Commercial Litigation and Dispute Resolution Blog

A recent decision from the Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench raises the issue of whether similar fact evidence may be useful in a limitations defence.

In Capital Power PPA Management Inc. v. TransAlta Corporation, 2018 ABQB 1036, Justice Rooke summarily dismissed Capital Power’s action on limitation grounds.

Capital Power and TransAlta were parties to the (now ...

On Thursday, May 17^th, 2018, the International Commercial Arbitration Amendment Act received Royal Assent. The Act significantly modernizes British Columbia’s international arbitration legislation, the International Commercial Arbitration Act (“ICAA”), bringing the province in line with current international practices in the discipline. The most ...

On September 27, 2016, I blogged about the decision of the Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench blocking approval of an arrangement in Re Marquee Energy Ltd,. and the Alberta Oilsands Inc. In that decision, the Court held that Alberta Oilsands shareholders must be allowed a shareholders vote even though the only company being “arranged” was Marquee Energy Ltd. The appeal of ...

It’s common practice in Canada to enter into a franchise agreement before determining the location of the franchise – the franchisor and franchisee typically agree that the franchisor will use “best efforts” to find a suitable location for the business, often with the franchisee’s input and participation. Once the location is determined, it is common for the ...

On September 14, 2016, Mr. Justice Macleod of the Court of Queen’s Bench of Alberta gave oral reasons for judgment in Re Marquee Energy Ltd. and The Alberta Oilsands Inc. (unreported, Action No. 1601-11071, Judicial Centre of Calgary).  In doing so, he ordered that The Alberta Oilsands Inc.’s (“AOI”) shareholders be required to vote to approve that arrangement in ...

On September 15, 2016, the Supreme Court of Canada (the “SCC) released its decision in Ledcor Construction Ltd. v Northbridge Indemnity Insurance (2016 SCC 37). In its decision, the Court considered the appropriate standard of review for standard form contracts, as well as the proper interpretation of an insurance policy exclusion clause.

Writing for all but Justice ...

On Tuesday October 20, 2015, Bill 38, the Franchises Act, successfully passed third reading. The Government of British Columbia first introduced the bill on October 6, 2015, and it is now in its final stage of enactment. The Franchises Act will come into force upon Royal Assent which is expected to be granted towards the end of 2016 or early in 2017.

Once in force, the ...

Pre-judgment garnishing orders have been called “unique and extraordinary”.  They are one of only two forms of pre-judgment execution available in B.C., the second being the far more onerous Mareva injunction. What is a pre-judgment garnishing order and what does it do?

A pre-judgment garnishing order is a way of securing funds from a debtor to satisfy a judgment you ...

In a recent decision from the BC Court of Appeal, the court once again had to struggle with the often difficult issue of what is a “chattel” and what becomes a “fixture” during the course of a commercial tenancy.  In the result, the court confirmed that the test of a chattel v. fixture is not a subjective one, but rather is objective.  Accordingly, although parties to a ...

On September 4, 2015, the Supreme Court of Canada issued its decision in Chevron Corp v Yaiguaje, 2015 SCC 42. In a unanimous decision, the Court dismissed Chevron’s appeal, holding that Canadian courts have jurisdiction to enforce a foreign judgment whether or not the original dispute or the parties to it had any connection to Canada.  The decision will have far-reaching ...