Dionne v. Desjardins et al., (1999) 214 N.B.R.(2d) 380 (CA)

• Judge: Daigle, C.J.N.B., Rice and Drapeau, JJ.A.
• Court: Court of Appeal (New Brunswick)
• Case Date: June 09, 1999
• Jurisdiction: New Brunswick
• Citations: (1999), 214 N.B.R.(2d) 380 (CA)

Dionne v. Desjardins (1999), 214 N.B.R.(2d) 380 (CA);

    214 R.N.-B.(2e) 380; 547 A.P.R. 380

MLB headnote and full text

[French language version follows English language version]

[La version française vient à la suite de la version anglaise]

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Temp. Cite: [1999] N.B.R.(2d) TBEd. JN.024

Nora Dionne, guardian ad litem of Andrew Dionne and Shawn Dionne and Nora Dionne (plaintiffs/appellants) v. Onil Desjardins and Denis Desjardins (defendants/respondents) and The Co-operators Group Ltd. (third party)

(155/97/CA)

Indexed As: Dionne v. Desjardins et al.

New Brunswick Court of Appeal

Daigle, C.J.N.B., Rice and Drapeau, JJ.A.

June 9, 1999.

Summary:

Denis Desjardins loaned his vehicle to his brother Onil. Onil was driving. He stopped momentarily. Onil then allowed Dionne to drive the vehicle. Dionne was intoxicated. The vehicle overturned. Dionne died. His widow and his children sued Onil and Denis. The parties submitted a question of law for adjudication by the court. The question was whether Denis, as owner, was liable for the accident because Onil had let Dionne drive the vehicle.

The New Brunswick Court of Queen's Bench, Trial Division, in a decision reported at [1997] N.B.R.(2d) (Supp.) No. 102, an­swered no to the question. The plaintiffs appealed.

The New Brunswick Court of Appeal allowed the appeal and answered yes.

Statutes - Topic 501

Interpretation - General principles - Pur­pose of legislation - Duty to promote object of statute - [See first Torts - Topic 304 ].

Torts - Topic 304

Negligence - Motor vehicle - Liability of owner for negligence of driver of owner's vehicle - Meaning of "operation" - Section 267(1) of the Motor Vehicle Act provided that the owner of a motor vehicle was liable to an action in tort as a result of negli­gence "in the operation of the motor vehi­cle" - The New Brunswick Court of Ap­peal held that the phrase "in the opera­tion of the motor vehicle" must be read in its entire context and the grammatical and ordinary sense in harmony with the scheme and purpose of the Act and the intention of the Legislature - The court then adopted a "large" interpretation of the phrase and held that the transfer by the driver of the care and control of the vehicle to another person was part of the "operation" of a vehicle, in a broad sense, at least when the transfer was made for the purpose of mov­ing the vehicle on the highway - See para­graphs 9 to 36.

Torts - Topic 304

Negligence - Motor vehicle - Liability of owner for negligence of driver of owner's vehicle - Meaning of "operation" - Denis Desjardins loaned his vehicle to his brother Onil - Onil was driving - He stopped momentarily - Onil then allowed Dionne to drive the vehicle - Dionne was intoxicated - The vehicle overturned - Dionne died - The New Brunswick Court of Appeal held that Denis, as owner, was liable for the accident under the principle of s. 267(1) of the Motor Vehicle Act - The transfer of the vehicle from Onil to Dionne consti­tuted "negligence in the operation of the motor vehicle" because Onil was still "operating" the vehicle when he decided to let Dionne drive and that Onil was negli­gent in letting an intoxicated person drive the vehicle - See paragraphs 1 to 36.

Words and Phrases

Operation - The New Brunswick Court of Appeal discussed the meaning of the word "operation" found in s. 267(1) of the Motor Vehicle Act, R.S.N.B. 1973, c. M-17 - See paragraphs 9 to 36.

Cases Noticed:

Hall v. Hebert, [1993] 2 S.C.R. 159; 152 N.R. 321; 26 B.C.A.C. 161; 44 W.A.C. 161, refd to. [para. 2].

Doiron v. Brideau, Losier and Losier and Co-operative Fire and Casualty Co. (1979), 28 N.B.R.(2d) 520; 63 A.P.R. 520 (Q.B.), refd to. [para. 10].

Stevenson v. Reliance Petroleum Ltd., [1956] S.C.R. 936, refd to. [para. 12].

Law, Union & Rock Insurance Co. v. Moore's Taxi Ltd., [1960] S.C.R. 80, refd to. [para. 12].

Amos v. Insurance Corp. of British Columbia, [1995] 3 S.C.R. 405; 186 N.R. 150; 63 B.C.A.C. 1; 104 W.A.C. 1, refd to. [para. 12].

Lee v. Bliss et Woodstock Transport Ltd. (1995), 170 N.B.R.(2d) 131; 435 A.P.R. 131 (T.D.), refd to. [para. 12].

McMillan v. Thompson (Rural Municipal­ity) (1997), 144 D.L.R.(4th) 53 (Man. C.A.), refd to. [para. 12].

