Bulletins Archives - Blakes Business Class

Does the Public Have the Right to Know Who the Top Billing Doctors Are?

August 10, 2018

The public has a right to know the names of Ontario’s top billing doctors, the Ontario Court of Appeal (Court) ruled on August 3, 2018 in Ontario Medical Association v. Ontario (Information and Privacy Commissioner). The Court upheld the Information and Privacy Commissioner’s (IPC) decision to release the names of top billing doctors, finding that a person’s gross business or…

Posted by:

Paul Schabas, Iris Fischer and Skye Sepp

Posted in: Litigation & Dispute Resolution, Privacy

Quebec Public Procurement – New Procurement Authority Ramps Up

August 10, 2018

On July 25, 2018, Denis Gallant took office as the first president and chief executive officer of the Autorité des marchés publics (AMP), Quebec’s central public procurement supervisory body, following his appointment by the National Assembly. This entry into office comes almost eight months after the adoption An Act to facilitate oversight of public bodies’ contracts and to establish the…

Posted by:

Clémentine Sallée, Liviu Kaufman and Alexis Beaudin-Fol

Posted in: Construction Dispute Resolution, Infrastructure, Procurement

The Man Who Sold (Around) the World: Ontario Not a Default Jurisdiction for Securities Class Actions

August 9, 2018

In its decision in Yip v. HSBC Holdings PLC, the Ontario Court of Appeal clarified the proper interpretation of “responsible issuer” in the context of a statutory claim for secondary market misrepresentation under Part XXIII.1 of the Ontario Securities Act (OSA) and related common law claims, providing guidance to entities faced with class action claims arising from Canadian trading of…

Posted by:

Andrea Laing, Ryan Morris and David Badham

Posted in: Class Actions, Litigation & Dispute Resolution, Securities Litigation

B.C. Environmental Appeal Board Refuses Expert Opinion from Consultant Who Acted As Agent

August 9, 2018

The British Columbia Environment Appeal Board (Board) recently ruled that a consultant who had acted as agent for one of the parties to an environmental appeal could not testify as an expert witness on behalf of that party. Parties seeking assistance from their technical experts in applications for regulatory permits or subsequent appeals should exercise caution before having them assist…

Posted by:

Janice Walton and Paulina Adamson

Posted in:

CSA Highlight Common Deficiencies in Continuous Disclosure

August 7, 2018

The Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA) have released CSA Staff Notice 51-355 – Continuous Disclosure Review Program Activities for the fiscal years ended March 31, 2018 and March 31, 2017 (Notice), summarizing the results of its members’ continuous disclosure review programs for the past two years. The Notice includes information about areas where the CSA have identified common deficiencies, with examples…

Posted by:

Matthew Merkley and Kendall Grant

Posted in: Capital Markets

Pending CFIUS Reform Expands U.S. Foreign Investment Review

August 2, 2018

Recently, the United States House of Representatives passed legislation, which, if also passed by the Senate and signed into law by the president, will significantly expand the jurisdiction to review foreign investments on national security grounds. KEY TAKEAWAYS FOR CANADIAN COMPANIES: Canadian companies looking to make investments in the U.S. could face a longer review period and a substantial filing…

Posted in: Competition & Antitrust, Foreign Investment

Summer Update: Lobbying and Election Finance Reform in Alberta, Prince Edward Island

July 30, 2018

The provinces of Alberta and Prince Edward Island recently introduced significant changes to their respective lobbying and election finance legislation. ALBERTA The Province of Alberta recently revised its Lobbyists Act and Election Finances and Contributions Disclosure Act. Below is a summary of the key legislative changes. Lobbyists Act Grassroots Lobbying “Lobbying” under the Alberta Lobbyists Act (LA) now includes grass-roots…

Posted by:

Alexis Levine, Nicole McDonald and Karishma Prasanna (Summer Law Student)

Posted in: Government & Public Sector, Lobbying

B.C. Restricts Oil and Gas Developments in Blueberry River First Nation Territory

July 27, 2018

The British Columbia Oil and Gas Commission (OGC) recently announced new interim measures for oil and gas developments in Blueberry River First Nation (BRFN) traditional territory. The interim measures address concerns raised by BRFN with respect to new oil and gas development activities by prohibiting or restricting new surface disturbance in defined critical areas of BRFN territory, while managing development…

Posted by:

Sandy Carpenter, Sam Adkins and Josh Smith (Student-at-Law)

Posted in: Aboriginal Law, Oil & Gas

British Columbia Introduces New Public Procurement Strategy

July 24, 2018

The B.C. Ministry of Citizens’ Services (Ministry) recently introduced a new procurement strategy (Strategy), with the aim to “change the way government buys goods and services and make it easier for businesses to access opportunities”. With over C$6-billion spent annually by the B.C. government on procuring goods and services, the Strategy could have a big impact in the province. The…

Posted by:

Carrie Fleming and Tony Magre

Posted in: Procurement

CRTC Issues Penalties to Middle Men Under CASL to Combat Malware Installation

July 23, 2018

On July 11, 2018, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) issued notices of violation under Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL) and monetary penalties totalling C$250,000, against two companies for allegedly aiding in the installation of malicious computer programs (or malware) through the distribution of online advertising. These fines mark the first time the CRTC has taken enforcement action to combat…

Posted by:

Joe Abdul-Massih and Renée Tousignant (Student-at-Law)

Posted in: Anti-spam, Communications, Marketing & Health Regulatory, Technology

Category: