Glen Tymchuck fulfilled his lifelong dream of opening Hogtown Smoke on Colborne Street in Toronto in 2017, only to face a series of challenges that turned his dream into a nightmare.
Unexpected construction by the City of Toronto outside the restaurant in 2019 led to a 10-foot hole appearing right outside the front entrance after four months of work. This emergency sewer repair caused water shutoffs and significant financial losses for the restaurant.
The COVID-19 pandemic further devastated the already struggling business, forcing it to close its doors. Tymchuck, who had invested his life savings into the restaurant, faced additional hardships when trying to claim his losses with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA).
Despite claiming losses of nearly $1.5 million, Tymchuck was denied compensation by the CRA for various reasons, including doubts about the business’s closure status and Canadian credentials, as well as missing loan documents from shareholders.
Challenging the decision, Tymchuck is taking the CRA to court, determined to fight for what he believes is rightfully his, even though the lawsuit is scheduled for 2027 due to a backlog in the legal system.