Clark v. Rockyview (Municipal District) No. 44 and Konschuk, (1996) 183 A.R. 326 (QB)

• Judge: Lutz, J.
• Court: Court of Queen's Bench of Alberta (Canada)
• Case Date: February 15, 1996
• Citations: (1996), 183 A.R. 326 (QB)

Clark v. Rockyview No. 44 (1996), 183 A.R. 326 (QB)

MLB headnote and full text

F. Dale Clark (plaintiff) v. The Municipal District of Rockyview No. 44 and Larry Konschuk (defendants)

(No. 9301-09195)

Indexed As: Clark v. Rockyview (Municipal District) No. 44 and Konschuk

Alberta Court of Queen's Bench

Judicial District of Calgary

Lutz, J.

February 15, 1996.

Summary:

The plaintiff Clark claimed that he was wrongfully dismissed by the defendants, the Municipal District of Rockyview, No. 44 and Konschuk, the municipal district reeve. The plaintiff sought damages from both defen­dants, including loss of income, loss of bene­fits and mental distress, punitive dam­ages, inter­est and costs. At the close of the plain­tiff's case, the defendants applied for a non-suit (Rules of Court, rule 260).

The Alberta Court of Queen's Bench dis­missed the defendants' application.

Master and Servant - Topic 8063

Dismissal without cause - Damages - Mental distress - The plaintiff Clark claimed that he was wrongfully dismissed by the defendants, the Municipal District of Rockyview, No. 44 and Konschuk, the municipal district reeve - The plaintiff sought damages from both defendants, including, inter alia, mental distress - At the close of the plaintiff's case, the defen­dants applied for a non-suit (Rules of Court, rule 260) - In dismissing the appli­cation, the Alberta Court of Queen's Bench reviewed the law respecting the award of damages for mental distress in a claim for wrongful dismissal - See paragraphs 27 to 29.

Municipal Law - Topic 1125

Employees - Dismissal - Damages for wrongful dismissal - [ Master and Ser­vant - Topic 8063 ].

Practice - Topic 5390

Dismissal of action - Application or motion for dismissal - Nonsuit - At close of plaintiff's case - Evidence and proof - The plaintiff Clark claimed that he was wrongfully dismissed by the defendants, the Municipal District of Rockyview, No. 44 and Konschuk, the municipal district reeve - The plaintiff sought damages from both defendants, including loss of income, loss of benefits, punitive damages, mental distress, interest and costs - At the close of the plaintiff's case, the defendants applied for a nonsuit (Rules of Court, rule 260) - The Alberta Court of Queen's Bench dismissed the defendants' applica­tion where there was some evidence on which a court could base a finding in the plaintiff's favour respecting both defen­dants.

Torts - Topic 5043

Interference with economic relations - Master and servant - Interference - What constitutes - [See Torts - Topic 5208 ].

Torts - Topic 5208

Interference with economic relations - Contracts - Inducing or procuring breach of contract - The plaintiff Clark sought damages from the defendants, the Munici­pal District of Rockyview, No. 44 and Konschuk, the municipal district reeve, claiming that he was wrongfully dismissed - The plaintiff alleged, inter alia, that the defendant Konschuk, induced or procured a breach of his employment contract with the municipality - At the close of the plaintiff's case, the defendants applied for a nonsuit - In dismissing the application, the Alberta Court of Queen's Bench dis­cussed the liability of an employee/of­ficer/director of a corporation for inducing breach of contract in an em­ployment situ­ation - See paragraphs 30 to 35.

Torts - Topic 8701

Duty of care - Particular relationships - Claims for nervous shock - General - The plaintiff Clark claimed that he was wrong­fully dismissed by the defendants, the Municipal District of Rockyview, No. 44 and Konschuk, the municipal district reeve - The plaintiff sought damages from both defendants, including, inter alia, infliction of nervous shock - At the close of the plaintiff's case, the defendants applied for a non-suit (Rules of Court, rule 260) - In dismissing the application, the Alberta Court of Queen's Bench reviewed the law respecting the award of damages for inten­tional and negligent infliction of nervous shock - See para­graphs 36 to 37.

Cases Noticed:

Silver's Garage Ltd. v. Bridgewater (Town), [1971] S.C.R. 577; 2 N.S.R.(2d) 474, refd to. [para. 19].

Meyer v. Carstairs (Town) (1984), 52 A.R. 206 (Q.B.), refd to. [para. 24].

