Date: 19980612

CORAM:      MARCEAU J.A.

         DÉCARY J.A.

         LÉTOURNEAU J.A.

     Docket: A-839-97

BETWEEN:

     CHRISTIAN BÉLANGER

     Applicant

     - and -

     CANADA EMPLOYMENT INSURANCE

     COMMISSION

     Respondent

     - and -

     DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL OF CANADA

    

     Docket: A-840-97

BETWEEN:

     CHRISTIAN BÉLANGER

     Applicant

     - and -

     CANADA EMPLOYMENT INSURANCE

     COMMISSION

     Respondent

     - and -

     DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL OF CANADA

     REASONS FOR JUDGMENT OF THE COURT

     (Delivered from the bench at Montréal, Quebec

     on Friday, June 12, 1998)

MARCEAU J.A.

[1]      Despite the efforts of counsel for the applicant and the quality of her presentation, we are of the view that these applications for review of the Umpire"s dual decision must fail.

[2]      The dispute is purely over the assessment by the Board of Referees"whose decision was simply upheld by the Umpire"of the lengthy oral evidence which was presented before it in addition to the many documents already in the record. Indeed counsel referred to facts the significance of which should have had greater impact on the reaction of the members of the Board, and to statements by witnesses"the applicant in particular"which could have been given greater credit. However, she was unable to point to evidence which was completely overlooked or was assessed in a totally arbitrary manner. It is clear, in our view, that it was reasonable, on the record as a whole, for the Board to have made the finding which it made, and this is enough to make its decision unassailable before the Umpire, and a fortiori before us.

[3]      Counsel thought she should present the alternative argument that the claimant would be unable to invoke the exception in section 43 of the Regulations only during the three months in which his business was engaged in sales. Even if it were acceptable to draw such a dividing line in time"which we doubt because then all seasonal business cases would have to be re-examined"we are not of the view that this could be done in the case before us, it in fact having never been presented with such a potential argument in mind.

[4]      Both applications for review will therefore be dismissed.

     Louis Marceau

     J.A.

Certified true translation

Peter Douglas

Date: 19980612

CORAM:      MARCEAU J.A.

         DÉCARY J.A.

         LÉTOURNEAU J.A.

     Docket: A-839-97

BETWEEN:

     CHRISTIAN BÉLANGER

     Applicant

     - and -

     CANADA EMPLOYMENT INSURANCE

     COMMISSION

     Respondent

     - and -

     DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL OF CANADA

    

     Docket: A-840-97

BETWEEN:

     CHRISTIAN BÉLANGER

     Applicant

     - and -

     CANADA EMPLOYMENT INSURANCE

     COMMISSION

     Respondent

     - and -

     DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL OF CANADA

Hearing held at Montréal, Quebec on Friday, June 12, 1998.

Judgment delivered from the bench on Friday, June 12, 1998.

REASONS FOR JUDGMENT OF THE COURT

DELIVERED BY:      MARCEAU J.A.

     FEDERAL COURT OF APPEAL

Date: 19980612

     Docket: A-839-97

BETWEEN:

     CHRISTIAN BÉLANGER

     Applicant

     - and -

     CANADA EMPLOYMENT INSURANCE

     COMMISSION

     Respondent

     - and -

     DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL OF CANADA

    

     Docket: A-840-97

BETWEEN:

     CHRISTIAN BÉLANGER

     Applicant

     - and -

     CANADA EMPLOYMENT INSURANCE

     COMMISSION

     Respondent

     - and -

     DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL OF CANADA

    

     REASONS FOR JUDGMENT

     OF THE COURT

    

     FEDERAL COURT OF APPEAL

     NAMES OF COUNSEL AND SOLICITORS OF RECORD

COURT FILE NO.:                      A-839-97

                             A-840-97

STYLE OF CAUSE:                  Christian Bélanger v. Canada Employment

                             Insurance Commission

PLACE OF HEARING:                  Montréal, Quebec

DATE OF HEARING:                  June 12, 1998

REASONS FOR JUDGMENT OF THE COURT BY:      (Marceau, Décary, Létourneau,

                                 JJ.A.)

DELIVERED FROM THE BENCH BY:          Marceau J.A.

APPEARANCES:

Claudine Barabé                      for the applicant

Carole Bureau                      for the respondent

SOLICITORS OF RECORD:

Campeau, Ouellet, Nadon, Barabé, Cyr,

De Merchant, Bernstein, Cousineau, Heap, Palardy

Montréal, Quebec                      for the applicant

George Thomson

Deputy Attorney General of Canada             for the respondent

Ottawa, Ontario