Archibald et al. v. Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board et al., 2010 NSCA 27

• Judge: Hamilton, Fichaud and Farrar, JJ.A.
• Court: Court of Appeal of Nova Scotia (Canada)
• Case Date: March 24, 2010
• Jurisdiction: Nova Scotia
• Citations: 2010 NSCA 27;(2010), 290 N.S.R.(2d) 158 (CA)

Archibald v. N.S. Utility (2010), 290 N.S.R.(2d) 158 (CA);

    920 A.P.R. 158

MLB headnote and full text

Temp. Cite: [2010] N.S.R.(2d) TBEd. AP.019

Karen Archibald, William and Jean Thomas, David and Ronda Parker, Thomas and Carmel Chisholm, Glen and Leslie Fisher, Colin MacNeil, Ruby Duguay, Eleanor Carter, Deborah Elliott, Keith Finck, William and Lynn Gourley, Gregory Marshall, Heather MacLeod, Corinne Cameron, George and Bela Casson (appellants) v. Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board, Calder Hugh Creelman, Town of Truro, Attorney General of Nova Scotia (respondents)

(CA 319179; 2010 NSCA 27)

Indexed As: Archibald et al. v. Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board et al.

Nova Scotia Court of Appeal

Hamilton, Fichaud and Farrar, JJ.A.

April 9, 2010.

Summary:

The Council of the Town of Truro refused to approve a developer's proposal for a multi unit residential building. The Utility and Review Board allowed the developer's appeal and ordered the Council to approve the development agreement. Town residents appealed, seeking to have the Council's refusal reinstated. At issue was whether the Board made a legal error in applying its standard of review to the Council's decision.

The Nova Scotia Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal.

Land Regulation - Topic 3035

Land use control - Development agreements - Consistency with intent of municipal planning strategy - [See Land Regulation - Topic 3083 ].

Land Regulation - Topic 3083

Land use control - Development agreements - Appeals - From approval or rejection of development agreement - The Council of the Town of Truro refused to approve a developer's proposal for a multi unit residential building because of concerns over compatibility of scale and density - The developer appealed - The Utility and Review Board allowed the appeal and ordered the Council to approve the development agreement - The Board held that Council's refusal to approve the development agreement did not reasonably carry out the intent of the Municipal Planning Strategy (MPS) - Town residents appealed, claiming that the Board erred in law by applying the wrong standard of review to Council's decision (i.e., whether Council's rejection of the development agreement reasonably carried out the intent of the MPS, the Board's appellate standard prescribed in ss. 250(1)(b) and 251(2) of the Municipal Government Act) - The Nova Scotia Court of Appeal, reviewing the Board's application of the standard of review on the reasonableness standard, dismissed the appeal - The court stated that the Board's decision, including its interpretation of the MPS satisfied the reasonableness standard of review.

Land Regulation - Topic 4121

Land use control - Statutory appeals - General (incl. scope of appeal) - The Nova Scotia Court of Appeal summarized the principles applicable on an appeal to the Utility and Review Board from a planning decision - See paragraph 24.

Land Regulation - Topic 4121

Land use control - Statutory appeals - General (incl. scope of appeal) - [See Land Regulation - Topic 3083 ].

Land Regulation - Topic 4143

Land use control - Appeals to the courts - Scope of appeal - [See Land Regulation - Topic 3083 ].

Cases Noticed:

Khosa v. Canada (Minister of Citizenship and Immigration), [2009] 1 S.C.R. 339; 385 N.R. 206, refd to. [para. 18].

Young v. Workers' Compensation Appeals Tribunal (N.S.) et al. (2009), 276 N.S.R.(2d) 276; 880 A.P.R. 276; 2009 NSCA 35, refd to. [para. 18].

Heritage Trust of Nova Scotia et al. v. Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board et al. (1994), 128 N.S.R.(2d) 5; 359 A.P.R. 5 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 18].

Can-Euro Investments Ltd. v. Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board et al. (2008), 272 N.S.R.(2d) 309; 869 A.P.R. 309; 2008 NSCA 123, refd to. [para. 18].

Halifax (Regional Municipality) v. United Gulf Developments Ltd. et al. (2009), 280 N.S.R.(2d) 350; 891 A.P.R. 350; 2009 NSCA 78, refd to. [para. 19].

Midtown Tavern & Grill Ltd. v. Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board et al. (2006), 248 N.S.R.(2d) 319; 789 A.P.R. 319; 2006 NSCA 115, refd to. [para. 19].

New Brunswick (Board of Management) v. Dunsmuir, [2008] 1 S.C.R. 190; 372 N.R. 1; 329 N.B.R.(2d) 1; 844 A.P.R. 1, refd to. [para. 21].

Ryan v. Law Society of New Brunswick, [2003] 1 S.C.R. 247; 302 N.R. 1; 257 N.B.R.(2d) 207; 674 A.P.R. 207, refd to. [para. 22].

Lake v. Canada (Minister of Justice), [2008] 1 S.C.R. 761; 373 N.R. 339; 236 O.A.C. 371, refd to. [para. 22].

Maritime Paper Products Ltd. v. Communications, Energy and Paperworkers' Union, Local 1520 (2009), 278 N.S.R.(2d) 381; 886 A.P.R. 381; 2009 NSCA 60, refd to. [para. 22].

Casino Nova Scotia v. Labour Relations Board (N.S.) et al. (2009), 273 N.S.R.(2d) 370; 872 A.P.R. 370; 2009 NSCA 4, refd to. [para. 22].

Lewis v. North West Community Council of Halifax (Regional Municipality) (2001), 194 N.S.R.(2d) 283; 606 A.P.R. 283; 2001 NSCA 98, refd to. [para. 24].

Kynock v. Bennett et al. (1994), 131 N.S.R.(2d) 334; 371 A.P.R. 334 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 25].

Tsimiklis v. Halifax (Regional Municipality) - see Tsimiklis v. Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board et al.

Tsimiklis v. Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board et al. (2003), 213 N.S.R.(2d) 30; 667 A.P.R. 30; 2003 NSCA 30, refd to. [para. 25].

Mahone Bay Heritage and Cultural Society v. 3012543 Nova Scotia Ltd. et al. (2000), 186 N.S.R.(2d) 201; 581 A.P.R. 201; 2000 NSCA 93, refd to. [para. 25].

Bay Haven Beach Villas Inc. v. Halifax (Regional Municipality) et al. (2004), 223 N.S.R.(2d) 282; 705 A.P.R. 282; 2004 NSCA 59, refd to. [para. 25].

Statutes Noticed:

Municipal Government Act, S.N.S. 1998, c. 18, sect. 250(1)(b), sect. 251(2) [para. 10].

Counsel:

Karen Archibald, speaking for the appellants;

Peter M. Rogers, Q.C., for the respondent, Calder Creelman;

Gary Richard, for the respondent, Town of Truro.

This appeal was heard in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on March 24, 2010, by Hamilton, Fichaud and Farrar, JJ.A., of the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal. Fichaud, J.A., filed the following reasons for judgment of the court on April 9, 2010.