Levi v. Chartersoft Canada Inc. and Lee, [1995] 2 W.W.R. 279; 99 Man.R.(2d) 241 (Q.B.), refd to. [para. 27].

Vorvis v. Insurance Corp. of British Col­umbia, [1989] 1 S.C.R. 1085; 94 N.R. 321; 58 D.L.R.(4th) 193; [1989] 4 W.W.R. 218; 36 B.C.L.R.(2d) 273; 90 C.L.L.C. 14,035; 25 C.C.E.L. 81, refd to. [para. 28].

Dobson v. Eaton (T.) Co. (1982), 39 A.R. 354 (Q.B.), refd to. [para. 28].

Blackmore v. Cablenet, [1995] 3 W.W.R. 305; 163 A.R. 41 (Q.B.), refd to. [para. 28].

Posluns v. Toronto Stock Exchange, [1964] 2 O.R. 547 (H.C.), refd to. [para. 31].

Polimeni v. Danzinger and Foerster, [1996] 1 W.W.R. 305; 105 Man.R.(2d) 91 (Q.B.), refd to. [para. 32].

Fonceca v. McDonnell Douglas Canada Ltd. (1983), 1 C.C.E.L. 51 (Ont. H.C.), refd to. [para. 37].

Harvey and Peterson v. Black (1992), 137 A.R. 111; 7 Alta. L.R.(3d) 103 (Q.B.), refd to. [para. 38].

Foster v. Reno (1910), 22 O.L.R. 413 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 47].

Addis v. Gramaphone Co., [1909] A.C. 488 (H.L.), refd to. [para. 58].

Peso Silver Mines Ltd. v. Cropper (1966), 58 D.L.R.(2d) 1 (S.C.C.), refd to. [para. 58].

Abouna v. Foothills Provincial General Hospital Board, [1978] 2 W.W.R. 130; 8 A.R. 94 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 58].

Wallace v. United Grain Growers Ltd., [1995] 9 W.W.R. 153; 102 Man.R.(2d) 161; 93 W.A.C. 161 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 62].

Ribeiro v. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (1989), 67 O.R.(2d) 385; 24 C.C.E.L. 225 (C.A.), leave to appeal refused (1993), 157 N.R. 400; 65 O.A.C. 79 (S.C.C.), refd to. [para. 63].

Francis v. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (1994), 75 O.A.C. 216; 7 C.C.E.L.(2d) 1 (C.A.), varied (1992), 41 C.C.E.L. 37 (Ont. Gen. Div.), refd to. [para. 64].

Jackson and Parkview Holdings Ltd. v. Trimac Industries Ltd. et al. (1994), 155 A.R. 42; 73 W.A.C. 42 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 76].

Snider v. Edmonton Sun et al. (1988), 93 A.R. 26 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 83].

Rahemtulla v. Vanfed Credit Union, [1984] 3 W.W.R. 296; 4 C.C.E.L. 170 (B.C.S.C.), refd to. [para. 85].

McLarman v. Mainland Electric Contrac­tors, [1976] 5 W.W.R. 81; [1976] W.W.D. 154, refd to. [para. 93].

Statutes Noticed:

Municipal Government Act, R.S.A. 1980, c. M-26, sect. 51(1) [para. 33]; sect. 90 [para. 82]; sect. 92 [para. 9]; sect. 95, sect. 99(1), sect. 99(2), sect. 99(3) [para. 10]; sect. 106(1) [para. 18]; sect. 535(1), sect. 535(2), sect. 535(3), sect. 535(4) [para. 34].

Municipal Government Amendment Act, S.A. 1985, c. 43, sect. 16 [para. 12].

Rockyview (Municipal District) No. 44 Bylaws, Bylaw Nos. C-1635-83 [para. 43]; C-4068-93 [para. 17].

Rules of Court (Alta.), rule 260 [para. 1].

Authors and Works Noticed:

Driedger, Elmer A., Construction of Stat­utes (3rd Ed. 1994), pp. 528, 530 [para. 82].

Harris, David, Wrongful Dismissal (2nd Ed. 1984), p. 4-174 [para. 62].

Linden, Allen M., Canadian Tort Law, pp. 367, 369 [para. 37].

Rogers, Ian MacFee, The Law of Canadian Municipal Corporations (2nd Ed. 1979), p. 309 [para. 8].

Counsel:

W.J. Armstrong, for the plaintiff;

G.B. Scott and J. Klauser, for the defen­dants.

This application was heard before Lutz, J., of the Alberta Court of Queen's Bench, who delivered the following oral judgment on February 15, 1996.