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Case information

Conduct a refined search of the Supreme Court of Canada database to obtain details on the status of a matter before the Court.


41736

Alliance Pipeline Limited Partnership, Alliance Pipeline Ltd., Alliance Pipeline L.P., Alliance Pipeline Inc., et al. v. JL Energy Transportation Inc.

(Alberta) (Civil) (By Leave)

Docket

Judgments on applications for leave to appeal are rendered by the Court, but are not necessarily unanimous.

List of proceedings
Date Proceeding Filed By
(if applicable)
2025-09-19 Close file on Leave
2025-09-19 Correspondence (sent by the Court) to, parties, RE: Certificate of Taxation
2025-09-18 Certificate of taxation issued to, Andrew Wilson, K.C.
2025-09-18 Decision on the bill of costs, in the amount of $1,078.63, Reg
2025-09-18 Submission of the bill of costs, Reg
2025-07-29 Bill of costs, (Letter Form), Completed on: 2025-08-01, (Printed version filed on 2025-07-29) JL Energy Transportation Inc.
2025-07-24 Copy of formal judgment sent to Registrar of the Court of Appeal and all parties
2025-07-24 Judgment on leave sent to the parties
2025-07-24 Judgment of the Court on the application for leave to appeal, The application for leave to appeal from the judgment of the Court of Appeal of Alberta (Calgary), Number 2401-0050AC, 2025 ABCA 26, dated January 28, 2025, is dismissed with costs.
Dismissed, with costs
2025-06-23 All materials on application for leave submitted to the Judges, for consideration by the Court
2025-05-05 Applicant's reply to respondent's argument, (Book Form), Completed on: 2025-05-05, (Printed version filed on 2025-05-06) Alliance Pipeline Limited Partnership, Alliance Pipeline Ltd., Alliance Pipeline L.P., Alliance Pipeline Inc.
2025-04-23 Certificate (on limitations to public access), (Letter Form), 23A, (Printed version filed on 2025-04-23) JL Energy Transportation Inc.
2025-04-23 Notice of name, (Letter Form), (Printed version filed on 2025-04-23) JL Energy Transportation Inc.
2025-04-23 Respondent's response on the application for leave to appeal, (Book Form), Completed on: 2025-04-24, (Printed version filed on 2025-04-23) JL Energy Transportation Inc.
2025-04-03 Letter acknowledging receipt of an incomplete application for leave to appeal, FILE OPENED
2025-03-31 Book of authorities, (Book Form), Completed on: 2025-04-03, (Printed version filed on 2025-04-03) Alliance Pipeline Limited Partnership, Alliance Pipeline Ltd., Alliance Pipeline L.P., Alliance Pipeline Inc.
2025-03-31 Notice of name, (Letter Form), (Printed version filed on 2025-04-03) Alliance Pipeline Limited Partnership, Alliance Pipeline Ltd., Alliance Pipeline L.P., Alliance Pipeline Inc.
2025-03-31 Certificate (on limitations to public access), (Letter Form), Form 23A, (Printed version filed on 2025-04-03) Alliance Pipeline Limited Partnership, Alliance Pipeline Ltd., Alliance Pipeline L.P., Alliance Pipeline Inc.
2025-03-31 Application for leave to appeal, (Book Form), Missing:
- Proof of service
- Amended notice of application with correct CA file number (Rec'd 2025-04-04), Completed on: 2025-06-24, (Printed version filed on 2025-04-03)
Alliance Pipeline Limited Partnership, Alliance Pipeline Ltd., Alliance Pipeline L.P., Alliance Pipeline Inc.

Parties

Please note that in the case of closed files, the “Status” column reflects the status of the parties at the time of the proceedings. For more information about the proceedings and about the dates when the file was open, please consult the docket of the case in question.

Main parties

Main parties - Appellants
Name Role Status
Alliance Pipeline Limited Partnership, Alliance Pipeline Ltd., Alliance Pipeline L.P., Alliance Pipeline Inc. Applicant Active
Aux Sable Liquid Products LP (formerly known as Alliance Pipeline NGL, LP) Applicant Active
Aux Sable Liquid Products Inc. (formerly known as Alliance Pipeline NGL Inc.) Applicant Active

v.

Main parties - Respondents
Name Role Status
JL Energy Transportation Inc. Respondent Active

Counsel

Party: Aux Sable Liquid Products LP (formerly known as Alliance Pipeline NGL, LP)

Counsel
Names
Roger Smith, K.C.
Kelly Moffet-Burima
Stephanie Frazer
Contact information
Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP
3700 Devon Tower
400 3rd Avenue S.W.
Calgary, Alberta
T2P 4H2
Telephone: (403) 267-8222
Email: roger.smith@nortonrosefulbright.com
Agent
Name
Jean-Simon Schoenholz
Contact information
Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP
500 – 99 Bank Street
Ottawa, Ontario
K1P 6B9
Telephone: (613) 780-1537
FAX: (613) 230-5459
Email: jean-simon.schoenholz@nortonrosefulbright.com

Party: Aux Sable Liquid Products Inc. (formerly known as Alliance Pipeline NGL Inc.)

