Federal Court of Appeal Decisions

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Date: 20031002

Docket: A-668-02

Citation: 2003 FCA 366

CORAM:        RICHARD C.J.

LÉTOURNEAU J.A.

NOËL J.A.

BETWEEN:

                                                               THE SHIP "SABINA"

and

SABINA A.G.,

THE OWNERS OF THE SHIP "SABINA"

and

CARISBROOKE SHIPPING LIMITED

Appellants (Defendants)

                                                                                 and

                                                    CHAMPION INTERNATIONAL

                                                                    CORPORATION

                                                                                                                                 Respondent (Plaintiff)

                                           Heard at Montreal, Quebec, on October 2, 2003.

                    Judgment delivered from the Bench at Montreal, Quebec, on October 2, 2003.

REASONS FOR JUDGMENT OF THE COURT BY:                                           LÉTOURNEAU J.A.


Date: 20031002

Docket: A-668-02

Citation: 2003 FCA 366

CORAM:        RICHARD C.J.

LÉTOURNEAU J.A.

NOËL J.A.

BETWEEN:

                                                               THE SHIP "SABINA"

and

SABINA A.G.,

THE OWNERS OF THE SHIP "SABINA"

and

CARISBROOKE SHIPPING LIMITED

Appellants (Defendants)

                                                                                 and

                                                    CHAMPION INTERNATIONAL

                                                                    CORPORATION

                                                                                                                                 Respondent (Plaintiff)

                                       REASONS FOR JUDGMENT OF THE COURT

                      (Delivered from the Bench at Montreal, Quebec, on October 2, 2003)

LÉTOURNEAU J.A.

[1]                 This is an appeal whereby the appellants take issue with the following conclusions of Blais J. found at paragraphs 71 and 72 of his decision:


[71] I have no hesitation in concluding that the plaintiff provided sufficient evidence that there was a meeting of minds on all significant terms, as mentioned by Joyal J. In Socanav, supra, and that considering the negotiations as a whole, this Court must give effect to the objective intentions of the parties, even if the final document was never signed.

[72] Therefore, on the terms of all documents exchanged between the parties such as e-mails, faxes or telephone conversations, and on the evidence as a whole, it is my conclusion that there was a firm fixture in place with some technical details to amend, to take the wording used by Mr. Lewis himself who had the mandate to represent Carisbrooke Shipping.

[2]                 The case before Blais J. involved the application of principles which, as Monnin J.A. said in Gendis Inc. v. Richardson Oil and Gas Ltd., [2000] 9 W.W.R. 1, at p. 8, "find their roots in factual situations".

[3]                 Therefore, we cannot intervene with his findings unless there is an overriding and palpable error: Housen v. Nikolaisen, [2002] 2 S.C.R. 235. We see no such error.

[4]                 The appeal will be dismissed with costs, inclusive of disbursements, fixed at 5,000$.

                  "Gilles Létourneau"         

                                                                                                              J.A.


                          FEDERAL COURT OF APPEAL

    NAMES OF COUNSEL AND SOLICITORS OF RECORD

DOCKET:                                                           A-668-02

(APPEAL FROM AN ORDER OF THE FEDERAL COURT DATED NOVEMBER 11, 2002, NO. T-1116-00)

STYLE OF CAUSE: THE SHIP "SABINA" and SABINA A.G.,

THE OWNERS OF THE SHIP "SABINA"

and CARISBROOKE SHIPPING LIMITED

Appellants (Defendants)

and

CHAMPION INTERNATIONAL

CORPORATION

                                                                             Respondent (Plaintiff)

PLACE OF HEARING:                                                Montreal, Quebec

DATE OF HEARING:                                                  October 2, 2003

REASONS FOR JUDGMENT OF THE COURT: RICHARD C.J., LÉTOURNEAU, NOËL JJ.A.

DELIVERED FROM THE BENCH BY:     LÉTOURNEAU J.A.

APPEARANCES:

Mr. Peter G. Pamel

FOR THE APPELLANTS

(DEFENDANTS)

Mr. Louis Buteau

FOR THE RESPONDENT

(PLAINTIFF)

SOLICITORS OF RECORD:

Borden Ladner Gervais LLP

Montreal, Quebec

FOR THE APPELLANTS

(DEFENDANTS)

Flynn, Rivard

Montreal, Quebec

FOR THE RESPONDENT

(PLAINTIFF)



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