Lawsuit claims Western Canada Theatre fired artistic director without cause, refused to provide required severance

Former Western Canada Theatre (WCT) artistic director James MacDonald is suing the company for wrongful dismissal, alleging he was denied over $67,000 in severance pay when he was fired in January 2025. MacDonald claims he was terminated “without just cause and without notice,” breaching his employment contract which stipulated one month’s salary per year of service. The lawsuit further accuses WCT of acting in bad faith, citing a personal grudge held by board president Chrystie Stewart as a contributing factor to his dismissal.

MacDonald alleges the theatre misrepresented the reasons for his firing and refused to provide a letter of reference, instead offering him the option to resign only if he signed a non-disclosure agreement. He claims the manner of his dismissal has negatively impacted his job search and caused him emotional distress, including anxiety, insomnia, and depression.

MacDonald is seeking general, aggravated, and punitive damages, as well as special damages, interest, and costs. WCT has declined to comment, and the allegations remain unproven in court. Theatre representatives have three weeks to respond to the claim.

(Source：Castanet)