Nadeau Ferme Avicole Limitée / Nadeau Poultry Farm Limited v. New Brunswick Farm Products Commission et al.,

• Jurisdiction: New Brunswick
• Judge: Larlee, Robertson and Richard, JJ.A.
• Neutral Citation: 2009 NBCA 48
• Citation: (2009), 347 N.B.R.(2d) 351 (CA),2009 NBCA 48,347 NBR (2d) 351,310 DLR (4th) 385,[2009] NBJ No 277 (QL),[2009] N.B.J. No 277 (QL),310 D.L.R. (4th) 385,347 N.B.R.(2d) 351,347 NBR(2d) 351,(2009), 347 NBR(2d) 351 (CA)
• Date: 20 August 2009
• Court: Court of Appeal (New Brunswick)

Nadeau Poultry Farm v. Farm Products Comm. (2009), 347 N.B.R.(2d) 351 (CA);

    347 R.N.-B.(2e) 351; 894 A.P.R. 351

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Sommaire et texte intégral

[French language version follows English language version]

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

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Temp. Cite: [2009] N.B.R.(2d) TBEd. SE.020

Renvoi temp.: [2009] N.B.R.(2d) TBEd. SE.020

Nadeau Ferme Avicole Limitée/Nadeau Poultry Farm Limited (appellant) v. The New Brunswick Farm Products Commission, Chicken Farmers of New Brunswick and Groupe Westco Inc. (respondents)

(110-08-CA; 2009 NBCA 48)

Indexed As: Nadeau Poultry Farm Ltd. v. New Brunswick Farm Products Commission et al.

Répertorié: Nadeau Poultry Farm Ltd. v. New Brunswick Farm Products Commission et al.

New Brunswick Court of Appeal

Larlee, Robertson and Richard, JJ.A.

August 20, 2009.

Summary:

Résumé:

Nadeau, operating New Brunswick's only chicken processing plant, was dependent on Westco, the major supplier of its chickens. Westco advised that it would no longer supply chickens to Nadeau, choosing to ship them to its own processing plants in Quebec. Nadeau requested that Chicken Farmers of New Brunswick (CFNB), a provincial marketing board, issue a "plant supply allocation order" forcing Westco, and other suppliers, to supply Nadeau with 85% of the chickens it needed before they could market surplus chickens interprovincially. CFNB ruled that it had no jurisdiction to order that Westco, or any other producer, be restricted from marketing their chickens interprovincially until the needs of New Brunswick processors were met. Nadeau appealed under s. 65(1) of the Natural Products Act. The New Brunswick Farm Products Commission affirmed the CFNB decision, stating further that neither CFNB nor the Commission had authority to "establish a plant allocation system" that would impact on a producer's right to market chickens "interprovincially". Nadeau appealed under s. 71 of the Act.

The New Brunswick Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal. The Commission's decision was subject to the correctness standard of review. The Commission did not err in finding that CFNB had no jurisdiction to issue plant supply allocation orders.

Administrative Law - Topic 9122

Boards and tribunals - Administrative appeals - Scope of appeal or standard of review - [See Trade Regulation - Topic 3743 ].

Constitutional Law - Topic 5670

Federal jurisdiction (s. 91) - Regulation of trade and commerce - Interprovincial trade - [See Trade Regulation - Topic 3743 ].

Constitutional Law - Topic 7284

Provincial jurisdiction (s. 92) - Property and civil rights - Regulatory statutes - Intraprovincial trade - [See Trade Regulation - Topic 3743 ].

Constitutional Law - Topic 7300.4

Provincial jurisdiction (s. 92) - Property and civil rights - Regulatory statutes - Agricultural marketing - [See Trade Regulation - Topic 3743 ].

Trade Regulation - Topic 3532

Marketing of agricultural products - Boards - Decisions or appeal - Scope of review - [See Trade Regulation - Topic 3743 ].

Trade Regulation - Topic 3743

Marketing of agricultural products - Fowl - Jurisdiction - Board or commission - Nadeau operated New Brunswick's only chicken processing plant - Westco was its major supplier of chickens - Westco decided that it would ship its chickens to its own Quebec processing plants rather than Nadeau's - Nadeau requested that the Chicken Farmers of New Brunswick (CFNB), a provincial marketing board, issue a "plant supply allocation order" forcing Westco, and other producers in New Brunswick, to supply Nadeau with 85% of the chickens it needed before marketing surplus chickens interprovincially - CFNB ruled that it had no jurisdiction to order that chicken producers be restricted from marketing their chickens interprovincially until the needs of New Brunswick processors were met - The New Brunswick Farm Products Commission affirmed the CFNB decision, stating further that neither CFNB nor the Commission had authority to "establish a plant allocation system" that would affect a producer's right to market chickens "interprovincially" - The New Brunswick Court of Appeal dismissed Nadeau's appeal - The Commission's decision on jurisdiction, which was a question of law (statutory interpretation), was subject to the correctness standard of review - The Commission did not err in finding that CFNB had no jurisdiction to issue plant supply allocation orders - After considering the federal-provincial agreement on the production and marketing of chickens, and the interlocking federal-provincial legislation implementing that agreement, the court determined that "neither the federal Parliament nor the provincial Legislature has delegated to the CFNB the authority to issue a plant supply allocation order that would affect the right of chicken producers in New Brunswick to sell their product to whomever they wish, irrespective of whether the sale qualifies as intraprovincial or interprovincial trade" - The only limitation on producers was not to exceed their individual production quotas - The court declined CFNB's submission that authority could be inferred, because such an inference would be inconsistent with the objectives of cooperative federal-provincial scheme for marketing live chickens throughout Canada.

