Compensation in property case should be guided by zoning as watershed area: top court

OTTAWA — The Supreme Court of Canada says the zoning of a St. John’s, N.L., property as a watershed area should guide the process of compensating the owners for expropriation of the land.
In a 7-0 ruling today, the top court says compensation should be assessed based on the limited uses allowed by the zoning, not as if a housing development could have proceeded.
A formal application by the owners to develop the property was rejected in 2013, and a court declared the land had been con