Toronto restaurateur Glen Tymchuck sues Canada Revenue Agency over $1.5 million loss claim

Glen Tymchuck opened the Hogtown Smoke restaurant on Colborne Street in Toronto in 2017. In 2019 the City of Toronto began unexpected construction that led to emergency sewer repairs, water shut‑offs and a deep hole outside the entrance, causing the business to lose thousands of dollars.

The COVID‑19 pandemic forced the already weakened restaurant to close permanently. Tymchuck claimed almost $1.5 million in losses to the Canada Revenue Agency, but the agency denied the claim, citing missing financial documents, questions about the business’s status and the absence of shareholder loan records. Tymchuck argues that small businesses do not keep such ledgers and that the denial is unfair.

He has filed a lawsuit against the CRA, seeking to have his losses recognized and to set a precedent for other small‑business owners. Due to a backlog in the Canadian courts, the case is not expected to be heard until 2027.