Fontaine et al. v. Canada (Attorney General) et al., (2015) 368 B.C.A.C. 220 (CA)

JudgeBauman, C.J.B.C., D. Smith and Willcock, JJ.A.
CourtCourt of Appeal (British Columbia)
Case DateFebruary 18, 2015
JurisdictionBritish Columbia
Citations(2015), 368 B.C.A.C. 220 (CA);2015 BCCA 95

Fontaine v. Can. (A.G.) (2015), 368 B.C.A.C. 220 (CA);

    633 W.A.C. 220

MLB headnote and full text

Temp. Cite: [2015] B.C.A.C. TBEd. MR.024

Ivor Deneway Myers, John Douglas Blackbird, Louise Pierre, Ronald George Martin (appellants/plaintiffs) v. Larry Philip Fontaine in his personal capacity and in his capacity as the Executor of the Estate of Agnes Mary Fontaine, deceased, Michelline Ammaq, Percy Archie, Charles Baxter Sr., Elijah Baxter, Evelyn Baxter, Donald Belcourt, Nora Bernard, John Bosum, Janet Brewster, Rhonda Buffalo, Ernestine Caibaiosai-Gidmark, Michael Carpan, Brenda Cyr, Deanna Cyr, Malcolm Dawson, Anne Dene, Benny Doctor, Lucy Doctor, James Fontaine in his personal capacity and in his capacity as the Executor of the Estate of Agnes Mary Fontaine, deceased, Vincent Bradley Fontaine, Dana Eva Marie Francey, Peggy Good, Fred Kelly, Rosemarie Kuptana, Elizabeth Kusiak, Theresa Larocque, Jane McCullum, Cornelius McComber, Veronica Marten, Stanley Thomas Nepetaypo, Flora Northwest, Norman Pauchey, Camble Quatell, Alvin Barney Saulteaux, Christine Semple, Dennis Smokeyday, Kenneth Sparvier, Edward Tapiatic, Helen Winderman and Adrian Yellowknee (appellants/plaintiffs) and The Attorney General of Canada, The Presbyterian Church in Canada, The General Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada, The United Church of Canada, The Women's Missionary Society of the Presbyterian Church, The Baptist Church in Canada, Board of Home Missions and Social Services of the Presbyterian Church in Bay, The Canada Impact North Ministries of the Company for the Propagation of the Gospel in New England (also known as The New England Company), The Diocese of Saskatchewan, The Diocese of the Synod of Cariboo, The Foreign Mission of the Presbyterian Church in Canada, The Incorporated Synod of the Diocese of Huron, The Methodist Church of Canada, The Missionary Society of the Anglican Church of Canada, The Missionary Society of the Methodist Church of Canada (also known as The Methodist Missionary Society of Canada), The Incorporated Synod of the Diocese of Algoma, The Synod of the Anglican Church of the Diocese of Quebec, The Synod of the Diocese of Athbasca, The Synod of the Diocese of Brandon, The Anglican Synod of the Diocese of British Columbia, The Synod of the Diocese of Calgary, The Synod of the Diocese of Keewatin, The Synod of the Diocese of Qu'appelle, The Synod of the Diocese of New Westminster, The Synod of the Diocese of Yukon, The Trustee Board of the Presbyterian Church in Canada, The Board of Home Missions and Social Service of the Presbyterian Church of Canada, The Women's Missionary Society of the United Church of Canada, Sisters of Charity, a Body Corporate also known as Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent De Paul, Halifax, also known as Sisters of Charity Halifax, Roman Catholic Episcopal Corporation of Halifax, Les Soeurs De Notre Dame-Auxiliatrice, Les Soeurs De St. Francois D'Assise, Institut Des Soeurs du Bon Conseil, Les Soeurs De Saint-Joseph De Saint-Hyancithe, Les Soeurs De Jesusmarie, Les Soeurs De L'Assomption De La Saint Vierge De L'Alberta, Les Soeurs De La Charite De St. Hyacithe, Les Oeuvres Oblates De L'Ontario, Les Residences Oblates du Quebec, La Corporation Episcopale Catholique Romaine De La Baie James (The Roman Catholic Episcopal Corporation of James Bay), The Catholic Diocese of Moosonnee, Soeurs Grises De Montreal/Grey Nuns of Montreal, Sisters of Charity (Grey Nuns) of Alberta, Les Soeurs De La Charite Des T.N.O., Hotel-Dieu De Nicolet, The Grey Nuns of Manitoba Inc.-Les Soeurs Grises du Manitoba Inc., La Corporation Episcopale Catholique Romaine De La Baie D'Hudson - The Roman Catholic Episcopal Corporation of Hudson's Bay, Missionary Oblates - Grandin Province, Les Oblats De Marie Immaculee du Manitoba, The Archiepiscopal Corporation of Regina, The Sisters of the Presentation, The Sisters of St. Josephe of Sault St. Marie, Sisters of Charity of Ottawa, Oblates of Mary Immaculate - St. Peter's Province, The Sisters of Saint Anne, Sisters of Instruction of the Child Jesus, The Benedictine Sisters of Mt. Angel Oregon, Les Peres Montfortains, The Roman Catholic Bishop of Kamloops, Corporation Sole, The Bishop of Victoria, Corporation Sole, The Roman Catholic Bishop of Nelson, Corporation Sole, Order of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate in the Province of British Columbia, The Sisters of Charity, The Sisters of Charity of Providence of Western Canada, La Corporation Episcopale Catholique Romaine De Grouard, Roman Catholic Episcopal Corporation of Keewatin, La Corporation Archiepiscoplae Catholique Romaine De St. Boniface, Les Missionnaires Oblates Sisters De St. Boniface - The Missionary Oblates Sisters of St. Boniface, Roman Catholic Archiepiscopal Corporation of Winnipeg, La Corporation Episcopale Catholique Romaine De Prince Albert, The Roman Catholic Bishop of Thunder Bay, Immaculate Heart Community of Los Angeles CA, Archdiocese of Vancouver - The Roman Catholic Archbishop of Vancouver, Roman Catholic Diocese of Whitehorse, The Catholic Episcopale Corporation of MacKenzie Fort Smith, The Roman Catholic Episcopale Corporation of Prince Rupert, Episcopal Corporation of Saskatoon, Omi Lacombe Canada Inc. and Mt. Angel Abbey Inc. (respondents/defendants)

