Fairhaven Billiards Inc. v. Liquor and Gaming Authority (Sask.), (1999) 177 Sask.R. 237 (CA)

• Judge: Tallis, Cameron and Gerwing, JJ.A.
• Court: Court of Appeal (Saskatchewan)
• Case Date: February 25, 1999
• Jurisdiction: Saskatchewan
• Citations: (1999), 177 Sask.R. 237 (CA)

Fairhaven v. Liq. & Gaming Auth. (1999), 177 Sask.R. 237 (CA);

    199 W.A.C. 237

MLB headnote and full text

Temp. Cite: [1999] Sask.R. TBEd. JN.025

Fairhaven Billiards Inc. (appellant) v. The Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Licensing Commission and Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority (respondents)

(No. 3007)

Indexed As: Fairhaven Billiards Inc. v. Liquor and Gaming Authority (Sask.)

Saskatchewan Court of Appeal

Tallis, Cameron and Gerwing, JJ.A.

May 10, 1999.

Summary:

Fairhaven Billiards applied to the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority for a Special Use (Sporting Facility) Permit to sell alcoholic beverages. The Authority denied the permit, informing Fairhaven that it had a policy which restricted the number of billiard hall liquor permits according to the population of each community. Fairhaven appealed. The Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Licensing Commission affirmed the Authority's decision. Fairhaven applied to quash the Commission's decision.

The Saskatchewan Court of Queen's Bench, in a decision reported at 165 Sask.R. 281, dismissed the application. Fairhaven appealed.

The Saskatchewan Court of Appeal allowed the appeal and remitted the matter to the Authority for determination in a man­ner consistent with the court's reasons.

Administrative Law - Topic 9116

Boards and tribunals - Judicial review - Review of administrative policy - [See Liquor Control - Topic 503 ].

Liquor Control - Topic 503

Legislation - Commissions and boards - Jurisdiction - Fairhaven Billiards applied to the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority for a Special Use (Sporting Facility) Permit to sell alcoholic beverages - The Authority denied the permit, in­form­ing Fairhaven that it had a "policy" which restricted the number of billiard hall liquor permits according to the population of each community - The Saskatchewan Court of Appeal found that the Authority's "policy" was a mandatory and governing quota rather than a non binding guideline - The court held that the legislature intended that only the Lieutenant Gov­ernor-in-Council should have the power to place limits on the number of permits for any class and that the Alcohol and Gaming Regulation Act did not delegate that power to the Authority.

Liquor Control - Topic 4281

Licensing - Denial of license - General - [See Liquor Control - Topic 503 ].

Cases Noticed:

Fry (Elizabeth) Society of Saskatchewan Inc. v. Legal Aid Commission (Sask.), [1989] 2 W.W.R. 168; 72 Sask.R. 1 (C.A.), consd. [para. 15].

Hopedale Developments Ltd. and Oakville (Town), Re (1965), 47 D.L.R.(2d) 482 (Ont. C.A.), refd to. [para. 17].

Maple Lodge Farms v. Canada (Minister of Economic Development), [1982] 2 S.C.R. 2; 44 N.R. 354, refd to. [para. 17].

Capital Cities Communications Inc. et al. v. Canadian Radio-Television Commis­sion et al., [1978] 2 S.C.R. 141; 18 N.R. 181, refd to. [para. 17].

Friends of the Oldman River Society v. Canada (Minister of Transport and Min­is­ter of Fisheries and Oceans), [1992] 1 S.C.R. 3; 132 N.R. 321; [1992] 2 W.W.R. 193; 88 D.L.R.(4th) 1, refd to. [para. 17].

Pezim v. British Columbia Securities Com­mission et al., [1994] 2 S.C.R. 557; 168 N.R. 321; 46 B.C.A.C. 1; 75 W.A.C. 1; [1994] 7 W.W.R. 1; 92 B.C.L.R.(2d) 145; 14 B.C.R.(2d) 217; 22 Admin. L.R.(2d) 1; 114 D.L.R.(4th) 385, refd to. [para. 17].

Ainsley Financial Corp. et al. v. Ontario Securities Commission et al. (1994), 77 O.A.C. 155; 121 D.L.R.(4th) 79 (C.A.), affing. (1994), 106 D.L.R.(4th) 507 (Ont. Gen. Div.), refd to. [para. 17].

Calvin v. Carr, [1980] A.C. 574 (P.C.), refd to. [para. 22].

King v. University of Saskatchewan, [1969] S.C.R. 678, refd to. [para. 22].

Quebec v. Carrières Ste-Thérère Ltée, [1985] 1 S.C.R. 831; 59 N.R. 391; 20 D.L.R.(4th) 602, refd to. [para. 25].

Swan et al. v. Canada et al. (1990), 31 F.T.R. 241; 67 D.L.R.(4th) 390 (T.D.), refd to. [para. 25].

Law Society of Canada and Ontario (At­torney General), Re (1995), 21 O.R.(3d) 666 (Gen. Div.), refd to. [para. 26].

Christie v. Texas Industries (1985), 43 Sask.R. 90 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 28].

Counsel:

Kurt J.W. Sandstrom, for the appellant;

Rodger W. Linka, for the respondent, Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Auth­ority;

No one appearing for the respondent, Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Li­censing Commission.

This appeal was heard on February 25, 1999, before Tallis, Cameron and Gerwing, JJ.A., of the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal. The following judgment of the Court of Appeal was delivered by Tallis, J.A., on May 10, 1999.