Bill Boyd settles GTH case against the CBC

It took mediation but, Bill Boyd has reached a resolution in his case against the CBC.

The lawsuit was launched in February 2016 after the publication of two articles about the Global Transportation Hub (GTH) and a controversial $21 million land sale.

The former cabinet minister was chair of the GTH at the time.

“The CBC reported on a matter of public interest. We regret if Mr. Boyd or anyone else believed that the CBC was implying criminality or illegal conduct on the part of Mr. Boyd. That was not the case,” said David Hutton, CBC Saskatchewan’s Managing Editor, in a news release.

Boyd did not accept money as part of the settlement.

“For me, this was never about the money,” Boyd said. “This was about defending my reputation.”

In his lawsuit at the time, Boyd stated those stories were misleading and alleged the Kindersley MLA acted unlawfully.

“The Defendants’ allegations in the stories were untrue, misleading and incorrect, and were intended to convey, and did convey by the plain meaning of the words and by innuendo, that Boyd had committed or was involved in unlawful conduct.”

Controversy continues to surround the government’s GTH land transactions. An investigation by the RCMP is currently in the hands of prosecutions branch in Manitoba. A decision on whether to lay charges hasn’t been made.