Winners of Afghan war memorial design competition claim they were 'cheated' by Ottawa, threaten legal action

Architect Renée Daoust and her team say they're considering a lawsuit to get what they argue is rightfully theirs: the $3.5 million contract to design and build a monument in Ottawa to commemorate Canada's mission in Afghanistan.

Last June, Daoust and her team learned that they had won the jury-based competition but would not be getting the contract to build the monument.

Since then, the team has worked on winning support in the cultural sector, done rounds of media interviews, appeared before a parliamentary committee and tried to put pressure on the government.

One member of the team, former Supreme Court justice Louise Arbour, even raised the topic directly with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during a private phone call.

Now, the Daoust team is looking at taking Ottawa to court, either to obtain the contract or to receive more in compensation than the $34,200 the federal government offered it last year.

«This is not the route that we wanted to take. We might be taking a look at it again because it's taking so much time,» Daoust said in an interview at the Montreal offices of Daoust Lestage Lizotte Stecker.

«There is a great number of people who were cheated as part of this project.»

While she acknowledges a legal battle with the federal government would be «David against Goliath,» Daoust said her company may have no other option because Ottawa is refusing to enter into any meaningful dialogue.

Daoust said she is seeking justice for her team — Arbour and artist Luca Fortin — because the contracting process was influenced by politics.

«We're very concerned because it does create a precedent, a very dangerous precedent for Canada in terms of competitions, public art competitions, architectural competitions and so on,» she said.