Federal Court of Appeal Decisions

Decision Information

Decision Content

Date: 19990226

Docket: A-195-98

Coram:                        DESJARDINS J.A.

                                    LÉTOURNEAU J.A.

                                    NOËL J.A.

Between:

                                                               RÉAL POLICAR

                                                                                                                                            Applicant

                                                                          AND

                                            MINISTER OF NATIONAL REVENUE

                                                                                                                                        Respondent

                                                                          AND

                                                        F-MATIC OF AMERICA

                                                                                                                                          Intervener

Hearing held at Montréal, Quebec, on Monday, February 22, 1999.

Judgment delivered at Montréal, Quebec, on Monday, February 22, 1999.

REASONS FOR JUDGMENT BY:                                                                       DESJARDINS J.A.

Date: 19990226

Docket: A-195-98

Coram:                        DESJARDINS J.A.

                                    LÉTOURNEAU J.A.

                                    NOËL J.A.

Between:

                                                               RÉAL POLICAR

                                                                                                                                            Applicant

                                                                          AND

                                            MINISTER OF NATIONAL REVENUE

                                                                                                                                        Respondent

                                                                          AND

                                                        F-MATIC OF AMERICA

                                                                                                                                          Intervener

                                                    REASONS FOR JUDGMENT

DESJARDINS J.A.

1           We are of the view that the judge of the Tax Court of Canada erred in his interpretation of subparagraph 14(f)(I) of the Unemployment Insurance Regulations,[1]and particularly the reference to Article IV(a)(2)(ii) of the Agreement between Canada and the United States respecting unemployment insurance in the amended version of June 21, 1985 (the Agreement).[2]


            Article IV(a)(2)(ii) of the Agreement reads as follows:


                     ARTICLE IV

(a) An individual's entire services for an employer in insurable employment as defined in the unemployment insurance law of a jurisdiction will be insured under the unemployment insurance law of such jurisdiction in respect of services performed by him within, or both within and without such jurisdiction if-

    . . .

    (2) his services are not localized in any jurisdiction, but some of his services are performed in such jurisdiction, and

    . . .

        (ii) his base operations or the place from which his services are directed or controlled is not in any jurisdiction in which some of his services are performed, but his residence is in such jurisdiction.

                                 (emphasis added)


                ARTICLE IV

(a) L'ensemble des services que rend à un patron toute personne physique occupant un emploi assurable aux termes de la loi d'assurance d'une juridiction sera assuré suivant la loi d'assurance-chômage de cette juridiction, que lesdits services soient rendus en deçà ou au delà de ladite juridiction, si-

        . . .

      (2) Lesdits services ne sont pas localisés dans aucune juridiction et que quelques-uns d'entre eux sont rendus dans ladite juridiction, et si

      . . .

            (ii) Le centre d'activité de la personne rendant les services ou le lieu d'où lesdits services sont dirigés ou contrôlés ne se trouvent localisés dans aucune juridiction où l'un quelconque des services sont rendus, et que la résidence de ladite personne se trouve dans ladite juridiction.

                                         (Je souligne)



         The word " jurisdiction" included in Article IV is defined as follows in Article I(a)(iv) of the Agreement:


                      ARTICLE I

(a) In this agreement, unless the context otherwise requires,

. . .

        (iv) "jurisdiction" means any State or Canada.


                ARTICLE PREMIER

(a) En cet accord, à moins que le contexte s'y refuse,

. . .

        (iv) "juridiction" vise tout État ou bien le Canada.


2           The payer is an American company with its corporate headquarters and offices in the State of Utah in the United States. The applicant, a resident of Quebec, was hired as a sales representative under a contract of service which authorized him to cover Ontario, Quebec, the Maritimes and the American Upper North East. The trial judge noted that the appellant sent his orders to Utah where they were filled.

3           Article IV of the Agreement seeks to establish where an employee's services for an employer are performed. As the trial judge noted, it is clear that the applicant's services were performed in the territory covered by his contract, including Quebec, and not in Utah.


4           Under Article IV(a)(2)(ii) of the Agreement, although the place from which the applicant's services were directed or controlled was not localized in Quebec but in Utah, the applicant's residence was in the jurisdiction where some of the services were performed, namely in Quebec.

5           Accordingly, the applicant's entire services in Canada and the American Upper North East were insured under the Unemployment Insurance Act in force in Canada.

6           The application for judicial review will be allowed, the decision by the Tax Court of Canada will be set aside and the matter referred back to it for a determination on the basis that the applicant's employment is insurable.

7           The whole with costs against the respondent.

                                                                                                                                   Alice Desjardins          

                                                                                                                                                      J.A.

Certified true translation

M. Iveson


                      Federal Court of Appeal

             FEDERAL COURT OF CANADA

                                                          Date: 19990226

                                                      Docket: A-195-98

Between:

                           RÉAL POLICAR

                                                                    Applicant

                                      AND

        MINISTER OF NATIONAL REVENUE

                                                                Respondent

                                      AND

                    F-MATIC OF AMERICA

                                                                  Intervener

                REASONS FOR JUDGMENT


                                                     FEDERAL COURT OF APPEAL

                               NAMES OF COUNSEL AND SOLICITORS OF RECORD

COURT FILE NO.:                                        A-195-98

STYLE OF CAUSE:                           RÉAL POLICAR

                                                                                                                                                  Applicant

                                                                        AND

                                                                        MINISTER OF NATIONAL REVENUE

                                                                                                                                               Respondent

                                                                        AND

                                                                        F-MATIC OF AMERICA

                                                                                                                                                  Intervener

PLACE OF HEARING:                                 Montréal, Quebec

DATE OF HEARING:                                   February 22, 1999

REASONS FOR DECISION OF THE COURT (THE HONOURABLE MADAME JUSTICE DESJARDINS, THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE LÉTOURNEAU AND THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE NOËL)

DELIVERED FROM THE BENCH BY:      Desjardins J.A.

DATED:                                                          February 22, 1999

APPEARANCES:                   Georges P. Hébert                                                             for the applicant

                                                Sophie-Lyne Lefebvre

                                                Alain Gareau                                                                   for the respondent

                                                Pierre Zeppettini                                                              for the intervener

SOLICITORS OF RECORD:

                                                DESCOTEAUX, HÉBERT & MARQUIS

                                                Saint-Laurent, Quebec                                                       for the applicant

                                                Morris Rosenberg                                                                                     

                                                Deputy Attorney General of Canada

                                                Montréal, Quebec                                                           for the respondent

                                                Moghrabi & Moghrabi

                                                Montréal, Quebec                                                             for the intervener



     [1] C.R.C. 1978, c. 1576, as amended.

     [2]Treaty Series, 1942, No. 4, Exchange of notes between Canada and the United States of America recording an agreement respecting unemployment insurance, in force April 12, 1942.

 You are being directed to the most recent version of the statute which may not be the version considered at the time of the judgment.