Court Of Appeal Summaries (September 30-October 4)

Following are this week's summaries of the civil decisions of the Court of Appeal for Ontario.

In Darmar Farms Inc. v Syngenta Canada Inc., the Court reinstated a claim for negligence in the premature commercialization of a genetically modified corn product that resulted in the ban of all North American corn in China. This flooded the North American market and reduced the sale price. The Court found that the motion judge should not have struck the claim as disclosing no reasonable cause of action. This was a novel claim and the full proximity analysis, known as the Anns/Cooper test, had not been performed. The Court revived the claim, to allow it to proceed to trial.

In Murphy v Savoie, the Court agreed with the trial judge that a Family Protection Coverage endorsement in a commercial auto policy extends to protect the spouse of the named insured if the accident occurred during a time when the named insured could have been using the vehicle. So long as the named insured had the ability to operate the motor vehicle at the time of the accident, it did not matter that he was not in fact "on duty".

Other topics this week included family law, costs in the wills and estates context, contractual interpretation, assessment of accounts in the condominium law context, and stay pending leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada.

Table of Contents

Civil Decisions

AM v CH (Publication Ban), 2019 ONCA 764

Keywords: Family Law, Custody and Access, Civil Procedure, Fresh Evidence, Divorce Act, RSC 1985, c 3 (2nd Supp), s16, Children's Law Reform Act, RSO 1990, c C 12, s 24, s28, Health Care Consent Act, 1996, SO 1996, c 2, Sched A, s 10, Palmer v The Queen, [1980] 1 SCR 759

Lilydale Cooperative Limited v Meyn Canada Inc., 2019 ONCA 761

Keywords: Civil Procedure, Third Party Claims, Limitation Periods, Discoverability, Appropriate Means, Res Judicata, Issue Estoppel, Abuse of Process, Limitations Act, 2002, SO 2002, c 24, ss 5, 18, Toronto (City) v CUPE, Local 79, 2003 SCC 63, Danyluk v Ainsworth Technologies Inc., 2001 SCC 44, Mega International Commercial Bank (Canada) v Yung, 2018 ONCA 429, 407 ETR Concession Co v Day, 2016 ONCA 709, Ridel Goldberg, 2019 ONCA 636

Ting (Re), 2019 ONCA 768

Keywords: Civil Procedure, Appeals, Stay Pending Appeal, Bankruptcy and Insolvency, Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act, s. 269, Supreme Court Act, s. 65.1(1), Iroquois Falls Power Corporation v Ontario Electricity Financial Corporation, 2016 ONCA 616

Temedio v Niagara North Condominium Corporation No. 6, 2019 ONCA 762

Keywords: Real Property, Condominiums, Compliance Proceedings, Civil Procedure, Legal Fees, Assessment, Injunctions, Solicitors Act, s 4(1), 9(2), 11, Condominium Act, s 134(1) and (5), 85(1), (2), and (5), Plazavest Financial Corp. v National Bank of Canada (2000), 47 OR (3d) 641, at p 651 (CA)

Valley v. Hay, 2019 ONCA 770

Keywords: Family Law, Spousal Support, Child Support, Equalization of Net Family Property, Set-Off, Family Law Rules, O. Reg. 114/99, Hickey v Hickey, [1999] 2 SCR 518, Senos v Karcz, 2014 ONCA 459, Pirner v Pirner, [2005] OJ No 5093 (CA), Mason v Mason, 2016 ONCA 725, Ludmer v Ludmer, 2014 ONCA 827

Kahlon v ACE INA Insurance, 2019 ONCA 774

Keywords: Contracts, Interpretation, Insurance, Automobile, Coverage, Underinsurance, Contra Preferentem, Royal & Sun Alliance Insurance Company of Canada v Intact Insurance Company, 2017 ONCA 381, Progressive Homes v Lombard General Insurance Co of Canada, 2010 SCC 33, Chilton v. Cooperators General Insurance Co (1997), 32 O.R. (3d) 161 (CA), Pilot Insurance Co v Sutherland, 2007 ONCA 492, Scanlon v Castlepoint Development Corp et al, [1992] OJ No 2692 (CA)

