2026 trial date set for $2.4M lawsuit over unpaid runway lights at Stephenville airport

Rob Antle · CBC News

· Posted: May 01, 2025 11:21 AM EDT | Last Updated: 1 hr ago

A $2.4-million suit against the numbered institution that owns Stephenville Dymond International Airport is scheduled to spell to proceedings adjacent year.

In 2024, Tristar Electric sued 15132738 Canada Inc., alleging it hadn't been paid for enactment to instal a runway lighting system.

Ottawa businessman Carl Dymond is sole manager of that numbered company.

In March, the airport's lawyers got support to retreat from the case, aft saying they had invested "significant clip and resources" but hadn't been paid.

No 1 from the institution showed up astatine court.

At the time, the justice said helium wanted to springiness Dymond clip to find a caller lawyer, and pushed proceedings a mates of months down the line.

The lawsuit was backmost astatine Newfoundland and Labrador Supreme Court connected Thursday morning. The airdrome was erstwhile again a no-show.

Tristar lawyer Sean Pittman said a workfellow had spoken with Dymond connected April 22 and helium was alert of the proceedings, but didn't springiness immoderate denotation helium would appear.

Tristar's claims person yet to beryllium tested successful court. The airdrome has not yet filed a connection of defence.

Justice Trina Simms acceptable a one-day proceedings for March 20, 2026.

The beleaguered airdrome and its proprietor are facing an array of financial, legal, and operational challenges.

In 2021, Dymond announced plans to put hundreds of millions successful private-sector currency into the moribund operation, creating thousands of jobs.

• CBC INVESTIGATES | He has a $500M program for an N.L. airport. But his companies and finances person faced turbulence

The acquisition went done successful 2023. But Dymond's ambitious plans person yet to go a reality.

Instead, the airdrome has since faced a bid of setbacks.

Dymond personally mislaid a default judgement of astir $2 cardinal to a lottery victor who helped concern the deal.

The airdrome owes astir fractional a cardinal successful spot taxes to the town.

• Saskatchewan capitalist wins $2M judgement against Stephenville airdrome proprietor Carl Dymond
• New Stephenville airdrome proprietor inactive hasn't paid immoderate spot tax, measure grows to $500K
• Stephenville's airdrome is nary longer an airport

And earlier this year, the airdrome had its operational presumption downgraded to "registered aerodrome" — astatine slightest for the clip being.

Registered aerodromes are not taxable to ongoing inspection by Transport Canada, but are alternatively inspected periodically to verify compliance with regulations.

In a connection to CBC News successful March, Dymond cited "improper enactment coating connected the runway and taxiways" for the alteration successful classification. He said a contractor has been hired to hole the problem, and that enactment is expected to commencement successful May.

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