A former candidate for the leadership of the Manitoba Progressive Conservative Party is taking legal action against the province, two wildlife officials, and three NDP cabinet ministers for obstructing his ecotourism business from using offroad vehicles to view polar bears to the east of Churchill. Lazy Bear Expeditions, owned by Wally Daudrich, filed a claim on Dec. 22 in Manitoba’s Court of King’s Bench, seeking the declaration of entitlement to two offroad vehicle permits and requesting the province to issue those permits.
Daudrich alleges that officials involved in the decision not to renew Lazy Bear’s permits in 2025 engaged in various misconduct, including misfeasance, negligence, bad faith, conspiracy, unlawful conduct, economic interference, and discrimination based on political orientation. The lawsuit names the responsible NDP ministers without specifying their identities, along with the director of the wildlife branch and conservation officer Ian Van Nest as defendants.
According to Daudrich, the defendants were aware or reckless regarding the impact of their actions, which he claims would devastate his business, disrupt longstanding contracts with international tour operators, and result in significant financial losses. This legal action is the latest in a series initiated by Daudrich since February 27, 2025, when the province informed Lazy Bear that it could not operate offroad polar bear viewing vehicles in the Churchill Wildlife Management Area for the 2025-26 season.
In the new claim, Daudrich asserts that the province withheld permits from Lazy Bear to safeguard the dominant market position of its competitors, Frontiers North Adventures and Great White Bear Tours, which collectively hold 18 offroad permits. He alleges collusion between the province and the competitors to undermine Lazy Bear’s competitive standing in the polar bear viewing tours market.
Daudrich further contends that the province targeted him unjustly, including for his political beliefs and candidacy for the PC leadership, as well as making false accusations about the acquisition of permits through inappropriate means. In addition to seeking permit renewals, Daudrich is pursuing compensation for financial losses, contract disruptions, market share erosion, vehicle expenses, and reputational damage.
The claims made in the lawsuit have not been proven in court, and no defense statement has been submitted. The provincial public service declined to comment on behalf of the wildlife branch director and conservation officer Van Nest, citing the ongoing legal proceedings. A government spokesperson also refrained from commenting on behalf of the cabinet ministers named as defendants, emphasizing that the government awaits the court’s decision on the judicial review request.
Daudrich, who aims to run as the PC candidate in Turtle Mountain in the next provincial election, remains steadfast in his legal battle to restore his company’s operations and seek redress for the alleged injustices.