants have sadly passed away during this period. The QCAPs and the PCCs have waited long enough to receive compensation. The wait, for many, has been intolerable. That wait ends today.” (paragraph 172.)
The Quebec Administration Plan can’t be implemented yet.
The start date of the claims period will be determined in the coming weeks following several administrative steps.
Substantial amounts to benefit victims
According to the Quebec Plan of Arrangement and Plan of Administration, tobacco companies will pay $4,119 billion to compensate tobacco victims, their heirs and the heirs of heirs in the CQTS-Blais class action.
The financial compensation provided for in the CCAA Plan is as follows:
IMPORTANT : In the event that the $4,119 billion is insufficient to pay the maximum compensations to those with valid claims, compensations will be adjusted downwards on a pro rata basis.
No proof of diagnosis required to submit a claim!
Members of the CQTS-Blais Class Action have a substantial advantage under the Quebec Plan of Administration: information on members’ diagnoses will be obtained from Quebec Cancer Registry or MED-ECHO. Thus, except in certain cases, class members will not need to obtain proof of diagnosis to submit a claim.
To enable this verification with the Quebec Cancer Registry or MED-ECHO, claimants will be required to:
- Provide the tobacco victim’s health insurance number.
- Authorize Proactio, class counsel and the claims administrator to obtain diagnostic information on their behalf.
Proof of diagnosis will only be required if it cannot be confirmed by the Quebec Cancer Registry or MED-ECHO. In this case, you will receive a notice from the claims administrator and Proactio will be able to direct you to the right resources to obtain the relevant medical records.
If you represent the estate of a tobacco victim and you don’t have the victim’s health insurance number (“HIN”), there’s no rush to apply to RAMQ. Our lawyers are working on a solution to help you obtain the health insurance number.
No deadlines for submitting a claim yet
The start date of the claims period will be determined in the coming weeks following several administrative steps. It is therefore not yet time to claim.
In the meantime, do not waste any time and start preparing your claim file. Proactio will contact registered individuals to help them identify the information and documents they need to provide.