The headline decision of the week is Chippewas of Saugeen First Nation v. South Bruce Peninsula (Town), a 121-page decision in which the Court upheld the trial judge’s decision that approximately 1.4 miles of coastline was improperly excluded from the Saugeen Indian Reserve No. 29 subject to Treaty 72 of 1854. All the appeals were dismissed except Canada’s cross-appeal on the application judge’s finding that it was 100% responsible for the pre-Confederation conduct of the Crown, with the provincial Crown having been found to have no responsibility. The application judge erred in making this determination without inviting submissions from the provincial or federal Crown on the issue.
In The Personal Insurance Company v Tagoe, the Court confirmed that the doctrine of discoverability applied in the context of the limitation period for making accident benefit claims.
In West Whitby Landowners Group v Elexicon Energy, the Court granted the moving party leave to appeal the Divisional Court’s decision that it lacked jurisdiction to consider the moving party’s application for judicial review of a decision of the Ontario Energy Board regarding electrical grid access. The respondent relied on the Court’s 1973 decision in Re Sault Dock Co. Ltd. and City of Sault Ste. Marie to oppose leave to appeal the Divisional Court’s decision being granted. The Court cautioned against allowing certain judicial decisions taking on the reputation as eternal pronouncements carved in tablets of stone. While Re Sault Dock Co. Ltd. and City of Sault Ste. Marie is often cited as setting a stringent test for leave to appeal in judicial review cases by citing the multi-factor test set out in the decision, the flexibility of the decision is forgotten.
In Canada Life Assurance Company v. Aphria Inc., the Court affirmed the precedent set by Highway Properties that a landlord has no obligation to mitigate its damages and find a new tenant if it does not accept a tenant’s repudiation of a lease and continues to hold the contract open and the lease alive.
In Essex Condominium Corporation No. 125 v. Heritage Park Villas Inc., the Court allowed the appeal, finding that the motion judge had reversed the burden of proof to establish a limitations defence and improperly placed this onus on the appellants.
In Singh v. Khalil, the Court dismissed an appeal from a summary judgment dismissing an application to set aside a domestic contract.
Wishing everyone an enjoyable weekend.
Table of Contents
Civil Decisions
The Personal Insurance Company v Tagoe, 2024 ONCA 894
Keywords: Contracts, Insurance, Automobile Insurance, Statutory Accident Benefits, Civil Procedure, Limitation Periods, Insurance Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. I.8, ss. 280, 281.1(1), Statutory Accident Benefits Schedule, O. Reg. 34/10, ss. 5(1), 6(1)(2), 7(3), 47, 51(1), 56, Licence Appeal Tribunal Act, 1999, S.O. 1999, c. 12, Schedule G, s. 11(6), Courts of Justice Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. C.43, s. 134(4), Sietzema v. Economical Mutual Insurance Company, 2014 ONCA 111, Tomec v. Economical Mutual Insurance Company, 2019 ONCA 882, Pioneer Corp. v. Godfrey, 2019 SCC 42, Blake v. Dominion of Canada General Insurance Company, 2015 ONCA 165, Turner v. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. (2005), 195 O.A.C. 61 (C.A.)
West Whitby Landowners Group Inc. v Elexicon Energy Inc., 2024 ONCA 910
Keywords: Administrative Law, Judicial Review, Electricity Regulation, Civil Procedure, Leave to Appeal, Ontario Energy Board Act, 1998, S.O. 1998, c. 15, Courts of Justice Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. C.43, s. 6(1)(a), Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, Re Sault Dock Co. Ltd. and City of Sault Ste. Marie, [1973] 2 O.R. 479 (C.A.)
Chippewas of Saugeen First Nation V. South Bruce Peninsula (Town), 2024 ONCA 884
Keywords: Aboriginal Law, Land Treaties, Interpretation, Honour of the Crown, Fiduciary Duties, Defences, Bona Fide Purchaser For Value Without Notice, Civil Procedure, Procedural Fairness, Costs, Constitution Act, 1867, s. 91(24), Indian Act, R.S.C. 1927, c. 98, Indian Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. I-5, Southwind v. Canada, 2021 SCC 28, R. v. Badger, [1996] 1 S.C.R. 771, Benzie v. Hania, 2012 ONCA 766, Chippewas of Sarnia Band v. Canada (Attorney General) (2000), 51 O.R. (3d) 641 (C.A.), Ontario (Attorney General) v. Restoule, 2024 SCC 27, Hopton v. Pamajewon (1993), 16 O.R. (3d) 390 (C.A.), Moore v. Wienecke, 2008 ONCA 162, R. v. Marshall, [1999] 3 S.C.R. 