R. v. Fraser Inc., (1993) 139 N.B.R.(2d) 125 (PC)

JudgePérusse, P.C.J.
CourtProvincial Court of New Brunswick (Canada)
Case DateJuly 15, 1993
JurisdictionNew Brunswick
Citations(1993), 139 N.B.R.(2d) 125 (PC)

R. v. Fraser Inc. (1993), 139 N.B.R.(2d) 125 (PC);

    139 R.N.-B.(2e) 125; 357 A.P.R. 125

MLB headnote and full text

[French language version follows English language version]

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

....................

Her Majesty The Queen, on the information of Roger Bélanger, an Inspector under the Clean Environment Act (informant) v. Fraser Inc. (defendant)

Indexed As: R. v. Fraser Inc.

New Brunswick Provincial Court

Pérusse, P.C.J.

July 15, 1993.

Summary:

An underground pipeline connecting two pulp and paper mills corroded and broke. The break allowed a contaminant to escape which may have caused water pollution. The corporate owner of the pipeline, the pulp and paper company, was charged under s. 33(1)(b) of the Clean Environment Act. The company pleaded guilty.

The New Brunswick Provincial Court imposed sentence accordingly.

Civil Rights - Topic 5649

Equality and protection of the law - Com­panies - [See Pollution Control - Topic 9106 ].

Courts - Topic 1704

Powers - General - To seal the evidence - An underground pipeline connecting two pulp and paper mills experienced prema­ture failure due to corrosion - Fraser Inc., the corporate owner, was charged with contaminating a watercourse under the Clean Environment Act - Fraser was owned by Noranda - At the trial, Fraser asked that evidence concerning its cor­porate size and financial figures, be sealed - The Crown did not consent to the ap­plication and noted that there was no statutory basis for ordering either an in camera hearing or nonpublication of part of the evidence - The New Brunswick Provincial Court declined to seal the evi­dence - See paragraph 60.

Evidence - Topic 16

General and definitions - Ban on publica­tion - [See Courts - Topic 1704 ].

Pollution Control - Topic 9106

Offences - Absolute liability offences - Discharge of pollutant - An underground pipeline connecting two pulp and paper mills experienced premature failure due to corrosion - The corporate owner was charged with contaminating a watercourse under the Clean Environment Act - The New Brunswick Provincial Court noted that while public welfare type offences were mostly strict liability offences, "[t]he Province of New Brunswick has deemed for corporate individuals that this type of offence is an absolute liability offence ..." - The court observed that the difference in treatment between individuals and cor­porations might constitute a breach of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms - See paragraphs 10 and 11.

Pollution Control - Topic 9183

Offences - Sentencing - Considerations - A corporate defendant was charged under the Clean Environment Act with con­taminating a watercourse - The New Brunswick Provincial Court listed some 23 factors to be considered in sentencing - See paragraph 12.

Pollution Control - Topic 9185

Offences - Sentencing - Probation - A corporate defendant was charged under the Clean Environment Act with contaminating a watercourse - The New Brunswick Provincial Court discussed the issue of when it would be appropriate to impose a period of probation in sentencing a cor­porate defendant - See paragraphs 57 to 59.

Pollution Control - Topic 9276

Offences - Sentences, fines and penalties - Discharge of pollutant - An under­ground pipeline connecting two pulp and paper mills experienced premature failure due to corrosion - It discharged some 67,500 gallons of "white water" into a watercourse - A further 25,000 gallons were discharged during the repair process - The corporate owner was charged with a pollution offence under the Clean En­vironment Act - The owner pleaded guilty - First offence - No evidence of actual environmental damage - The owner had an ongoing pipe replacement program - The failed pipe was only half way through its 50 year life expectancy - The maxi­mum penalty was one million dollars -The New Brunswick Provincial Court imposed a fine of $3,000 as well as a 15% sur­charge of $450 - The court found that the pipe's failure was not reasonably foresee­able - See paragraphs 35 and 62.

Practice - Topic 3711

Evidence - Sealed evidence - General - [See Courts - Topic 1704 ].

Practice - Topic 5003

Conduct of trial - General principles - Ban on publication - [See Courts - Topic 1704 ].

Cases Noticed:

Reference Re Section 94(2) of the Motor Vehicle Act (B.C.), [1985] 2 S.C.R. 486; 63 N.R. 266; [1986] 1 W.W.R. 481; 23 C.C.C.(3d) 289; 48 C.R.(3d) 289; 69 B.C.L.R. 145; 36 M.V.R. 240; 24 D.L.R.(4th) 536; 18 C.R.R. 30, refd to. [para. 10].

R. v. Wholesale Travel Group Inc. and Chedore, [1991] 3 S.C.R. 154; 130 N.R. 1; 49 O.A.C. 161; 67 C.C.C.(3d) 193; 8 C.R.(4th) 145, refd to. [para. 10].

R. v. McCain Foods Ltd. (1984), 4 F.P.R. 300 (N.B. Prov. Ct.), refd to. [para. 51, Appendix A].

R. v. New Brunswick Coal Ltd. (1987), F.P.R. 317 (N.B. Prov. Ct.), refd to. [para. 51, Appendix A].

R. v. Midland Transport Ltd. (1991), 113 N.B.R.(2d) 135; 285 A.P.R. 135 (Prov. Ct.), refd to. [para. 51, Appendix A].

R. v. United Keno Hill Mines Ltd. (1980), 10 C.E.L.R. 43 (Y.T. Terr. Ct.), refd to. [paras. 51, 56, Appendix A].

R. v. Irving Oil Ltd. (1991), 121 N.B.R.(2d) 249; 304 A.P.R. 249 (Prov. Ct.), refd to. [para. 51, Appendix A].

R. v. Oxford Frozen Foods Ltd. (1989), 91 N.S.R.(2d) 334; 233 A.P.R. 334; 5 C.E.L.R.(N.S.) 37 (Co. Ct.), refd to. [para. 51, Appendix A].