Reynolds v Alcohol and Gaming (Registrar), 2019 ONCA 788

Keywords: Administrative Law, Alcohol and Gaming Regulation, Cannabis Regulation, Judicial Review, Civil Procedure, Appeals, Stay Pending Appeal, Crown Liability and Proceedings Act, 2019, SO 2019, c 7, Sched 17, s 11(2), Cannabis Licence Act, 2018, SO 2018, c 12, Sched. 2, s 48(1) and (2), General, O Reg 468/18, s 8 3(3)

Birtzu v McCron, 2019 ONCA 777

Keywords: Civil Procedure, Costs, Wills and Estates, Conversion, Capacity, Undue Influence, Suspicious Circumstances, Limitation Periods, Sufficiency of Reasons

Murphy v Savoie, 2019 ONCA 784

Keywords: Contracts, Insurance, Automobile, Coverage, Civil Procedure, Determination of Question of Law, Statutory Accident Benefits - accidents on or after November 1, 1996, s. 66, O.Reg. 403/96, Rules of Civil Procedure, Rule 21.01(1)(a), Intact Insurance Co. v Old Republic Insurance Co., 2016 CarswellOnt 7645 (SCJ), Royal & Sun Alliance Insurance Company of Canada v Intact Insurance Company, 2017 ONCA 381

Mississippi River Power Corporation v WSP Canada Inc., 2019 ONCA 771

Keywords: Contracts, Interpretation, Exclusion Clauses

Potentia Renewables Inc. v Deltro Electric Ltd., 2019 ONCA 779

Keywords: Contracts, Interpretation, Bankruptcy and Insolvency, Receiverships, Civil Procedure, Applications, Fresh Evidence, Rules of Civil Procedure, Rule 14.06(3), Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act, RSC 1985, c B-3, 671122 Ontario Ltd. v Sagaz Industries Canada Inc., 2001 SCC 59, Western Larch Limited v Di Poce Management Limited, 2013 ONCA 722

Central Park Ajax Developments Phase 1 Inc. v Ajax (Town)., 2019 ONCA 793

Keywords: Contracts, Interpretation, Real Property

Darmar Farms Inc. v Syngenta Canada Inc., 2019 ONCA 798

Keywords: Torts, Negligence, Duty of Care, Proximity, Anns/Cooper Test, Negligent Misrepresentation, Civil Procedure, Class Proceedings, Striking Pleadings, No Reasonable Cause of Action, Competition Act, RSC 1985, c C-34, s 52, Rules of Civil Procedure, Rule 21.01(1)(b), Nash v. Ontario (1995), 27 OR (3d) 1 (CA), Das v George Weston Ltd., 2018 ONCA 1053, In re Syngenta AG MIR 162 Corn Litigation (2015), 131 F Supp 3d 1177 (D Kan), Kang v Sun Life Assurance Co. of Canada, 2013 ONCA 118, Mortazavi v. University of Toronto, 2013 ONCA 655, Taylor v Canada (Attorney General), 2012 ONCA 479, Pearson v Inco Ltd., [2001] OTC 919, Gaur v Datta, 2015 ONCA 151, Best v Ranking, 2015 ONSC 6269, Janssen-Ortho Inc. v. Amgen Canada Inc. (2005), 256 DLR (4th) 407, Web Offset Publications Ltd v Vickery (1999), 43 (OR) (3d) 802, R v Imperial Tobacco Canada Ltd., 2011 SCC 42, Deloitte & Touche v. Livent Inc. (Receiver of), 2017 SCC 63, Design Services Ltd. v. Canada, 2008 SCC 22, Martel Buildings Ltd. v. Canada, 2000 SCC 60, Sauer v Canada (Attorney General), 2007 ONCA 454, Hoffman v Monsanto, 2005 SKQB 225, Donoghue v Stevenson, [1932] AC 562

Short Civil Decisions

Apex Results Realty Inc. v Zaman, 2019 ONCA 766

Keywords: Contracts, Real Property, Buyer Representation Agreements, Civil Procedure, Summary Judgment, Counterclaims

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