Maritime and admiralty law | Pilots and pilotage authorities | Pilotage authorities
Case involved marine transportation on St. Lawrence River and legislative framework governing marine transportation . Laurentian Pilotage Authority (authority) assigned two pilots to pilot post-Panamax ship from Trois-Rivières to Montreal and significant part of voyage would take place during night . Applicant notified authority that ship could not travel at night and pilots anchored ship overnight Authority suspended pilotage licences of two captains under s. 27 of Pilotage Act . Issue arose as to whether authority could reasonably use disciplinary power conferred under Act to discipline pilots in situation where pilots refuse to provide their services without endangering navigation safety . Applicant successfully brought application for judicial review . Authority appealed. Appeal dismissed. Judge correctly dismissed authority’s argument that s. 27 of Act went well beyond simple security conditions and was aimed at unacceptable conduct. Authority’s sanction powers when acting within framework of pilot services were more extensive than those which it exercised under ss. 27-29 of Act, which could be treated as disciplinary in order to maintain safety and public protection. While certain reasons for suspension appear at first glance to have more tenuous link with navigation safety, judge correctly pointed out that all conditions were part of scheme that had ultimate objective to ensure safety . When acting as employer or in context of contractual relationship which was linked to applicant, authority could not be judge and party but rather it must rely on third party to resolve disputes that may arise in provision of such services.
Administration de pilotage des Laurentides c. Corporation des pilotes du Saint-Laurent Central Inc. (2019), 2019 CarswellNat 1232, 2019 CAF 83, Richard Boivin J.A., Yves de Montigny J.A., and Marianne Rivoalen J.A. (F.C.A.); affirmed (2018), 2018 CarswellNat 1159, 2018 CarswellNat 1747, 2018 FC 333, 2018 CF 333, Sébastien Grammond J. (F.C.).
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