RoyNat Inc. v. Northland Properties Ltd. et al., (1993) 115 Sask.R. 272 (QB)

• Judge: Klebuc, J.
• Court: Court of Queen's Bench of Saskatchewan (Canada)
• Case Date: November 02, 1993
• Jurisdiction: Saskatchewan
• Citations: (1993), 115 Sask.R. 272 (QB);1993 CanLII 8877 (FCA);1993 CanLII 8877 (SK QB);[1994] 2 WWR 43;[1993] SJ No 581 (QL);115 Sask R 272

RoyNat Inc. v. Northland Prop. Ltd. (1993), 115 Sask.R. 272 (QB)

MLB headnote and full text

RoyNat Inc. (plaintiff/applicant) v. Northland Properties Ltd., Relax Industries Ltd., Relax Development Corporation Ltd., Terrance E. Royer, Gregory M. Royer, Randy B. Royer, Sandman Inns Ltd., Sandman Four Ltd., Royal Trust Corporation of Canada, Kornberg & Associates Ltd., Jeffrey James South and Karen Joan Rilkoff-South (defendants/respondents)

(1993 Q.B. No. 66)

Indexed As: RoyNat Inc. v. Northland Properties Ltd. et al.

Saskatchewan Court of Queen's Bench

Judicial Centre of Regina

Klebuc, J.

November 2, 1993.

Summary:

The plaintiff RoyNat Inc. sought an order under rule 173 to strike out three paragraphs of the statement of defence filed by the defendants Terrance, Gregory and Randy Royer, on the grounds that they disclosed no reasonable defence and were scandalous, frivolous or vexatious.

The Saskatchewan Court of Queen's Bench ordered one of the paragraphs struck out.

Practice - Topic 2200

Pleadings - Striking out pleadings - Gen­eral principles - Queen's Bench Rule 173 provided that the court could strike out any pleading or part thereof on certain grounds, such as if it disclosed no reasonable cause of action or was scandalous, frivolous or vexatious - The Saskatchewan Court of Queen's Bench discussed when rule 173 should be employed (see paragraphs 19 to 42) and proposed a set of ten threshold questions to be used for determining the applicability of rule 173 (see paragraph 22).

Practice - Topic 2207

Pleadings - Striking out pleadings - Ap­plication for, conditions precedent - [See Practice - Topic 2200 ].

Cases Noticed:

Hunt v. T & N plc et al., [1990] 2 S.C.R. 959; 117 N.R. 321; 4 C.C.L.T.(2d) 1; 43 C.P.C.(2d) 105; 49 B.C.L.R.(2d) 273; 74 D.L.R.(4th) 321, consd. [para. 12].

Hunt v. Carey Canada Inc. - see Hunt v. T & N plc et al.

Stagman v. Hamm, [1984] 5 W.W.R. 148; 34 Sask.R. 265 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 12].

Great Northern Railway Co. v. Cole Agencies Ltd. et al. (1964), 49 W.W.R.(N.S.) 153 (Sask. Q.B.), refd to. [para. 12].

Hubbuck & Son Ltd. v. Wilkinson, Heywood & Clark Ltd., [1899] 1 Q.B. 86; 68 L.J.(Q.B.) 34 (C.A.), consd. [para. 15].

Inuit Tapirisat of Canada and National Anti-Poverty Organization v. Canada (Attorney General), [1980] 2 S.C.R. 735; 33 N.R. 304; 115 D.L.R.(3d) 1, refd to. [para. 16].

Operation Dismantle Inc. et al. v. Canada et al., [1985] 1 S.C.R. 441; 59 N.R. 1; 13 C.R.R. 287; 18 D.L.R.(4th) 481; 12 Admin. L.R. 16, refd to. [para. 16].

Dumont et al. v. Canada (Attorney Gen­eral) and Manitoba (Attorney General), [1990] 1 S.C.R. 279; 105 N.R. 228; 65 Man.R.(2d) 182; 67 D.L.R.(4th) 159, refd to. [para. 16].

Kew v. Watt (1907), 1 Sask. L.R. 11; 7 W.L.R. 62 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 16].

Eberle v. Oliver Ltd., [1940] 2 W.W.R. 295 (Sask. C.A.), refd to. [para. 16].

Agawam Oil Col. v. Scurry-Rainbow Oil Ltd. (1962), 32 D.L.R.(2d) 298 (Sask. C.A.), refd to. [para. 16].

Govan Local School Board v. Last Moun­tain School Division No. 29, [1992] 2 W.W.R. 481; 100 Sask.R. 1; 18 W.A.C. 1 (C.A.), consd. [para. 19].

Marshall v. Saskatchewan, Petz and Adams, [1983] 2 W.W.R. 92; 20 Sask.R. 309 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 24].

American Hoist of Canada Ltd. v. Schule (1983), 29 Sask.R. 47 (Q.B.), refd to. [para. 24].