(CA41450; CA41445; CA41448; CA41449; 2015 BCCA 95)

Indexed As: Fontaine et al. v. Canada (Attorney General) et al.

British Columbia Court of Appeal

Bauman, C.J.B.C., D. Smith and Willcock, JJ.A.

March 6, 2015.

Summary:

The appellants, Aboriginal persons who wished to advance claims for abuse and injuries suffered while attending Indian residential schools, missed the deadline to apply to the Independent Assessment Process under the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement. They applied for an order extending the application deadline or deeming their applications to have been filed on time. At issue was whether the court had jurisdiction to grant such relief.

The British Columbia Supreme Court, in a decision reported at [2012] B.C.T.C. Uned. 839, dismissed the application, holding that it did not have jurisdiction to grant the order. The appellants appealed.

The British Columbia Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal. While all the sympathies favoured the appellants, the Agreement was clear that the deadline was intended to be absolute. The court did not have the jurisdiction to vary or extend that deadline.

Editor's Note: there are several decisions involving these parties.

Courts - Topic 2001.1

Jurisdiction - General principles - Remedies - General - See paragraphs 1 to 25.

Courts - Topic 2004

Jurisdiction - General principles - Inherent jurisdiction (incl. parens patriae jurisdiction and jurisdiction to stay an action) - See paragraphs 1 to 25.

Cases Noticed:

Quatell et al. v. Canada (Attorney General), [2006] B.C.T.C. Uned. A87; 2006 BCSC 1840, refd to. [para. 2].

Winterbottom v. Wright (1842), 10 M. & W. 109; 152 E.R. 402, refd to. [para. 10].

Lavier v. MyTravel Canada Holidays Inc. et al., [2011] O.T.C. Uned. 3149; 2011 ONSC 3149, refd to. [para. 13].

Bodnar et al. v. Cash Store Inc. et al. (2011), 310 B.C.A.C. 300; 526 W.A.C. 300; 2011 BCCA 384, refd to. [para. 14].

Fontaine et al. v. Canada (Attorney General) et al., [2012] B.C.T.C. Uned. 839; 2012 BCSC 839, refd to. [para. 15].

Counsel:

D. Shea and C.B. Flannigan, for the appellant, Ivor Deneway Myers;

C.A. Coughlan, for the respondent, Attorney General of Canada;

J. Michaels, for the appellant, Louise Pierre;

E. Watson, for the appellant, Ronald George Martin.

This appeal was heard at Vancouver, British Columbia, on February 18, 2015, by Bauman, C.J.B.C., D. Smith and Willcock, JJ.A., of the British Columbia Court of Appeal. The following reasons for judgment of the Court of Appeal were delivered by Bauman, C.J.B.C., on March 6, 2015.

