Burlington Northern Railroad Co. v. Canadian National Railway Co., [1997] 1 SCR 5

Burlington Northern Railroad Co. v. Canadian National Railway Co., [1997] 1 S.C.R. 5

Canadian National Railway Company                                              Appellant

v.

Burlington Northern Railroad Company                                          Respondent

Indexed as:  Burlington Northern Railroad Co. v. Canadian National Railway Co.

File No.:  24857.

1997:  January 21.

Present:  La Forest, Sopinka, Gonthier, Cory, McLachlin, Iacobucci and Major JJ.

on appeal from the court of appeal for british columbia

                   Arbitration ‑‑ Stay of proceedings ‑‑ Arbitration agreement not inoperative ‑‑ Order staying court action restored.

                   APPEAL from a judgment of the British Columbia Court of Appeal (1995), 59 B.C.A.C. 97, 98 W.A.C. 97, 7 B.C.L.R. (3d) 80, 20 B.L.R. (2d) 145, allowing the  respondent’s appeal from an order of Thackray J., [1993]  B.C.J. No. 2975, [1995] B.C.W.L.D. 2252, granting an application for a stay of proceedings.  Appeal allowed.

                   Douglas W. Lahay, for the appellant.

                   Richard R. E. DeFilippi, for the respondent.

                   The judgment of the Court was delivered orally by

1                 La Forest J. ‑‑ We are all of the view that the appeal should be allowed for the reasons given by Cumming J.A., the dissenting judge in the Court of Appeal. Accordingly, the appeal is allowed, the judgment of the Court of Appeal is set aside and the order of Thackray J., pronounced December 3, 1993, staying the action, is restored. The appellant is entitled to its costs in this Court and in the Court of Appeal.

                   Judgment accordingly.

                   Solicitors for the appellant:  Clark, Wilson, Vancouver.

                   Solicitors for the respondent:  Douglas, Symes & Brissenden, Vancouver.