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A-191-83
The Queen (Appellant) (Defendant) v.
C.J.R.T. Developments Ltd. (Respondent) (Plain- tiff)
Court of Appeal, Pratte, Le Dain JJ. and Cowan D.J.—Vancouver, May 10, 1983.
Aeronautics — Statutory interpretation — Trial Judge not taking into consideration amendment to zoning Regulations adopted between original Regulations and judgment for pur poses of determining compensation for injurious affection attributable to enactment of Regulations — S. 6(10) of Act only giving right to claim as compensation amount by which 'property was decreased in value by the enactment of the regulation' — Appeal dismissed — Aeronautics Act, R.S.C. 1970, c. A-3, s. 6(10) — Comox Airport Zoning Regulations, SOR/80-803 (as am. by SOR/81-719).
CASE JUDICIALLY CONSIDERED
APPLIED:
Roberts and Bagwell v. The Queen, [1957] S.C.R. 28.
COUNSEL:
G. Carruthers for appellant (defendant).
D. Gray for respondent (plaintiff). SOLICITORS:
Deputy Attorney General of Canada for appellant (defendant).
Van Cuylenborg & Gray, Victoria, for respondent (plaintiff).
The following are the reasons for judgment of the Court delivered orally in English by
PRATTE J.: The judgment of the Trial Division [[1983] 2 F.C. 410] was attacked by the appellant on the sole ground that the Trial Judge, in deter mining the compensation payable to the respond ent under subsection 6(10) of the Aeronautics Act [R.S.C. 1970, c. A-3] as a result of the enactment of the Comox Airport Zoning Regulations [SOR/ 80-803 (as am. by SOR/81-719)], should have taken into consideration the amendment that was made to those Regulations on September 16, 1981.
In our opinion, the Trial Judge correctly dis posed of the appellant's argument and we find support for what he said on this subject in the following passage of the reasons for judgment of the Supreme Court of Canada in Roberts and Bagwell v. The Queen' where Nolan J. said:
It is quite clear that the subsequent revocation of the Regula tion could not give rise to a claim against the owner for a return of any part of compensation already paid and that result cannot, in effect, be reversed by withholding compensation until after the particular burden has been removed.
The conclusion reached by the Trial Judge may, in certain cases, produce inequitable results. But that anomaly flows from the wording of subsection 6(10). Indeed, that subsection does not give to persons affected by the operation of a zoning regulation the right to claim compensation for the damages suffered by them; it gives them, instead, the right to claim as compensation, the amount by which their "property was decreased in value by the enactment of the regulation". [The underlining is mine.]
The appeal will be dismissed with costs.
' [1957] S.C.R. 28, at p. 38.
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