Alltrans Express Ltd. v. Workers' Compensation Board (B.C.) et al., (1988) 85 N.R. 241 (SCC)
| Judge | Dickson, C.J.C., Beetz, Chouinard, Lamer, Wilson, Le Dain and La Forest, JJ. |
| Court | Supreme Court (Canada) |
| Case Date | May 26, 1988 |
| Jurisdiction | Canada (Federal) |
| Citations | (1988), 85 N.R. 241 (SCC);[1988] 4 WWR 385;28 BCLR (2d) 312;[1988] SCJ No 38 (QL);9 ACWS (3d) 410;1988 CanLII 83 (SCC);51 DLR (4th) 253;15 QAC 161;85 NR 241;JE 88-754;21 CCEL 228;[1988] 1 SCR 897 |
Alltrans Express Ltd. v. WCB (1988), 85 N.R. 241 (SCC)
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[French language version follows English language version]
[La version française vient à la suite de la version anglaise]
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Alltrans Express Ltd. (appellant) v. Workers' Compensation Board of British Columbia (respondent) and the Attorney General of Canada, the Attorney General of British Columbia and the Attorney General of Quebec (intervenors)
(17991)
Indexed As: Alltrans Express Ltd. v. Workers' Compensation Board (B.C.) et al.
Supreme Court of Canada
Dickson, C.J.C., Beetz, Chouinard, Lamer, Wilson, Le Dain and La Forest, JJ.
May 26, 1988.
Summary:
Alltrans Express Limited operated an interprovincial and international trucking service. Alltrans was a federal undertaking under ss. 91(29) and 92 (10)(a) of the Constitution Act 1867. An officer of the British Columbia Workers' Compensation Board inspected one of Alltrans' depots and issued an inspection report, which found that Alltrans breached two of the Industrial Health and Safety Regulations enacted under the provincial Workers' Compensation Act, namely, failure to use protective footwear and failure to establish and maintain a safety committee. Alltrans was ordered to comply with the Regulations. Alltrans applied for a declaration that the two orders were invalid on the ground that the Regulations under which they were made did not apply to a federal undertaking.
The British Columbia Supreme Court, in a decision reported in 116 D.L.R.(3d) 79; 25 B.C.L.R. 22, allowed the application. The Workers' Compensation Board appealed.
The British Columbia Court of Appeal, in a decision reported in [1983] 6 W.W.R. 372; 149 D.L.R.(3d) 385, allowed the appeal and dismissed Alltrans' application. Alltrans appealed, raising the following constitutional question: "Is the Workers' Compensation Act, insofar as it purports to empower the Workers' Compensation Board of British Columbia to regulate safety conditions at a federal undertaking, ultra vires the legislative assembly of British Columbia, or inapplicable or inoperative in respect of such undertaking?" The Supreme Court of Canada allowed the appeal. The Supreme Court held that the B.C. Workers' Compensation Act, insofar as it empowered the Workers' Compensation Board of British Columbia to regulate safety conditions, was inapplicable in respect of a federal undertaking.
See also the next two cases reported in this volume.
Constitutional Law - Topic 6642
Federal jurisdiction - Interprovincial works and undertakings - Transportation - Trucking - The Supreme Court of Canada held that those portions of the British Columbia Workers' Compensation Act which empowered the Workers' Compensation Board to regulate safety conditions were inapplicable to a federal undertaking such as an interprovincial trucking service - The court held that the impugned provisions, including s. 73, had as their object the prevention of worker accidents, and as such related to working conditions, labour relations and the management of the undertakings and thus could not constitutionally apply to a federal undertaking.
Constitutional Law - Topic 6660
Federal jurisdiction - Interprovincial works and undertakings - Provincial laws of general application - [See Constitutional Law - Topic 6642 above].
Constitutional Law - Topic 7296
Provincial jurisdiction - Property and civil rights - Regulatory statutes - Industrial safety - [See Constitutional Law - Topic 6642 above].
Trade Regulation - Topic 7710
Industrial safety - Application of legislation - Provincial legislation to federal undertakings - [See Constitutional Law - Topic 6642 above].
Cases Noticed:
Canadian National Railway Co. v. Courtois et Commission de la santé et de la sécurité du travail et al. (1988), 85 N.R. 260, refd to. [para. 1].
Bell Canada v. Commission de la santé et de la sécurité du travail et Bilodeau et al. (1988), 85 N.R. 295 refd to. [para. 1].
Statutes Noticed:
Occupational Health and Safety Act, S.Q. 1979, c. 63, sect. 51(1), sect. 51(3), sect. 51(7), sect. 51(11), sect. 68, sect. 69, sect. 70, sect. 71, sect. 72, sect. 73, sect. 74, sect. 75, sect. 76, sect. 77, sect. 78, sect. 79, sect. 80, sect. 81, sect. 82, sect. 83, sect. 84, sect. 85, sect. 86, sect. 78(4), sect. 179, sect. 180, sect. 181, sect. 182, sect. 183, sect. 184, sect. 185, sect. 186, sect. 187, sect. 188, sect. 189, sect. 190, sect. 191, sect. 192, sect. 193, sect. 223(9) [para. 22].
Workers Compensation Act, R.S.B.C. 1979, c. 437, sect. 36, sect. 37, sect. 38, sect. 39 [para. 10]; sect. 42 [paras. 10, 24]; sect. 52, sect. 53 et seq. [para. 11]; sect. 71(1), sect. 71(2) [para. 14]; sect. 71(3) [paras. 14, 22]; sect. 71(4), sect. 71(5) [para. 14]; sect. 71(8) [paras. 14, 22]; sect. 72 [para. 14]; sect. 73 [paras. 14, 24]; sect. 74 [para. 14]; sect. 74(1) [para. 22].
Industrial Health and Safety Regulations (B.C.), Reg. 585/77, sect. 4.04 [paras. 17-18]; sect. 4.06 [para. 18]; sect. 4.06(2)(b) [para. 22]; sect. 14.08(1), sect. 14.08(2) [paras. 17, 19, 22].
Counsel:
George MacIntosh and Daniel I. McBride, for the appellant;
E.R.A. Edwards, Q.C., and E.D. Bates, for the respondent and the Attorney General of British Columbia;
W.B. Scarth, Q.C., and J.M. Mabbutt, for the Attorney General of Canada;
Jean-François Jobin and Alain Gingras, for the Attorney General of Quebec.
Solicitors of Record:
Farris, Vaughan, Wills & Murphy, Vancouver, British Columbia, for the appellant;
E.D. Bates, Richmond and Ministry of the Attorney General, Victoria, British Columbia, for the respondent and the intervenor, the Attorney General of British Columbia;
Department of Justice, Vancouver, British Columbia, for the intervenor, the Attorney General of Canada;
Real-A. Forest and Alain Gingras, Ste-Foy, Quebec, for the intervenor, the Attorney General of Quebec.
This appeal was heard before, Dickson, C.J.C., Beetz, Chouinard, Lamer, Wilson, Le Dain and La Forest, JJ., of the Supreme Court of Canada on January 28-30, 1986.
The decision of the Supreme Court was delivered by Beetz, J., on May 26, 1988, in both official languages.
Chouinard, J., took no part in the judgment.
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