Following a fatal crane collapse at a construction site, injured workers and dependants of deceased workers received workers' compensation benefits.
They subsequently brought a tort action against the Government of Saskatchewan, alleging negligence in its capacity as a regulator under occupational health and safety legislation.
The Workers' Compensation Board determined that the action was barred by the Workers' Compensation Act.
The Supreme Court of Canada held that the Board's decision was protected by a full privative clause and that the question of whether the statutory bar applied fell within the Board's exclusive jurisdiction.
Applying the patent unreasonableness standard of review, the Court concluded that the Board's decision to bar the action against the government was not patently unreasonable.
