Simon's Megalomaniacal Legal Resources

Statutory Interpretation - Modern Principle - "Purpose"

. Canadian National Railway Company v. Canada (Transportation Agency)

In Canadian National Railway Company v. Canada (Transportation Agency) (Fed CA, 2025) the Federal Court of Appeal (Stratas JA) allowed an appeal, this against a "Canadian Transportation Agency’s rates-setting decision" regarding 'interswitching'.

Here the court considers 'purpose' as a statutory interpretation factor:

[29] ... when interpreting statutes, we must consider purpose as well: Piekut at paras. 44-45; ATCO Gas & Pipelines Ltd. v. Alberta (Energy & Utilities Board), 2006 SCC 4, [2006] 1 S.C.R. 140 at para. 48; Montréal (City) v. 2952-1366 Québec Inc., 2005 SCC 62, [2005] 3 S.C.R. 141 at para. 10. In this Court, see also CIBC World Markets Inc. v. Canada, 2019 FCA 147 at para. 27 and Hillier v. Canada (Attorney General), 2019 FCA 44 at para. 24. The meaning of words seen in their context is one thing; but sometimes their meaning becomes less clear or is altered when we consider general or section-specific purposes in the Act.