McKay (H.R.) Trucking Ltd. v. Birch Hills Co-operative Association Ltd., Midland Industrial Structures Ltd. and Federated Co-Operatives Ltd. (1983), 26 Sask.R. 309 (Q.B.), refd to. [para. 24].

Balacko v. Eaton's of Canada Ltd. (1967), 60 W.W.R.(N.S.) 22 (Sask. Q.B.), refd to. [para. 24].

Stoikopoulous v. Remenda and Laverdiere (1985), 39 Sask.R. 58 (Q.B.), refd to. [para. 26].

Bank of Montreal v. Schmidt et al. (1989), 75 Sask.R. 157 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 27].

Prince Albert (City) v. Underwood McLellan & Associates Ltd. (1965), 53 W.W.R.(N.S.) 432 (Sask. C.A.), refd to. [para. 27].

Hanson v. Board of Education of the Eston-Elrose School Division No. 33 (1986), 57 Sask.R. 273 (Q.B.), refd to. [para. 27].

P.A. Midtown Development Ltd. v. Prince Albert (City) (1983), 29 Sask.R. 184 (Q.B.), refd to. [para. 30].

Phillips and Reiger v. Board of Police Commissioners of Moose Jaw et al. (1988), 67 Sask.R. 49 (Q.B.), refd to. [para. 30].

Janson v. King (1979), 4 Sask.R. 311 (Q.B.), refd to. [para. 30].

Ringrose v. Stevenson; Ringrose v. MacDonald; Ringrose v. Haddad; Ringrose v. Clement (1982), 35 A.R. 62 (Q.B.), refd to. [para. 30].

Jones v. Kindrachuk and Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (1991), 96 Sask.R. 73 (Q.B.), refd to. [para. 30].

Bank of Montreal v. Mainland Crystal Glass Ltd. (1985), 46 Sask.R. 102 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 30].

Shiell v. Amok Ltd. and Saskatchewan Mining Development Corp. et al. (1987), 58 Sask.R. 141 (Q.B.), refd to. [para. 30].

Bloomfield v. Rosthern Union Hospital Ambulance Board et al. (1990), 82 Sask.R. 310 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 31].

Canadian Grain Co. v. Lepp et al., [1917] 1 W.W.R. 684 (Sask. Q.B.), refd to. [para. 32].

Neufeld et al. v. United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, Local 1400 (No. 2) (1984), 32 Sask.R. 245 (Q.B.), refd to. [para. 32].

Saskatchewan Government Insurance Office v. Mitchell (1957), 23 W.W.R.(N.S.), 193 (Sask. C.A.), refd to. [para. 33].

Bank of Montreal v. Neptune's Palace Yorkton Ltd., Atlas Concrete Ltd., Yorkton Lumber Supply Ltd. and A.G. Neon Art Ltd. (1985), 38 Sask.R. 287 (Q.B.), refd to. [para. 33].

Zakerson v. Jubilee Residences Inc., [1986] Sask.D. 3702-03 (Q.B.), refd to. [para. 33].

Attorney General of Duchy of Lancaster v. London & North Western Railway Co., [1892] 3 Ch. 274 (C.A.), consd. [para. 33].

Drummond-Jackson v. British Medical Association, [1970] 1 All E.R. 1094 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 35].

Sparrow v. Kauth, [1993] 2 W.W.R. 649; 106 Sask.R. 153 (Q.B.), refd to. [para. 39].

White Fox Alfalfa Seed Growers Co-Operative Marketing Association Ltd. v. A.E. McKenzie Co., [1940] 3 W.W.R. 433 (Sask. K.B.), refd to. [para. 42].

Ihnat v. Wetston (1978), 89 D.L.R.(3d) 595 (Ont. C.A.), refd to. [para. 46].

Farm Credit Corp. v. Lacombe Nurseries Ltd. et al. (1992), 125 A.R. 17; 14 W.A.C. 17; 89 D.L.R.(4th) 732 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 48].

Smail Communications Slide Art Produc­tions Ltd. v. Air Sask. Aviation Ltd. (1990), 89 Sask.R. 16 (Q.B.), consd. [para. 50].

Coghill v. Bloomquist, [1946] 2 W.W.R. 463 (Sask. K.B.), refd to. [para. 52].

Statutes Noticed:

Queen's Bench Act, R.S.S. 1978, c. Q-1, sect. 44(7) [para. 11].

Rules of Court (Sask.), Queen's Bench Rules, rule 173 [para. 1]; rule 188 [para. 11]; rule 251 [para. 52]; rule 264 [para. 19]; rule 438 [para. 52].

Counsel:

R.K. Ottenbreit, Q.C., for the plaintiff/ applicant;

D.E. Tchorzewski, for the defendants/ respondents.

This application was heard before Klebuc, J., of the Saskatchewan Court of Queen's Bench, Judicial Centre of Regina, who delivered the following judgment on No­vember 2, 1993.