Droit administratif - Cote 9122

Commissions et tribunaux - Appels administratifs - Étendue de l'appel ou norme de révision - [Voir Administrative Law - Topic 9122 ].

Droit constitutionnel - Cote 5670

Competence fédérale (art. 91) - Réglementation des échanges et du commerce - Commerce interprovincial - [Voir Constitutional Law - Topic 5670 ].

Droit constitutionnel - Cote 7284

Competence provinciale (art. 92) - Propriété et droits civils - Lois de réglementation - Commerce intraprovincial - [Voir Constitutional Law - Topic 7284 ].

Droit constitutionnel - Cote 7300.4

Competence provinciale (art. 92) - Propriété et droits civils - Lois de réglementation - Mise en marché agricole - [Voir Constitutional Law - Topic 7300.4 ].

Réglementation du commerce - Cote 3532

Commercialisation des produits agricoles - Commissions ou offices - Décisions ou appel - Étendue de la révision - [Voir Trade Regulation - Topic 3532 ].

Réglementation du commerce - Cote 3743

Commercialisation des produits agricoles - Volaille - Compétence - Office ou commission - [Voir Trade Regulation - Topic 3743 ].

Cases Noticed:

New Brunswick (Board of Management) v. Dunsmuir, [2008] 1 S.C.R. 190; 372 N.R. 1; 329 N.B.R.(2d) 1; 844 A.P.R. 1; 2008 SCC 9, refd to. [para. 4].

Pushpanathan v. Canada (Minister of Citizenship and Immigration), [1998] 1 S.C.R. 982, addendum [1998] 1 S.C.R. 1222; 226 N.R. 201, refd to. [para. 4].

Khosa v. Canada (Minister of Citizenship and Immigration) (2009), 385 N.R. 206; 2009 SCC 12, refd to. [para. 5].

Syndicat national des employés de la Commission scolaire régionale de l'Outaouais (CSN) v. Union des employés de service, local 298 (FTQ), [1988] 2 S.C.R. 1048; 95 N.R. 161; 24 Q.A.C. 244, refd to. [para. 7].

Bibeault - see Syndicat national des employés de la Commission scolaire régionale de l'Outaouais (CSN) v. Union des employés de service, local 298 (FTQ).

Union des employés de service, local 298 v. Bibeault - see Syndicat national des employés de la Commission scolaire régionale de l'Outaouais (CSN) v. Union des employés de service, local 298 (FTQ).

U.E.S., Local 298 v. Bibeault - see Union des employés de service.

Barrie Public Utilities et al. v. Canadian Cable Television Association et al., [2003] 1 S.C.R. 476; 304 N.R. 1; 2003 SCC 28, refd to. [para. 7].

GreenIsle Environmental Inc. v. New Brunswick (Minister of the Environment and Local Government) (2007), 311 N.B.R.(2d) 161; 803 A.P.R. 161; 2007 NBCA 9, refd to. [para. 7].

Fédération des producteurs volailles du Québec et al. v. Pelland, [2005] 1 S.C.R. 292; 332 N.R. 201; 2005 SCC 20, refd to. [para. 9].

Shannon v. Lower Mainland Dairy Products Board, [1938] A.C. 708 (P.C.), refd to. [para. 11].

Home Oil Distributors v. British Columbia (Attorney General), [1940] S.C.R. 444, refd to. [para. 11].

Carnation Co. v. Agricultural Marketing Board (Que.), [1968] S.C.R. 238, refd to. [para. 11].

Canadian Indemnity Co. et al. v. British Columbia (Attorney General), [1977] 2 S.C.R. 504; 11 N.R. 466, refd to. [para. 11].

Reference Re Farm Products Marketing Act (Ont.), [1957] S.C.R. 198, refd to. [para. 11].

Manitoba (Attorney General) v. Manitoba Egg and Poultry Association, [1971] S.C.R. 689, refd to. [para. 12].

Agricultural Products Marketing Act, R.S.C. 1970, Farm Products Marketing Agencies Act, S.C. 1972, Farm Products Marketing Act, R.S.O. 1970, Re, [1978] 2 S.C.R. 1198; 19 N.R. 361, refd to. [para. 14].

Allan et al. v. Ontario (Attorney General) et al. (2005), 201 O.A.C. 18; 76 O.R.(3d) 616 (Div. Ct.), refd to. [para. 28].

Authors and Works Noticed:

Hogg, Peter W., Constitutional Law of Canada (5th Ed.) (2007 Looseleaf Supp.), vol. 1, pp. 21-17, 21-18 [para. 11]; 21-19 [para. 12]; 21-20 [para. 13].

Counsel:

Avocats:

Christopher J. Stewart, Leon Price and Ron Folks, for the appellant;

G. Robert Basques, Q.C., for the Chicken Farmers of New Brunswick;

John P. Townsend, Q.C., for Groupe Westco Inc.;

John M. McNair, for the New Brunswick Farm Products Commission.

This appeal was heard on June 10, 2009, before Larlee, Robertson and Richard, JJ.A., of the New Brunswick Court of Appeal.

On August 20, 2009, the judgment of the Court was delivered in both official languages by Robertson, J.A.