Calgary company sues Buffalo Party, two candidates for breach of contract

The Buffalo Party of Saskatchewan and two of its candidates in the upcoming provincial election — including party leader Wade Sira — are being sued by a Calgary company for breach of contract.

In a media release, the Progressive Group for Independent Business (PGIB) said it had launched lawsuits against the party, Sira and Constance Maffenbeier.

Statements of claim attached to the release show the suits were filed Tuesday by a Calgary law firm in the Provincial Court of Alberta.

In one of the lawsuits, the company is seeking $20,000 plus interest and costs from the Buffalo Party and Maffenbeier, the fledgling party’s candidate in the Humboldt-Watrous riding for the Oct. 26 election.

In the other lawsuit, PGIB is seeking $20,000 plus interest and costs from the party and Sira, who’s running in the Martensville-Warman constituency.

The statements of claim say in September, the firm provided services — including such things as graphic design, website construction, social media promotion and drafting of literature — to the two candidates after they each agreed to pay the company $26,250 by Oct. 1.

The lawsuits allege the company was paid $5,000 by each person on Sept. 22, but claim the defendants breached the contract Oct. 1 by refusing to pay the balance.

The statements of claim say the company is seeking “the outstanding amount of $21,250 in breach of contract and loss of opportunity plus costs and interest.”

Sira responded to a 980 CJME request for comment, saying they didn’t breach any contract.

“We were going to hire the company to manage the campaign, as (its operator) promised to do,” Sira said. “He failed to deliver on deliverables in a timely date so we terminated it because he didn’t hold up his end of the contract.”

Sira added the Buffalo Party will be filing a formal countersuit against the company.

“We have no problem defending our position in court,” Sira said. “This is just a civil allegation.”

The statements of claim contain allegations not yet proven in court.