A Prince Edward Island farmer has settled a lawsuit against the Canada Revenue Agency stemming from a 2016 fish kill that led to years of legal proceedings and allegations that his tax information was improperly disclosed.
Alex Docherty was charged in 2018 in connection with the fish kill in Clyde River, which occurred two years earlier. He won the initial case after it was found investigators did not have a search warrant to collect soil samples from his property, and he subsequently won two separate appeals.
Docherty, his son Logan, and their company Skye View Farms, based in Elmwood, had been the subject of an environmental investigation following the fish kill. After the courts repeatedly ruled in his favour, the family filed a lawsuit in Federal Court alleging that government employees broke the law in handling their personal and corporate tax information.
Allegations Against the CRA
Docherty alleged the CRA had shared his and his son’s tax records with an environmental officer, who passed them on to the Crown lawyer prosecuting his case. He said the information was also given to an auditor to assess a potential fine, despite the fact that he had not yet been found guilty or even appeared in court on the charge.
Docherty claimed the CRA was only permitted to share such tax information if a person had been charged with a criminal offence, which he said was not the case for him. He sought $450,000 in the lawsuit.
Court records show the case was dismissed in January 2026 with the consent of all parties, and no costs were awarded. Docherty said he is unable to disclose the terms of the settlement, and noted the CRA did not admit to any wrongdoing in court.
In a statement to CBC News, the CRA said it could not comment on the matter, citing confidentiality provisions in the laws it administers that prevent it from disclosing taxpayer information.
Calling for Clarity From Lawmakers
Docherty said he is now looking to members of Parliament, including Prince Edward Island’s four MPs, to address the issue. He said he would like to see greater clarity and, if necessary, changes to the law to prevent others from experiencing what he went through.
He described the outcome as significant not just for his own family but for farmers across the country, saying he does not believe farmers are deliberately trying to harm the environment and that common sense should be applied in such cases.
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