November 21, 2017
On November 2, 2017, Quebec’s Minister of Finance, Carlos Leitão, tabled Bill 149, An Act to enhance the Québec Pension Plan and to amend various retirement-related legislative provisions (Bill), which aims to strengthen the financial security of employees who will retire in the coming years and harmonize the Quebec Pension Plan (QPP) with the Canada Pension Plan. IMPLEMENTATION OF TWO…
November 20, 2017
The British Columbia Supreme Court (Court) recently released two decisions regarding the application of the Builders Lien Act (Act), providing clarity on limitation periods for filing a lien claim and the circumstances where an excessive lien claim can be discharged for lesser security. GREEN OAK In Green Oak Development Corp (West 7th) Corp. v. Hans Demolition & Excavating Ltd. (Inc….
Posted in: Construction
November 17, 2017
On November 16, 2017, the Government of Alberta introduced Bill 26, An Act to Control and Regulate Cannabis (Bill), which contains the proposed regulatory framework for recreational cannabis sales in Alberta. The Bill seeks to amend the Gaming and Liquor Act (GLA) to govern the purchase, distribution, sale and consumption of recreational cannabis in the province and proposes a hybrid…
Posted in: Cannabis
November 16, 2017
On November 16, 2017, the Government of Quebec tabled Bill 157, an Act to constitute the Société québécoise du cannabis, to enact the Cannabis Regulation Act and to amend various highway safety-related provisions (Bill), before the National Assembly of Quebec, to establish regulations governing the sale, distribution, cultivation and use of cannabis in the province. More specifically, the Bill constitutes…
Posted in: Cannabis
November 16, 2017
On November 14, 2017, the Ontario government released its 2017 Ontario Economic Outlook and Fiscal Review and introduced Bill 177, Stronger, Fairer Ontario Act (Budget Measures), 2017 (Bill 177), which looks to amend the Ontario Pension Benefits Act (Ontario PBA) and Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario Act, 2016 (FSRA Act). Bill 177 also enacts the Financial Services Tribunal Act,…
Posted in: Pensions, Benefits & Executive Compensation
November 16, 2017
The Ontario Superior Court of Justice (Superior Court) recently granted summary judgment in favour of a class of employees who were part of a “mass termination” following a business closure. The Superior Court’s decision in Wood v. CTS of Canada Co. and CTS Corporation provides important guidance for employers when faced with a business restructuring or shutdown of operations. BACKGROUND…
Posted in: Employment & Labour
November 15, 2017
Last year, the Government of Canada launched a review of key federal environmental and natural resource regulatory laws and processes. Expert panels and parliamentary committees reviewed the laws, consulted with stakeholders, and provided recommendations on: The federal environmental assessment process The National Energy Board Fish habitat protection under the Fisheries Act Navigation protection under the Navigation Protection Act. While the…
Posted in: Environmental
November 15, 2017
The Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA) have released CSA Consultation Paper 52-404 – Approach to Director and Audit Committee Member Independence (Consultation Paper) and are inviting comments on the current approach to director independence determinations and board committee membership. Although the CSA regime has remained largely unchanged since 2004, the views of various governance commentators have evolved over time, with some…
Posted in: Capital Markets, Corporate Governance
November 14, 2017
In the recently released Investigation Report P17-01, Use of employee surveillance by a BC chicken catching organization, the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for British Columbia (OIPC) confirmed that organizations should only implement video surveillance in limited circumstances where other means of resolving an issue have been ineffective. BACKGROUND A chicken catching organization (Company) decided to introduce a…
Posted in: Employment & Labour, Privacy
November 13, 2017
On November 10, 2017, the federal department of finance issued long-awaited legislative and regulatory proposals for the taxation of cannabis. Effectively, the proposed rules will place cannabis producers within the existing rules that currently apply excise duties on tobacco, wine and spirits producers under the Excise Act, 2001 (Canada) (Act), with modifications as applicable. These rules include a new tax…