Counsel
Names
Roger Smith, K.C.
Kelly Moffet-Burima
Stephanie Frazer
Contact information
Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP
3700 Devon Tower
400 3rd Avenue S.W.
Calgary, Alberta
T2P 4H2
Telephone: (403) 267-8222
Email: roger.smith@nortonrosefulbright.com
Agent
Name
Jean-Simon Schoenholz
Contact information
Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP
500 – 99 Bank Street
Ottawa, Ontario
K1P 6B9
Telephone: (613) 780-1537
FAX: (613) 230-5459
Email: jean-simon.schoenholz@nortonrosefulbright.com

Party: Alliance Pipeline Limited Partnership, Alliance Pipeline Ltd., Alliance Pipeline L.P., Alliance Pipeline Inc.

Counsel
Names
Matthew Lindsay
Andrew W. Wilkinson
Kyle Harder
Contact information
Rose LLP
2100, 440 2nd Avenue SW
Calgary, Alberta
T2P 5E9
Telephone: (403) 776-0525
Email: matt.lindsay@rosellp.com

Party: JL Energy Transportation Inc.

Counsel
Names
Andrew Wilson, KC
David J. Marshall
Emily Amirkhani
Contact information
Jensen Shawa Solomon Duguid Hawkes LLP
800, 304 – 8th Avenue S.W.
Calgary, Alberta
T2P 1C2
Telephone: (403) 571-1058
Email: wilsona@jssbarristers.ca
Agent
Name
Marie-France Major
Contact information
Supreme Advocacy LLP
340 Gilmour Street
Suite 100
Ottawa, Ontario
K2P 0R3
Telephone: (613) 695-8855 Ext: 102
FAX: (613) 695-8580
Email: mfmajor@supremeadvocacy.ca

Summary

Keywords

Limitation of actions — Patent infringement — Whether provincial or federal limitation period applies in relation to actions for patent infringement commenced in provincial superior court — Patent Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. P-4, s. 55.01 — Limitations Act, R.S.A. 2000, c. L-12, ss. 2(3), 3(1), 12.

Summary

Case summaries are prepared by the Office of the Registrar of the Supreme Court of Canada (Law Branch). Please note that summaries are not provided to the Judges of the Court. They are placed on the Court file and website for information purposes only.

The respondent holds a patent on technology used to transport natural gas products via pipeline. The applicants held a license to use this technology in one of their international pipeline systems. The applicants constructed a new pipeline in Canada, which came online in September 2010. The respondent suspected that the applicants were using the technology in this new pipeline without a license, and discovered the facts necessary to support a claim for patent infringement in November 2013. The respondent commenced its action in an Alberta court in May 2016. The applicants applied for summary judgment on the basis that the action was out of time pursuant to Alberta’s general two-year limitation period.

The application judge held that she was bound by the Alberta Court of Appeal’s decision in Secure Energy Services Inc. v. Canadian Energy Services Inc., 2022 ABCA 200, which holds that the two-year limitation period in Alberta’s Limitations Act applies to patent infringement claims commenced in Alberta courts. The action is therefore out of time and was dismissed.

The Court of Appeal held that Secure Energy was wrongly decided and that the six-year limitation period in the Patent Act applies to claims for patent infringement in Alberta. The appeal was allowed and the action remitted for trial.

Lower court rulings

February 8, 2024
Court of King’s Bench of Alberta

2024 ABKB 72

Action dismissed with costs.

January 28, 2025
Court of Appeal of Alberta (Calgary)

2025 ABCA 26

Appeal allowed, action remitted to trial court.

Filed documents

The memorandums of argument on an application for leave to appeal will be posted here 30 days after leave to appeal has been granted unless they contain personal information, information that is subject to a publication ban, or any other information that is not part of the public record. You may also obtain copies of the memorandum by filling out the Request for Court records form or by contacting the Court’s Records Centre either by email at records-dossiers@scc-csc.ca or by telephone at 613‑996‑7933 or at 1‑888‑551‑1185.

If you have questions about a memorandum of argument or want to use a memorandum of argument, please contact the author of the memorandum of argument directly. Their name appears at the end of the memorandum of argument. The contact information for counsel is found in the “Counsel” tab of this page.

Downloadable PDFs

Not available

The factums of the appellant, the respondent and the intervener will be posted here at least 2 weeks before the hearing unless they contain personal information, information that is subject to a publication ban, or any other information that is not part of the public record. You may also obtain copies of factums by filling out the Request for Court records form or by contacting the Court’s Records Centre either by email at records-dossiers@scc-csc.ca or by telephone at 613‑996‑7933 or at 1‑888‑551‑1185.

If you have questions about a factum or want permission to use a factum, please contact the author of the factum directly. Their contact information appears on the first page of each factum.

Downloadable PDFs

Not available

The condensed books of the appellant, the respondent and the intervener will be posted here upon receipt of the electronic version, 2 days prior to the scheduled appeal hearing. You may also obtain copies of condensed books by filling out the Request for Court records form or by contacting the Court’s Records Centre either by email at records-dossiers@scc-csc.ca or by telephone at 613‑996‑7933 or at 1‑888‑551‑1185.

If you have questions about a condensed book or want permission to use a condensed book, please contact the author of the condensed book directly. Their contact information appears on the first page of each condensed book.

Downloadable PDFs

Not available

Webcasts

Not available.

Date modified: 2025-09-20