To understand the meaning of words in a statute, Courts have to understand the statute’s intent. The purpose of an Act, i.e. why it was enacted and how it came to be, is not just a relevant factor in deciding how to give effect to a statute’s words, but is essential to determining its meaning.
http://www.mondaq.com/canada/x /542040/trials+appeals+compens ation/The+Purposive+Approach+ to