Robb v. Walker, 2015 BCCA 117

• Judge: Chiasson, Tysoe and Willcock, JJ.A.
• Court: Court of Appeal (British Columbia)
• Case Date: January 16, 2015
• Jurisdiction: British Columbia
• Citations: 2015 BCCA 117;(2015), 369 B.C.A.C. 170 (CA)

Robb v. Walker (2015), 369 B.C.A.C. 170 (CA);

    634 W.A.C. 170

MLB headnote and full text

Temp. Cite: [2015] B.C.A.C. TBEd. MR.047

Garry Douglas Robb (respondent/plaintiff) v. Christopher Michael Walker (appellant/defendant)

(CA041683; 2015 BCCA 117)

Indexed As: Robb v. Walker

British Columbia Court of Appeal

Chiasson, Tysoe and Willcock, JJ.A.

March 18, 2015.

Summary:

Walker owned waterfront property that was the site of a marina and a proposed development. The property was served by an easement that had provided road access and a utility corridor over Robb's property since the 1960s. Walker wanted to install a sewer line along the length of the easement to connect his property to a sewage treatment plant. Robb sought a declaration that the easement did not permit Walker to place the sewer line across the easement and an injunction to restrain him from installing the line.

The British Columbia Supreme Court, in a decision reported at [2014] B.C.T.C. Uned. 408, granted the declaration sought by Robb. Walker appealed.

The British Columbia Court of Appeal, Chiasson, J.A., dissenting, dismissed the appeal.

Contracts - Topic 7490

Interpretation - Intrinsic aids - Recitals - See paragraphs 26 to 28.

Contracts - Topic 7521

Interpretation - Surrounding circumstances - General - See paragraphs 26 to 28, 31 and 32.

Practice - Topic 8808

Appeals - General principles - Duty of appellate court respecting conclusions or interpretation of trial judge (incl. contractual interpretation) - See paragraphs 40 to 43.

Real Property - Topic 7077

Easements, licences and prescriptive rights - Rights of way - Extent of (incl. interpretation) - See paragraphs 29 to 43.

Cases Noticed:

McDonell v. Lambourn Holdings Ltd. (1977), 4 B.C.L.R. 58 (S.C.), refd to. [para. 6].

Selby v. Crystal Palace Gas Co. (1862), 45 E.R. 1178, refd to. [para. 18].

Dukart v. Surrey (District) et al., [1978] 2 S.C.R. 1039; 21 N.R. 471, refd to. [para. 23].

Aspdin v. Austin (1844), 5 Q.B. 657, refd to. [para. 26].

Lorne Park, Re (1913), 18 D.L.R. 595 (Ont. H.C.), refd to. [para. 26].

Creston Moly Corp. v. Sattva Capital Corp. (2014), 461 N.R. 335; 358 B.C.A.C. 1; 614 W.A.C. 1; 2014 SCC 53, refd to. [paras. 27, 45].

Ellenborough Park, Re; Davies, Re; Powell v. Maddison, [1956] 1 Ch. 131; [1955] 3 All E.R. 667, refd to. [para. 30].

Granfield v. Cowichan Valley (Regional District) (1996), 71 B.C.A.C. 81; 117 W.A.C. 81; 16 B.C.L.R.(3d) 382 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 32].

King v. Operating Engineers Training Institute of Manitoba Inc. (2011), 270 Man.R.(2d) 63; 524 W.A.C. 63; 2011 MBCA 80, refd to. [para. 40].

Hayes Forest Services Ltd. v. Weyerhaeuser Co. (2008), 250 B.C.A.C. 286; 416 W.A.C. 286; 2008 BCCA 31, refd to. [para. 45].

269893 Alberta Ltd. v. Otter Bay Developments Ltd. et al. (2009), 266 B.C.A.C. 98; 449 W.A.C. 98; 2009 BCCA 37, refd to. [para. 45].

Association des parents ayants droit de Yellowknife et al. v. Northwest Territories (Attorney General) et al. (2015), 593 A.R. 180; 637 W.A.C. 180; 2015 NWTCA 2, agreed with [para. 49].

Housen v. Nikolaisen et al. (2002), 286 N.R. 1; 219 Sask.R. 1; 272 W.A.C. 1; 2002 SCC 33, refd to. [para. 49].

Selby v. Crystal Palace Gas Co. (1862), 4 De G.F. & J. 246, refd to. [para. 68].

Authors and Works Noticed:

Odgers, Construction of Deeds and Statutes (5th Ed. 1967), p. 159 [para. 26].

Counsel:

J.A. Hall, for the appellant;

P.C.M. Freeman, Q.C., and K.O. Hamilton, for the respondent.

This appeal was heard at Vancouver, B.C., on January 16, 2015, by Chiasson, Tysoe and Willcock, JJ.A., of the British Columbia Court of Appeal. On March 18, 2015, the Court's judgment was delivered, including the following opinions:

Willcock, J.A. (Tysoe, J.A., concurring) - see paragraphs 1 to 43;

Chiasson, J.A., dissenting - see paragraphs 44 to 76.