Ross River Dena Council Band et al. v. Canada et al., (1999) 131 B.C.A.C. 219 (YukCA)

• Judge: Richard, Finch and Hudson, JJ.A.
• Court: Court of Appeal (Yukon Territory)
• Case Date: December 15, 1999
• Jurisdiction: Yukon
• Citations: (1999), 131 B.C.A.C. 219 (YukCA);1999 BCCA 750

Ross River Dena Band v. Can. (1999), 131 B.C.A.C. 219 (YukCA);

    214 W.A.C. 219

MLB headnote and full text

Temp. Cite: [2000] B.C.A.C. TBEd. JA.002

Norman Sterriah, on behalf of all Members of the Ross River Dena Council Band and Ross River Dena Development Corporation (petitioners/respondents) v. Her Majesty The Queen in Right of Canada and The Government of Yukon (respondents/appellants)

(98-YU400; Yukon-1999 BCCA 750)

Indexed As: Ross River Dena Council Band et al. v. Canada et al.

Yukon Court of Appeal

Richard, Finch and Hudson, JJ.A.

December 15, 1999.

Summary:

An Indian band claimed reserve status for land used as a band village site. The claim was made to obtain an exemption under s. 87 of the Indian Act from payment of tax on the sale of tobacco under the Tobacco Tax Act.

The Yukon Supreme Court held that a reserve was created and granted a declar­ation to that effect. The federal Crown appealed.

The Yukon Court of Appeal, Finch, J.A., dissenting, allowed the appeal.

Indians, Inuit and Métis - Topic 5502

Lands - Reserves - What constitutes - [See Indians, Inuit and Métis - Topic 5507 ].

Indians, Inuit and Métis - Topic 5507

Lands - Reserves - Creation of - An Indian band claimed reserve status for its band village site - A Chambers judge granted a declaration that the tract of land was a reserve within the Indian Act - The Yukon Court of Appeal reversed the deci­sion - There was no order-in-council or other official instrument creating or recog­nizing the tract as a reserve - Neither was there an intention by the federal Crown to create a reserve, either directly or by express or implied delegation to any offi­cial - The documentation relied upon by the band (a Cabinet directive and a depart­mental letter) did not have the legal effect of creating a reserve, but only to set aside lands for the Indian Affairs Branch (not the band) - See paragraphs 75 to 149.

Cases Noticed:

Carltona Ltd. v. Works Commissioners, [1946] 2 All E.R. 560 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 34].

Guerin v. Canada, [1984] 2 S.C.R. 335; 55 N.R. 161; [1985] 1 C.N.L.R. 120; 13 D.L.R.(4th) 321, refd to. [para. 37].

Nowegijick v. Minister of National Rev­enue et al., [1983] 1 S.C.R. 29; 46 N.R. 41; [1983] 2 C.N.L.R. 89; 83 D.T.C. 5041; 144 D.L.R.(3d) 193, refd to. [para. 39].

Blueberry River Indian Band and Doig River Indian Band v. Canada (Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Develop­ment), [1995] 4 S.C.R. 344; 190 N.R. 89; [1996] 2 C.N.L.R. 25; 130 D.L.R.(4th) 193, refd to. [para. 40].

St. Mary's Indian Band et al. v. Cranbrook (City), [1997] 2 S.C.R. 657; 213 N.R. 290; 92 B.C.A.C. 161; 150 W.A.C. 161; [1997] 3 C.N.L.R. 282, refd to. [para. 41].

Hay River (Town) v. Canada, [1980] 1 F.C. 262; 101 D.L.R.(3d) 184 (T.D.), refd to. [paras. 43, 93].

Erasmus et al. v. Minister of National Revenue, [1992] 2 F.C. 681; 145 N.R. 321 (F.C.A.), consd. [para. 103].

Dene Nation v. Canada - see Erasmus et al. v. Minister of National Revenue.

St. Catharine's Milling and Lumber Co. v. R. (1889), 14 App. Cas. 46 (P.C.), refd to. [para. 46].

Ontario Mining Co. v. Seybold, [1903] A.C. 73, refd to. [para. 47].

Canadian Pacific Ltd. v. Paul et al., [1988] 2 S.C.R. 654; 89 N.R. 325; 91 N.B.R.(2d) 43; 232 A.P.R. 43; [1989] 1 C.N.L.R. 47, refd to. [para. 48].

Faries v. Minister of National Revenue (1992), 92 D.T.C. 1142 (T.C.C.), consd. [para. 102].

Architectural Institute of British Columbia v. Lee's Design & Engineering Ltd. (1979), 96 D.L.R.(3d) 385 (B.C.S.C.), refd to. [para. 144].

Statutes Noticed:

Indian Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. I-6, sect. 2(1) [para. 8]; sect. 4(3) [para. 101]; sect. 18(1), sect. 21, sect. 87(1) [para. 8].

Territorial Lands Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. T-7, sect. 2, sect. 8, sect. 23(d) [para. 9].

Authors and Works Noticed:

Bartlett, Richard, The Establishment of Indian Reserves on the Prairies, [1980] 3 C.N.L.R. 3, generally [para. 49].

Dawson, Robert MacGregor, The Govern­ment of Canada (6th Ed. 1987), p. 178 [para. 58].

Hogg, Peter W., Constitutional Law of Canada (1998), p. 15 [para. 57].

Mallory, J.R., The Structure of Canadian Government (1984), p. 154 [para. 159].

Counsel:

B.R. Evernden and J.A. Hutchinson, for the appellant, Her Majesty The Queen in Right of Canada;

R.S. Veale and R.S. Niblock, for the re­spondents.

This appeal was heard at Whitehorse, Yukon, on May 26 and 27, 1999, before Richard, Finch and Hudson, JJ.A., of the Yukon Court of Appeal.

On December 15, 1999, at Vancouver, British Columbia, the judgment was delivered for the Court of Appeal and the following opinions were filed:

Finch, J.A., dissenting - see paragraphs 1 to 74;

Richard, J.A. - see paragraphs 75 to 110;

Hudson, J.A. - see paragraphs 111 to 149.