OTTAWA — A dairy farmer who didn’t show up for an OMAFRA appeals hearing — saying he wrote down the wrong date — has been ordered to pay $3,000.

Charles Goubau, from Lefaivre, in Prescott-Russell County, west of Hawkesbury, didn’t show up for his appeals hearing in Ottawa on Aug. 2.

He was contacted by phone and told the tribunal he had written the wrong date in his agenda. Goubou had received two notices for the hearing date.

While tribunals rarely award costs, tribunal rules note that they can do so when a party has "acted clearly unreasonably, frivolously, vexatiously or in bad faith," which can include failing to attend a hearing. Goubau was ordered to pay, by Sept. 4, the Dairy Farmers of Ontario’s (DFO) costs to appear at the hearing.

DFO had requested its costs be covered, which included air travel from Toronto to Ottawa, hotel accommodation for two, as well as witness compensation.

Goubou’s appeal, which is still to be heard, concerns the rejection of the contents of his milk bulk tank.