456, Mikisew Cree First Nation v. Canada (Governor General in Council), 2018 SCC 40, Restoule v. Canada (Attorney General), 2021 ONCA 779, R. v. Simon, [1985] 2 S.C.R. 387, Ermineskin Indian Band and Nation v. Canada, 2009 SCC 9, R. v. R.E.M., 2008 SCC 51, R. v. Laba, [1994] 3 S.C.R. 965, Kerk-Courtney v. Security National Insurance Company (TD General Insurance Company), 2024 ONCA 676, Giesbrecht v. Stettner, 2023 SKCA 52, Greenwood v. Greenwood, 2023 SKCA 87, Sutherland v. Reeves, 2014 BCCA 222, Kuang v. Young, 2023 ONSC 2429, Haida Nation v. British Columbia (Minister of Forests), 2004 SCC 73, i Trade Finance Inc. v. Bank of Montreal, 2011 SCC 26, Pilcher v. Rawlins (1872), L.R. 7 Ch. App. 259 (Eng. C.A.), Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce v. Pena, 2022 ONSC 6941, Urban Metal Contracting Ltd. v. Zurich, 2022 ONCA 589, Canadian Tire Corporation, Limited v. Eaton Equipment Ltd., 2024 ONCA 25, Hamilton v. Open Window Bakery Ltd., 2004 SCC 9, Legault v. TD General Insurance Company, 2024 ONCA 439, Housen v. Nikolaisen, 2002 SCC 33, Fraser v. Desmond (1996), 24 R.F.L. (4th) 365 (B.C.C.A.), Fram Elgin Mills 90 Inc. v. Romandale Farms Limited, 2021 ONCA 381, Aurora (Town) v. Lepp, 2020 ONCA 528, John Sopinka, Mark A. Gelowitz & W. David Rankin, Sopinka, Gelowitz and Rankin on the Conduct of an Appeal, 5th ed. (Toronto: LexisNexis, 2022)
Canada Life Assurance Company v. Aphria Inc., 2024 ONCA 882
Keywords: Contracts, Real Property, Commercial Leases, Repudiation, Defences, Mitigation, Commercial Tenancies Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. L.7, Residential Tenancies Act, 2006, S.O. 2006, c.17, Highway Properties v. Kelly, Douglas & Co., [1971] S.C.R. 562, Almad Investments Ltd. v. Mister Leonard Holdings Ltd., 1996 CanLII 412 (Ont. C.A.), TNG Acquisition Inc. (Re), 2011 ONCA 535, Canadian Medical Laboratories Ltd. v. Stabile (1997), 98 O.A.C. 3, R. v. Kirkpatrick, 2022 SCC 33, R. v. Henry, 2005 SCC 76, Keneric Tractor Sales Ltd. v. Langille, [1987] 2 S.C.R, Anthem Crestpoint Tillicum Holdings Ltd. v. Hudson’s Bay Company ULC Compagnie de la Baie D’Hudson SRI, 2022 BCCA 166, Sattva Capital Corp. v. Creston Moly Corp., 2014 SCC 53, Earthco Soil Mixtures Inc. v. Pine Valley Enterprises Inc., 2024 SCC 20, Ledcor Construction Ltd. v. Northbridge Indemnity Insurance Co., 2016 SCC 37
Essex Condominium Corporation No. 125 v. Heritage Park Villas Inc., 2024 ONCA 889
Keywords: Real Property, Condominiums, Civil Procedure, Summary Judgment, Limitation Periods, Discoverability, Burden of Proof, Condominium Act, 1998, S.O. 1998, c. 19, s. 2, s. 43, s. 93, Limitations Act, 2002, S.O. 2002, c. 24, Sched. B, s. 4, s. 5(1), 5(2), Essex Condominium Corporation No. 125 v. Heritage Park Villas Inc., 2024 ONSC 849 (Div. Ct.), AssessNet Inc. v. Taylor Leibow Inc., 2023 ONCA 577, Shukster v. Young et al., 2012 ONSC 4807, Roni Excavating v. Paccar, 2013 ONSC 5192, Ramdial v. Davis, 2015 ONCA 726, Fennell v. Deol, 2016 ONCA 249, Zeppa v. Woodbridge Heating & Air-Conditioning Ltd., 2019 ONCA 47
Short Civil Decisions
Wilson v. Fatahi-Ghandehari, 2024 ONCA 895
Keywords: Civil Procedure, Vexatious Litigants, Abuse of Process, Rules of Civil Procedure, Rule 2.1
Lawyers’ Professional Indemnity Company v. Sochnyeva, 2024 ONCA 896
Keywords: Civil Procedure, Leave to Appeal, Stay Pending Appeal, Review
Spasiw v. Law Society of Ontario, 2024 ONCA 888
Keywords: Charter Claims, Civil Procedure, Applications, Striking Pleadings, No Reasonable Cause of Action, Frivolous, Vexatious, Abuse of Process, Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, 2(b), 7, 15(1) and s. 24(1), Rules of Civil Procedure, Rule 2.1
Evangelisti v. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, 2024 ONCA 903
Keywords: Torts, Defamation, Remedies, Injunctions, Civil Procedure, Evidence, Cross-examination, Procedural Fairness, Reasonable Apprehension of Bias
World Medpharm Inc. v. York Region Standard Condominium Corporation No. 1279, 2024 ONCA 907
Keywords: Real Property, Condominiums, Contracts, Commercial Leases, Exclusive Use Clauses, Remedies, Compliance Orders, Condominium Act, 1998, S.O. 1998, c. 19, s. 134
Pinsky v. 2479420 Ontario Inc., 2024 ONCA 901
Keywords: Contracts, Solicitor and Client, Civil Procedure, Striking Pleadings, Abuse of Process, Procedural Fairness, Solicitors Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. S.15, ss. 2(1), 8
Augusta Studios Inc. v. 8699011 Canada Inc., 2024 ONCA 906
Keywords: Contracts, Real Property, Commercial Leases, Leased Premises, Calculation of Rent