R. v. Bata Industries Ltd. (1992), 7 C.E.L.R.(N.S.) 245 (Ont. Prov. Div.), affd. by Cosgrove, J., of the Div. Ct. on June 30, 1993 (A1289/92), refd to. [para. 51, Appendix A].

R. v. Kenaston Drilling (Arctic) Ltd. (1973), 12 C.C.C.(2d) 383; 41 D.L.R.(3d) 252 (N.W.T.S.C.), refd to. [para. 51, Appendix A].

R. v. Shamrock Chemicals Ltd. (1989), 4 C.E.L.R.(N.S.) 315 (Ont. Dist. Co.), refd to. [para. 51, Appendix A].

R. v. Panarctic Oils Ltd. (1983), 43 A.R. 199; 12 C.E.L.R. 78 (N.W.T. Terr. Ct.), refd to. [para. 51, Appendix A].

R. v. Canadian Marine Drilling Ltd. (1983), 51 A.R. 359; 13 C.E.L.R. 8 (N.W.T. Terr. Ct.), refd to. [para. 51, Appendix A].

Statutes Noticed:

Clean Environment Act, R.S.N.B. 1973, c. C-6, sect. 33(1)(b), sect. 34 [para. 2].

Clean Environment Act Regulations (N.B.), Reg. 82-126, sect. 3(2) [para. 2].

Provincial Offences Procedure Act, S.N.B. 1987, c. P-22.1, sect. 74(1), sect. 74(3)(a), sect. 74(3)(g), sect. 74(5)(b), sect. 74(8), sect. 75(1) [para. 3].

Victims Services Act, S.N.B. 1987, c. V-2.1, sect. 17, sect. 18(1)(a), sect. 18(1)(c), sect. 18(2) [para. 4].

Authors and Works Noticed:

Canada, Law Reform Commission, Sentencing in Environmental Cases, Protection of Life Series (by John Swaigen and Gail Bunt), pp. 39, 41, 42 [para. 55].

Counsel:

Keith McCormick, for the Crown;

Levi E. Clain, Q.C., for the defendant.

This matter was heard in Edmundston, New Brunswick, by Pérusse, P.C.J., of the New Brunswick Provincial Court, who imposed the following sentence orally on July 15, 1993.

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2 practice notes
  • R. v. PCS Cassidy Lake Co., [2002] N.B.R.(2d) (Supp.) No. 101 (PC)
    • Canada
    • New Brunswick Provincial Court of New Brunswick (Canada)
    • January 18, 2002
    ...d'une ordonnance d'application ou d'un agrément - [Voir Pollution Control - Topic 9281 ]. Cases Noticed: R. v. Fraser Inc. (1993), 139 N.B.R.(2d) 125; 357 A.P.R. 125 (Prov. Ct.), refd to. [para. David L. Colwell, for the Crown; R. Gary Faloon, Q.C., for the defendant. This matter was heard ......
  • R. v. Potacan Mining Co., (1996) 183 N.B.R.(2d) 54 (PC)
    • Canada
    • New Brunswick Provincial Court of New Brunswick (Canada)
    • November 29, 1996
    ...]. Cases Noticed: R. v. Bata Industries Ltd. (1992), 7 C.E.L.R.(N.S.) 245 (Ont. Prov. Div.), refd to. [para. 31]. R. v. Fraser Inc. (1993), 139 N.B.R.(2d) 125; 357 A.P.R. 125 (Prov. Ct.), refd to. [para. Statutes Noticed: Clean Water Act, S.N.B. 1989, c. C-6.1, sect. 12(1)(a) [para. 3]; sec......
2 cases
  • R. v. PCS Cassidy Lake Co., [2002] N.B.R.(2d) (Supp.) No. 101 (PC)
    • Canada
    • New Brunswick Provincial Court of New Brunswick (Canada)
    • January 18, 2002
    ...d'une ordonnance d'application ou d'un agrément - [Voir Pollution Control - Topic 9281 ]. Cases Noticed: R. v. Fraser Inc. (1993), 139 N.B.R.(2d) 125; 357 A.P.R. 125 (Prov. Ct.), refd to. [para. David L. Colwell, for the Crown; R. Gary Faloon, Q.C., for the defendant. This matter was heard ......
  • R. v. Potacan Mining Co., (1996) 183 N.B.R.(2d) 54 (PC)
    • Canada
    • New Brunswick Provincial Court of New Brunswick (Canada)
    • November 29, 1996
    ...]. Cases Noticed: R. v. Bata Industries Ltd. (1992), 7 C.E.L.R.(N.S.) 245 (Ont. Prov. Div.), refd to. [para. 31]. R. v. Fraser Inc. (1993), 139 N.B.R.(2d) 125; 357 A.P.R. 125 (Prov. Ct.), refd to. [para. Statutes Noticed: Clean Water Act, S.N.B. 1989, c. C-6.1, sect. 12(1)(a) [para. 3]; sec......

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