Goodswimmer et al. v. Canada et al., 2005 ABQB 479

• Judge: Sulyma, J.
• Court: Court of Queen's Bench of Alberta (Canada)
• Case Date: February 01, 2005
• Citations: 2005 ABQB 479;(2005), 385 A.R. 131 (QB)

Goodswimmer v. Can. (2005), 385 A.R. 131 (QB)

MLB headnote and full text

Temp. Cite: [2005] A.R. TBEd. JL.071

Chief Melvin Goodswimmer and Jerry Goodswimmer, Walter Goodswimmer, Francis Goodswimmer, Pierre Chowace, Mildred Chowace and Donald Badger, Councillors of the Sturgeon Lake Indian Band and on behalf of the Sturgeon Lake Indian Band and the Sturgeon Lake Indian Band (plaintiffs/applicant) v. Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada and Her Majesty The Queen in Right of Alberta (defendants)

(9703 06332; 2005 ABQB 479)

Indexed As: Goodswimmer et al. v. Canada et al.

Alberta Court of Queen's Bench

Judicial District of Edmonton

Sulyma, J.

June 28, 2005.

Summary:

The plaintiffs, an Indian band and councillors of the band, commenced an action against the Federal Crown (Canada) and Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Alberta (Alberta). The plaintiffs sought declarations with respect to their rights to certain lands, an order requiring Alberta to transfer the lands, including the mineral rights, to Canada in trust for the plaintiffs, and compensation and damages. Discovery issues arose, prompting two motions, the first by the plaintiffs asking that Canada be directed to provide certain information, and the second by Canada which sought a direction that oral discoveries begin with a particular topic.

The Alberta Court of Queen's Bench discussed the discovery issues and ruled accordingly.

Practice - Topic 4252

Discovery - Examination - Range of - Questions related to or relevant and material to issues between the parties - The plaintiffs, an Indian band and councillors of the band, commenced an action against the Federal Crown (Canada) and Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Alberta (Alberta) - The plaintiffs sought declarations with respect to their rights to certain lands, an order requiring Alberta to transfer the lands, including the mineral rights, to Canada in trust for the plaintiffs, and compensation and damages - Discovery issues arose - The Alberta Court of Queen's Bench discussed what matters were discoverable in this type of case in light of the relevance and materiality test set out in rule 186.1 of the Alberta Rules of Court - The court ruled on what matters were discoverable in this case (e.g., questions relating to negotiations and conduct relating to land entitlement agreements with other bands) and directed that a particular issue be the initial topic for discovery - See paragraphs 3 to 61.

Cases Noticed:

Hepworth v. Canadian Equestrian Federation et al. (2000), 277 A.R. 138; 242 W.A.C. 138; 2000 ABCA 327, refd to. [para. 6].

Gienow Building Products Ltd. v. Tremco Inc. et al. (2000), 255 A.R. 273; 220 W.A.C. 273; 78 Alta. L.R.(3d) 40; 42 C.P.C.(4th) 1; 186 D.L.R.(4th) 730; 2000 CarswellAlta 302; 2000 ABCA 105, refd to. [para. 6].

R. v. Badger (W.C.) et al., [1996] 1 S.C.R. 771; 195 N.R. 1; 181 A.R. 321; 116 W.A.C. 321, refd to. [para. 13].

R. v. Marshall (D.J.), Jr., [1999] 3 S.C.R. 456; 246 N.R. 83; 178 N.S.R.(2d) 201; 549 A.P.R. 201, refd to. [para. 13].

R. v. Taylor and Williams (1981), 34 O.R.(2d) 360 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 13].

Lac La Ronge Indian Band et al. v. Canada and Saskatchewan (1999), 188 Sask.R. 1; 1999 SKQB 218, revd. (2001), 213 Sask.R. 1; 260 W.A.C. 1; 206 D.L.R.(4th) 638; 2001 SKCA 109, leave to appeal dismissed (2002), 302 N.R. 197; 241 Sask.R. 78; 313 W.A.C. 78 (S.C.C.), refd to. [para. 13].

Halfway River First Nation v. British Columbia (Minister of Forests) et al. (1999), 129 B.C.A.C. 32; 210 W.A.C. 32; 178 D.L.R.(4th) 666; 1999 BCCA 470, refd to. [para. 13].

Mikisew Cree First Nation v. Canada (Minister of Canadian Heritage) et al. (2005), 342 N.R. 82 (S.C.C.), refd to. [para. 21].

Poitras v. Sawridge Indian Band et al., [2001] F.T.R. Uned. 226; 2001 CarswellNat 935 (T.D.), refd to. [para. 23].

Nowak v. Sanyshyn; WN Construction Ottawa Ltd. v. Nowak (1979), 23 O.R.(2d) 797; 9 C.P.C. 303 (H.C.), refd to. [para. 24].

