Robb v. Walker, 2015 BCCA 117

JudgeChiasson, Tysoe and Willcock, JJ.A.
CourtCourt of Appeal (British Columbia)
Case DateJanuary 16, 2015
JurisdictionBritish Columbia
Citations2015 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.

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49 practice notes
  • Owners, Strata Plan LMS 3905 v. Crystal Square Parking Corp., 2020 SCC 29
    • Canada
    • Supreme Court (Canada)
    • October 23, 2020
    ...58 O.R. (3d) 481; The Owners, Strata Plan BCS 4006 v. Jameson House Ventures Ltd., 2019 BCCA 144, 22 B.C.L.R. (6th) 35; Robb v. Walker, 2015 BCCA 117, 69 B.C.L.R. (5th) 249; Arbutus Bay Estates Ltd. v. Canada (Attorney General), 2017 BCCA 374, 3 B.C.L.R. (6th) 59; Sattva Capital Corp. v. Cr......
  • General Principles of Interpretation
    • Canada
    • Irwin Books The Law of Contracts. Third Edition Interpretation of Agreements
    • August 4, 2020
    ...Northwest Territories (Attorney General) v Association des parents ayants droit de Yellowknife , 2015 NWTCA 2 at para 24; Robb v Walker , 2015 BCCA 117 at para 48. 302 Sattva , above note 17 at para 48 [emphasis added]. General Principles of Interpretation 857 most heavily — though not excl......
  • Court Of Appeal Summaries (August 23-27, 2021)
    • Canada
    • Mondaq Canada
    • August 31, 2021
    ...2021 SCC 29, McLean v. McLean, 2013 ONCA 788, Owners, Strata Plan LMS 3905 v. Crystal Square Parking Corp., 2020 SCC 29, Robb v. Walker, 2015 BCCA 117, Gibbs v. Grand Bend (Village) (1995), 129 D.L.R. (4th) 449 (Ont. C.A.), Middlesex Centre (Municipality) v. MacMillan, 2016 ONCA 475, Neilso......
  • Court Of Appeal Summaries (August 23-27, 2021)
    • Canada
    • Mondaq Canada
    • August 31, 2021
    ...2021 SCC 29, McLean v. McLean, 2013 ONCA 788, Owners, Strata Plan LMS 3905 v. Crystal Square Parking Corp., 2020 SCC 29, Robb v. Walker, 2015 BCCA 117, Gibbs v. Grand Bend (Village) (1995), 129 D.L.R. (4th) 449 (Ont. C.A.), Middlesex Centre (Municipality) v. MacMillan, 2016 ONCA 475, Neilso......
  • Request a trial to view additional results
41 cases
  • Owners, Strata Plan LMS 3905 v. Crystal Square Parking Corp., 2020 SCC 29
    • Canada
    • Supreme Court (Canada)
    • October 23, 2020
    ...58 O.R. (3d) 481; The Owners, Strata Plan BCS 4006 v. Jameson House Ventures Ltd., 2019 BCCA 144, 22 B.C.L.R. (6th) 35; Robb v. Walker, 2015 BCCA 117, 69 B.C.L.R. (5th) 249; Arbutus Bay Estates Ltd. v. Canada (Attorney General), 2017 BCCA 374, 3 B.C.L.R. (6th) 59; Sattva Capital Corp. v. Cr......
  • Rosas v. Toca, 2018 BCCA 191
    • Canada
    • Court of Appeal (British Columbia)
    • May 18, 2018
    ...50. It is not open to this Court to set aside the judgment simply because we might interpret the contract differently: Robb v. Walker, 2015 BCCA 117 at para. 41. The issues in this appeal are therefore reviewable on the standard of palpable and overriding error, absent an extricable error i......
  • MacDonald v. Chicago Title Ins., (2015) 341 O.A.C. 299 (CA)
    • Canada
    • Court of Appeal (Ontario)
    • September 22, 2015
    ...482; 2015 ABCA 121, leave to appeal granted, 2015 CarswellAlta 1769; 2015 CarswellAlta 1770, refd to. [para. 25]. Robb v. Walker (2015), 369 B.C.A.C. 170; 634 W.A.C. 170; 2015 BCCA 117, refd to. [para. Investors Compensation Scheme Ltd. v. West Bromwich Building Society, [1998] 1 All E.R. 9......
  • Langlois v. Tessaro, 2018 BCSC 1463
    • Canada
    • Supreme Court of British Columbia (Canada)
    • August 30, 2018
    ...Easements, 17th ed., (London: Sweet and Maxwell, 2002) at 324. Easements are to be interpreted as contractual documents: Robb v. Walker, 2015 BCCA 117 at paras. 30–31; Arbutus Bay Estates Ltd. v. Canada (Attorney General), 2017 BCCA 374. In Arbutus Bay, Justice Tysoe discussed the correct a......
  • Request a trial to view additional results
3 firm's commentaries
  • Court Of Appeal Summaries (August 23-27, 2021)
    • Canada
    • Mondaq Canada
    • August 31, 2021
    ...2021 SCC 29, McLean v. McLean, 2013 ONCA 788, Owners, Strata Plan LMS 3905 v. Crystal Square Parking Corp., 2020 SCC 29, Robb v. Walker, 2015 BCCA 117, Gibbs v. Grand Bend (Village) (1995), 129 D.L.R. (4th) 449 (Ont. C.A.), Middlesex Centre (Municipality) v. MacMillan, 2016 ONCA 475, Neilso......
  • Court Of Appeal Summaries (August 23-27, 2021)
    • Canada
    • Mondaq Canada
    • August 31, 2021
    ...2021 SCC 29, McLean v. McLean, 2013 ONCA 788, Owners, Strata Plan LMS 3905 v. Crystal Square Parking Corp., 2020 SCC 29, Robb v. Walker, 2015 BCCA 117, Gibbs v. Grand Bend (Village) (1995), 129 D.L.R. (4th) 449 (Ont. C.A.), Middlesex Centre (Municipality) v. MacMillan, 2016 ONCA 475, Neilso......
  • COURT OF APPEAL SUMMARIES (AUGUST 23-27, 2021)
    • Canada
    • LexBlog Canada
    • August 27, 2021
    ...2021 SCC 29, McLean v. McLean, 2013 ONCA 788, Owners, Strata Plan LMS 3905 v. Crystal Square Parking Corp., 2020 SCC 29, Robb v. Walker, 2015 BCCA 117, Gibbs v. Grand Bend (Village) (1995), 129 D.L.R. (4th) 449 (Ont. C.A.), Middlesex Centre (Municipality) v. MacMillan, 2016 ONCA 475, Neilso......
1 books & journal articles
  • General Principles of Interpretation
    • Canada
    • Irwin Books The Law of Contracts. Third Edition Interpretation of Agreements
    • August 4, 2020
    ...Northwest Territories (Attorney General) v Association des parents ayants droit de Yellowknife , 2015 NWTCA 2 at para 24; Robb v Walker , 2015 BCCA 117 at para 48. 302 Sattva , above note 17 at para 48 [emphasis added]. General Principles of Interpretation 857 most heavily — though not excl......

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