On June 13, 2025—five days after service of the Statement of Claim—the Ottawa Police Services Board, Steven Desjourdy, Melburn White, Christopher Tessier, and Cedric Nizman served a Notice of Intent to Defend, formally confirming their intention to defend the action.

Their counsel requested additional time to respond to the claim—a discretionary extension known in civil procedure as an indulgence—which we promptly granted in good faith.

By operation of the Rules of Civil Procedure, a Notice of Intent to Defend adds 10 days to the standard 20-day deadline for delivery of a Statement of Defence. Because the 10th day fell on a weekend, two additional days were permitted under the Rules. Beyond that, we voluntarily extended their timeline by an additional week in the interest of procedural fairness, professional courtesy, and institutional responsibility.