Rogers v. Bank of Montreal, [1985] 4 W.W.R. 508; 62 B.C.L.R. 387 (B.C.C.A.), refd to. [para. 24].

Alberta Wheat Pool v. Dawson Resources Ltd. et al. (No. 1), [1987] 2 W.W.R. 532; 75 A.R. 348; 49 Alta. L.R.(2d) 176; 14 C.P.C.(2d) 242 (Q.B.), affd. (1987), 17 C.P.C.(2d) xxxix (Alta. C.A.) refd to. [para. 24].

Alberta Wheat Pool v. Estrin - see Alberta Wheat Pool v. Dawson Resources Ltd. et al. (No. 1).

Petro Can Oil and Gas Corp. v. Resource Service Group Ltd. (1988), 59 Alta. L.R.(2d) 34; 90 A.R. 220; 32 C.P.C.(2d) 50 (Q.B.), refd to. [para. 24].

Miller (Ed) Sales & Rentals Ltd. v. Caterpillar Tractor Co., [1992] 5 W.W.R. 531; 3 Alta. L.R.(3d) 210 (Q.B.), refd to. [para. 24].

Middelkamp et al. v. Fraser Valley Real Estate Board et al. (1992), 17 B.C.A.C. 134; 29 W.A.C. 134; 96 D.L.R.(4th) 227 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 26].

Ortega et al. v. 1005640 Ontario Inc. et al., [1999] O.T.C. Uned. 713 (Sup. Ct. Master), refd to. [para. 28].

Barrett v. Newfoundland and Labrador Credit Union (1997), 159 Nfld. & P.E.I.R. 83; 492 A.P.R. 83 (Nfld. T.D.), refd to. [para. 28].

Johnston v. Bryant et al. (2003), 327 A.R. 378; 296 W.A.C. 378 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 35].

A.M. v. Matthews et al., [2004] A.R. Uned. 226; 2004 ABQB 152, refd to. [para. 35].

Pinder v. Sproule et al., [2003] 7 W.W.R. 128; 333 A.R. 132; 13 Alta. L.R.(4th) 124; 2003 ABQB 33, refd to. [para. 35].

R. v. Van der Peet (D.M.), [1996] 2 S.C.R. 507; 200 N.R. 1; 80 B.C.A.C. 81; 130 W.A.C. 81, refd to. [para. 37].

Wewayakum Indian Band v. Canada and Wewayakai Indian Band, [2002] 4 S.C.R. 245; 297 N.R. 1; 2002 SCC 79, refd to. [para. 37].

Cheyne v. Alberta, [2003] A.J. No. 350; 2003 ABQB 244, refd to. [para. 40].

Mikisew Cree First Nation v. Canada et al. (2003), 341 A.R. 365; 2003 ABQB 316, refd to. [para. 41].

T.W. v. University of Alberta Hospital et al. (2000), 267 A.R. 169; 2000 ABQB 387, refd to. [para. 44].

K. v. E.K. et al. (2004), 362 A.R. 195; 2004 ABQB 159, refd to. [para. 47].

321665 Alberta Ltd. v. Mobil Oil Canada et al., [2002] A.R. Uned. 564; 2002 ABQB 967, refd to. [para. 47].

Sigalov v. Tranmer (1996), 184 A.R. 221; 122 W.A.C. 221 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 48].

Dorchak v. Krupka (1997), 196 A.R. 81; 141 W.A.C. 81 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 51].

Buffalo et al. v. Canada (Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development) et al. (1995), 184 N.R. 139; 125 D.L.R.(4th) 294 (F.C.A.), refd to. [para. 51].

Samson Indian Nation and Band v. Canada - see Buffalo et al. v. Canada (Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development) et al.

Statutes Noticed:

Rules of Court (Alta.), rule 186.1 [para. 5].

Authors and Works Noticed:

Cudmore, Gordon D., Choate on Discovery (2nd Ed.) (1993 Looseleaf Update), p. 3-150.1 [para. 28].

Fradsham, Alan A., Alberta Rules of Court Annotated (2005), p. 448 [para. 6].

Sopinka, John, Lederman, Sidney N., and Bryant, Alan W., The Law of Evidence in Canada (2nd Ed. 1999), p. 815 [para. 26].

Counsel:

Jeffrey R.W. Rath, for the plaintiffs;

Paul Shenher, Sherry Daniels and Sheila Reid, for the defendant, Canada;

Michell G. Crighton, for the defendant, Alberta;

Kevin W. Fedorak, for the defendant, Town of Valleyview.

These motions were heard on February 1, 2005, before Sulyma, J., of the Alberta Court of Queen's Bench, Judicial District of Edmonton, who delivered the following judgment on June 28, 2005.