Agricultural Law NetLetter - June 7, 2014 - Issue 301

HIGHLIGHTS

A Justice of the Alberta Court of Queen's Bench has concluded that a clause in a farm insurance policy which excludes coverage for "business pursuits" other than farming prevented a farmer who bred and sold horses from being covered for a claim for personal injuries sustained by a horse buyer to whom he provided horse riding lessons. The Court held that providing horse riding lessons did not fall within the definition of "farming" under the policy. [Editor's Note: The results of this decision seem harsh; however the lesson to farmers is clear. If farmers are involved in businesses other than farming, they must be careful to ensure that they obtain proper insurance coverage for both farming and other business activities.]. (Burch v. Intact Insurance Co., CALN/2014-021, [2014] A.J. No. 540, Alberta Court of Queen's Bench)