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7 practice notes
  • Fontaine v. Canada (Attorney General), 2018 ONSC 103
    • Canada
    • Superior Court of Justice of Ontario (Canada)
    • January 4, 2018
    ...ONSC 2487 [H15019, K10106, and Metatawabin #2]; Fontaine v. Canada (AG), 2017 BCSC 946 at para. 20 [T00178].[104] Myers v. Canada (AG), 2015 BCCA 95. [105] Fontaine c. Canada (Procureur général), 2013 QCCS 553.[106] Fontaine v. Duboff Edwards Haight & Schachter, 2012 ONCAa-count="18" da......
  • McLean v. Canada (Attorney General), 2023 FC 1093
    • Canada
    • Federal Court (Canada)
    • August 10, 2023
    ...by way of comparison, Lavier v MyTravel Canada Holidays Inc, 2011 ONSC 3149 at paragraphs 35–36; Myers v Canada (Attorney General), 2015 BCCA 95 [Myers] (dealing with the IRSSA). While such closure benefits Canada, class members received other benefits in exchange. Thus, section 29 s......
  • Fontaine v. Canada (Attorney General), 2018 BCSC 471
    • Canada
    • Supreme Court of British Columbia (Canada)
    • March 23, 2018
    ...decision on whether to admit a claim as final. [22] [46] Ms. Coughlan reminded the court that in Myers v. Canada (Attorney General), 2015 BCCA 95, the British Columbia Court of Appeal recognized that one of the items the defendants bargained for in the IRSSA was the certainty of a bright-l......
  • Fontaine v. Canada (Attorney General), 2018 ONSC 5197
    • Canada
    • Superior Court of Justice of Ontario (Canada)
    • September 5, 2018
    ...title="" id="_ftn29">[29] Fontaine v. Canada (Attorney General), (5 May 2014), (BCSC) L051875. [30] Fontaine v. Canada (Attorney General), 2015 BCCA 95. [31] Factum of the Chief Adjudicator of the Indian Residential Schools Adjudication Secretariat, para. [32]MsoNormal" align="right" style=......
  • Request a trial to view additional results
7 cases
  • Fontaine v. Canada (Attorney General), 2018 ONSC 103
    • Canada
    • Superior Court of Justice of Ontario (Canada)
    • January 4, 2018
    ...ONSC 2487 [H15019, K10106, and Metatawabin #2]; Fontaine v. Canada (AG), 2017 BCSC 946 at para. 20 [T00178].[104] Myers v. Canada (AG), 2015 BCCA 95. [105] Fontaine c. Canada (Procureur général), 2013 QCCS 553.[106] Fontaine v. Duboff Edwards Haight & Schachter, 2012 ONCAa-count="18" da......
  • McLean v. Canada (Attorney General), 2023 FC 1093
    • Canada
    • Federal Court (Canada)
    • August 10, 2023
    ...by way of comparison, Lavier v MyTravel Canada Holidays Inc, 2011 ONSC 3149 at paragraphs 35–36; Myers v Canada (Attorney General), 2015 BCCA 95 [Myers] (dealing with the IRSSA). While such closure benefits Canada, class members received other benefits in exchange. Thus, section 29 s......
  • Fontaine v. Canada (Attorney General), 2018 BCSC 471
    • Canada
    • Supreme Court of British Columbia (Canada)
    • March 23, 2018
    ...decision on whether to admit a claim as final. [22] [46] Ms. Coughlan reminded the court that in Myers v. Canada (Attorney General), 2015 BCCA 95, the British Columbia Court of Appeal recognized that one of the items the defendants bargained for in the IRSSA was the certainty of a bright-l......
  • Fontaine v. Canada (Attorney General), 2018 ONSC 5197
    • Canada
    • Superior Court of Justice of Ontario (Canada)
    • September 5, 2018
    ...title="" id="_ftn29">[29] Fontaine v. Canada (Attorney General), (5 May 2014), (BCSC) L051875. [30] Fontaine v. Canada (Attorney General), 2015 BCCA 95. [31] Factum of the Chief Adjudicator of the Indian Residential Schools Adjudication Secretariat, para. [32]MsoNormal" align="right" style=......
  • Request a trial to view additional results

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