DRL Vacations Ltd. v. Halifax Port Authority, 2003 FC 1084

                                                                                                                                   Date: 20030919

                                                                                                                                Docket: T-704-03

                                                                                                                        Citation: 2003 FC 1084

Between:

                                                         DRL VACATIONS LTD.

                                                                                                                                            Applicant

                                                                         - and -

                                                   HALIFAX PORT AUTHORITY

                                                                                                                                        Respondent

                                                        REASONS FOR ORDER

                                    Filed in support of the Order made in Halifax, N.S.,

                                                           on September 17, 2003

PINARD J.:

[1]         This is a motion brought by the Halifax Port Authority ("HPA") to strike DRL Vacations Ltd.'s ("DRL") application for judicial review.

[2]         The question is whether DRL's application for judicial review should be struck out on the basis that the HPA, an Authority created pursuant to the Canada Marine Act, S.C. 1998, c. 10, is not a "federal board, commission or other tribunal" within the meaning of sections 2 and 18.1 of the Federal Court Act, R.S.C. 1985. c. F-7. This issue must be determined in light of the particular factual context of the case at bar as well as in light of the relevant case-law, which includes Halterm Limited v. Halifax Port Authority, [2000] F.C.J. No. 937 (T.D.) (QL). In the latter case, this Court found that, when negotiating leases, the Halifax Port Authority was a "federal board, commission or other tribunal" and that therefore, this Court had jurisdiction to hear the relevant application for judicial review.

[3]         In the circumstances, I consider it inappropriate that the above question be determined on a preliminary motion. The HPA has failed to convince me that DRL's application for judicial review is "so clearly bereft of any possibility of success" that it should be struck out (see David Bull Laboratories (Canada) Inc. v. Pharmacia Inc. et al., [1995] 1 F.C. 588, [1994] F.C.J. No. 1629 (C.A.) (QL)).

[4]         Consequently, the motion is dismissed, with costs.

       JUDGE

OTTAWA, ONTARIO

September 19, 2003

                                                             FEDERAL COURT

                            NAMES OF COUNSEL AND SOLICITORS OF RECORD

DOCKET:                                                       T-704-03

STYLE OF CAUSE:                                      DRL VACATIONS LTD. v. HALIFAX PORT AUTHORITY

PLACE OF HEARING:                                  Halifax, Nova Scotia

DATE OF HEARING:                                    September 17, 2003

REASONS FOR ORDER OF THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE PINARD

DATED:                                                          September 19, 2003

APPEARANCES:

D. Kevin Burke                                   FOR THE APPLICANT

Jane O'Neill

Peter Bryson                                       FOR THE RESPONDENT

SOLICITORS OF RECORD:

Cox Hanson O'Reilly Matheson       FOR THE APPLICANT

Halifax, Nova Scotia

McInnes Cooper                                 FOR THE RESPONDENT

Halifax, Nova Scotia