Nelson v. Halifax (Regional Municipality), 2005 NSSC 210

• Judge: Hood, J.
• Court: Supreme Court of Nova Scotia (Canada)
• Case Date: June 14, 2005
• Jurisdiction: Nova Scotia
• Citations: 2005 NSSC 210;(2005), 235 N.S.R.(2d) 58 (SC)

Nelson v. Halifax (2005), 235 N.S.R.(2d) 58 (SC);

    747 A.P.R. 58

MLB headnote and full text

Temp. Cite: [2005] N.S.R.(2d) TBEd. AU.001

Halifax Regional Municipality (applicant/defendant) v. Dennis Nelson (respondent/plaintiff)

(SH 168672; 2005 NSSC 210)

Indexed As: Nelson v. Halifax (Regional Municipality)

Nova Scotia Supreme Court

Hood, J.

June 16, 2005.

Summary:

The plaintiff, a former firefighter, brought a negligence action for damages against his former employer (municipality), alleging he suffered hearing loss while on the job. The municipality applied under Civil Procedure Rule 13 for summary judgment dismissing the claim, submitting that the court lacked jurisdiction to hear a claim that fell squarely within the ambit of the collective agreement, within the exclusive jurisdiction of an arbitrator.

The Nova Scotia Supreme Court granted summary judgment dismissing the claim.

Labour Law - Topic 6906

Industrial relations - Collective agreement - Civil action - Jurisdiction - The plaintiff, a former firefighter, brought a negligence action for damages against his former employer (municipality), alleging he suffered hearing loss in an on-the-job injury - The municipality applied under Civil Procedure Rule 13 for summary judgment dismissing the claim, submitting that the court lacked jurisdiction to hear a claim that fell squarely within the ambit of the collective agreement, within the exclusive jurisdiction of an arbitrator - The Nova Scotia Supreme Court granted summary judgment dismissing the claim - The collective agreement in effect at the relevant time exclusively reserved dispute resolution for the grievance/arbitration procedure - The dispute arose explicitly or inferentially out of the collective agreement - The action arose out of the employer/employee relationship and was governed by the collective agreement - The fact that the plaintiff did not avail himself of remedies under the grievance/arbitration process, or that a remedy was denied or was not seen as adequate by the plaintiff, did not provide a reason for the courts to become involved in a matter to be dealt with under the Trade Union Act and the relevant collective agreement.

Labour Law - Topic 9076

Public service labour relations - Remedies - Civil action - When available - [See Labour Law - Topic 6906 ].

Cases Noticed:

Binder v. Royal Bank of Canada et al. (2003), 216 N.S.R.(2d) 363; 680 A.P.R. 363 (S.C.), refd to. [para. 2].

United Gulf Developments Ltd. et al. v. Iskandar et al. (2004), 222 N.S.R.(2d) 137; 701 A.P.R. 137; 2004 NSCA 35, refd to. [para. 2].

Guarantee Co. of North America v. Gordon Capital Corp. (1999), 247 N.R. 97; 126 O.A.C. 1; 178 D.L.R.(4th) 1 (S.C.C.), refd to. [para. 2].

Weber v. Ontario Hydro, [1995] 2 S.C.R. 929; 183 N.R. 241; 82 O.A.C. 321, refd to. [para. 3].

New Brunswick v. O'Leary, [1995] 2 S.C.R. 967; 183 N.R. 229; 163 N.B.R.(2d) 97; 419 A.P.R. 97, refd to. [para. 3].

Vaughan v. Canada (2005), 331 N.R. 64 (S.C.C.), refd to. [para. 3].

Pleau v. Canada (Attorney General) et al. (1999), 181 N.S.R.(2d) 356; 560 A.P.R. 356 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 4].

Allen et al. v. Alberta et al., [2003] 1 S.C.R. 128; 301 N.R. 174; 327 A.R. 1; 296 W.A.C. 1, refd to. [para. 9].

St. Anne Nackawic Pulp & Paper Co. v. Canadian Paper Workers Union, Local 219, [1986] 1 S.C.R. 704; 68 N.R. 112; 73 N.B.R.(2d) 236; 184 A.P.R. 236, refd to. [para. 16].

Nova Scotia Union of Public Employees, Local 2 v. Halifax Regional School Board (1998), 171 N.S.R.(2d) 373; 519 A.P.R. 373 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 31].

Piko v. Hudson's Bay Co. (1997), 24 O.T.C. 238 (Gen. Div.), refd to. [para. 32].

Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse (Que.) v. Quebec (Attorney General) et al., [2004] 2 S.C.R. 185; 321 N.R. 290, refd to. [para. 38].

Human Rights Commission (Que.) v. Quebec (Attorney General) - see Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse (Que.) v. Quebec (Attorney General) et al.

Regina Police Association Inc. and Shotton v. Board of Police Commissioners of Regina, [2000] 1 S.C.R. 360; 251 N.R. 16; 189 Sask.R. 23; 216 W.A.C. 23, refd to. [para. 38].

Imperial Oil Ltd. et al. v. Atlantic Oil Workers Union, Local No. 1 et al. (2004), 227 N.S.R.(2d) 1; 720 A.P.R. 1 (S.C.), dist. [para. 39].

Counsel:

Karen Lynn Brown, for the applicant/defendant;

William Joseph Chisholm, for the respondent/plaintiff.

This application was heard on June 14, 2005, at Halifax, N.S., before Hood, J., of the Nova Scotia Supreme Court, whose following oral judgment of June 16, 2005, was released in writing on August 3, 2005.