Efforts to Help Eyecare Professionals Leverage the Value of the Internet to Continue After Ruling in Québec Litigation
VANCOUVER, B.C., January 6, 2015 – Since a change in ownership earlier this year, ClearlyContacts.ca, Canada’s leading online provider of glasses and contacts, has been working tirelessly to build stronger relationships with the independent eyecare professionals (ECPs) in Canada and to look for ways that ECPs (primarily Optometrists and Opticians) can leverage the value of the Internet in their businesses. However, a lawsuit previously initiated by the Ordre des Optométristes du Québec (OOQ) has made those efforts more challenging. In the lawsuit, the OOQ asked the Court to determine whether the laws of Québec prohibit ClearlyContacts.ca’s online sales into Québec. On December 3, 2014, the Québec Superior Court ruled that the laws of Quebec do not prohibit ClearlyContacts.ca’s sales into Québec.
“We are satisfied with the Court’s ruling and believe that the law was properly applied,” said Roy Hessel, CEO, ClearlyContacts.ca. “However, frankly, the lawsuit has not been the focus of our efforts since the change in ownership earlier this year. Rather, we have been focused on emphasizing the importance of an eye exam through a qualified eyecare professional and on eye health. Good vision and good eye health start with the ECP, and we want consumers to understand that important message. ”
ClearlyContacts.ca has initiated several meetings and conversations with ECP representatives in Canada, including among others the Opticians Association of Canada and Canadian Association of Optometrists and is working diligently with those representatives on a number of key objectives.
“We are focused on offering opportunities for ECPs to incorporate the Internet into their practices, utilizing an omni-channel approach to business, to increase satisfaction and access to good vision, all the while focusing on good eye health and consumer safety,” added Hessel. “The Internet has made many products and services more available to consumers the world over, and consumers in Canada have shown their support for online eyewear sales for certain segments of products. We are looking forward to working with Canadian ECPs to address this demand. After the Court’s recent ruling, we hope that the Québec litigation will no longer be a hindrance to these efforts and we look forward to working with the OOQ to resolve any remaining legal issues so that we can offer the same opportunities to Québec ECPs.”
