Legal settlement near for City of London, Westmount reptile zoo: lawyer
CBC
A legal battle between the City of London and Reptilia — a company that operates three reptile zoos in Ontario, including one at Westmount Shopping Centre — could be coming to an end, a lawyer for the zoo says.
Michael Lerner, Reptilia's lawyer, said he feels a sense of "cautious optimism" about an agreement in principle that has yet to be formalized between the city and the zoo operator.
The legal dispute has been ongoing since Reptilia opened its Westmount location in southwest London last year, after city council's vote to disallow it.
In what then appeared to be the culmination of a five-year ordeal that spanned two council terms and multiple debates, councillors voted 9-6 last February against amending local laws to make room for the zoo. That council meeting included public participation that drew animal activists who had concerns over safety and animal well-being.
At the time, city staff argued Reptilia was not allowed to operate under a bylaw that prohibited keeping exotic animals in captivity.
City politicians who did want to amend the bylaw, including Coun. Paul Van Meerbegen whose ward includes Westmount mall, said they trusted Reptilia's track record, and saw the zoo as a potential tourist draw.
On Friday, Lerner said "there is an exemption for facilities that are provincially licensed and operated as a private zoo, and .... [Reptilia is] a private zoo."
In line with Lerner's argument, a lawyer for McCor Management, the Toronto-based firm that manages Westmount Shopping Centre, told CBC in 2022 that he believed Reptilia can operate in the city because its provincial licence trumps city bylaws.
The matter is expected to be back in court on April 26, Lerner said, noting he hopes details will be finalized and confirmed at that point.
The terms of the settlement are unclear as of yet.
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