Beger v. MacAstocker Estate (1996), 192 A.R. 241; 140 D.L.R.(4th) 709 (Q.B.), refd to. [para. 12].

Chan v. Insurance Corp. of British Colum­bia, [1996] 4 W.W.R. 734; 69 B.C.A.C. 187; 113 W.A.C. 187 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 12].

Insurance Corp. of British Columbia v. Vancouver (City) (1997), 38 B.C.L.R.(3d) 213 (S.C.), refd to. [para. 12].

Wilkie v. Economical Mutual Insurance Co. (1996), 24 M.V.R.(3d) 133 (Gen. Div.), refd to. [para. 12].

Royal Insurance Co. of Canada v. Guard­ian Insurance Co. of Canada (1995), 26 O.R.(3d) 290 (Gen. Div.), refd to. [para. 12].

Lavigne et al. v. Atlantic Rentals Ltd. et al. (1986), 69 N.B.R.(2d) 260; 177 A.P.R. 260 (T.D.), refd to. [para. 13].

Carson v. Dinnin, Hartnell et al. (1962), 33 D.L.R.(2d) 128 (Man. C.A.), refd to. [para. 13].

Momney et al. v. R. (1972), 25 D.L.R.(3d) 129 (Ont. H.C.), refd to. [para. 13].

Jove v. Paialunga Estate, [1997] I.L.R. 4679; 95 B.C.A.C. 228; 154 W.A.C. 228 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 13].

Paulus v. Robinson (1991), 7 B.C.A.C. 147; 15 W.A.C. 147; 60 B.C.L.R.(2d) 116 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 13].

Warren v. Martin et al. (1996), 155 N.S.R.(2d) 306; 457 A.P.R. 306 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 13].

Schuster and Schuster v. Whitehead and Hurley (1959), 21 D.L.R.(2d) 609 (Ont. C.A.), refd to. [para. 14].

Argue (F.W.) Ltd. et al. v. Howe, [1969] S.C.R. 354, consd. [para. 15].

Rizzo & Rizzo Shoes Ltd. (Bankrupt), Re, [1998] 1 S.C.R. 27; 221 N.R. 241; 106 O.A.C. 1, consd. [para. 19].

Barrette v. Succession Crabtree, [1993] 1 S.C.R. 1027; 150 N.R. 272; 53 Q.A.C. 279, refd to. [para. 20].

Deugau & Kramer v. Morrison & Kramer, [1938] 4 D.L.R. 353 (Alta. C.A.), dist. [para. 22].

Victoria U Drive Yourself Auto Livery Ltd. v. Wood, [1930] 2 D.L.R. 811 (B.C.C.A.), refd to. [para. 23].

Goldberg v. McInnis (1959), 19 D.L.R.(2d) 306 (Sask. Q.B.), refd to. [para. 24].

Cummings v. Budget Car Rentals Toronto Ltd. et al. (1996), 91 O.A.C. 174; 29 O.R.(3d) 1 (C.A.), consd. [para. 27].

Daigle v. Couturier (Theo) Ltd. & Jessome (1973), 6 N.B.R.(2d) 679; 43 D.L.R.(3d) 151 (C.A.), consd. [para. 29].

Chiasson v. Rail, Noël and Commercial Union Assurance Co. of Canada (1979), 25 N.B.R.(2d) 570; 51 A.P.R. 570 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 30].

Taylor et al. v. Nicholson et al. (1986), 76 N.B.R.(2d) 379; 192 A.P.R. 379 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 30].

Spellman v. Irving (J.D.) Ltd. (1995), 159 N.B.R.(2d) 241; 409 A.P.R. 241 (T.D.), refd to. [para. 31].

Bernier et al. v. Theriault et al. (1982), 40 N.B.R.(2d) 136; 105 A.P.R. 136 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 32].

Thompson v. Bourchier, [1933] 3 D.L.R. 119 (Ont. C.A.), consd. [para. 32].

Statutes Noticed:

Interpretation Act, R.S.N.B. 1973, c. I-13, sect. 17 [para. 20].

Motor Vehicle Act, R.S.N.B. 1973, c. M-17, sect. 267(1) [para. 9].

Authors and Works Noticed:

Côté, Pierre-André, The Interpretation of Legislation in Canada (2nd Ed. 1991), p. 56 [para. 21].

Counsel:

G.C. Thibodeau, Q.C., for Nora Dionne;

No one appeared on behalf of Onil Desjar­dins­;

William G. Stephenson, for Denis Desjar­dins ­and The Co-operators Group Ltd.

This appeal was heard on April 28, 1998, by Daigle, C.J.N.B., Rice and Drapeau, JJ.A., of the New Brunswick Court of Ap­peal.

The decision of the Court of Appeal was delivered on June 9, 1999 when the fol­lowing judgments were filed:

Drapeau, J.A. (Daigle, C.J.N.B., concur­ring) - see paragraphs 1 to 39.

Rice, J.A. - see paragraphs 40 to 42.