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Many of our clients are considering the use of temporary layoffs to deal with the impact of the coronavirus on their businesses. For ease of reference, we have outlined the rules under the provincial employment standards legislation across Canada, and for federally regulated employers, the federal Canada Labour Code. Please note that there is some […]

Much has changed since May 19, 2020. That is when British Columbia first allowed the remote witnessing of wills, enduring powers of attorney (EPAs), and representation agreements (RAs) to accommodate those isolating because of COVID-19 and the resulting restrictions on in-person gatherings. While COVID-19 continues to exist, the pandemic-related provincial state of emergency in BC […]

The declaration of states of emergency resulting from the current COVID-19 pandemic, public health orders and guidelines for self-isolation and social distancing have affected everyone in Alberta and around the world.  As many people are at home contemplating the global effects of COVID-19, their thoughts are also turning to their own estate plan. Physical distancing […]

The federal government announced a $252-million aid package for Canada’s agriculture and food industries on May 5, 2020. A number of areas will receive increased funding. Highlights include: Food processors: Both large and small food processors (including meat packers) will have access to a $77-million fund to retrofit their factories. The money can be used […]

Public hospitals in Ontario continue to collaborate with healthcare and community partners to build system capacity in responding to COVID-19.  Subsection 4(2) of Ontario’s Public Hospitals Act (“PHA”) requires the approval of the Minister of Health to operate or use any “institution, building or other premises or place” for the purposes of a hospital. In […]

The COVID-19 pandemic has created unique dilemmas or opportunities for all aspects of society. While select businesses are proving to be uniquely successful during the economic downturn, most businesses are in need of assistance in order to continue to exist. Assistance is taking many forms, from government grants to wage subsidies to rent reductions and […]

On April 19, 2021, the Canadian Federal Government released its 2021 budget entitled A Recovery Plan for Jobs, Growth, and Resilience. The Budget is the first to be released since the COVID-19 pandemic began and attempts to address three key challenges – conquering COVID, combatting the COVID recession, and providing more opportunity for those hardest […]

The Canadian economy is on the road to recovery after experiencing significant economic disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, including: In order to examine the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Competition Bureau (the “Bureau”) will host The Competition and Growth Summit (the “Summit”) from June 1 to 3, 2021. The Summit will consist of three virtual panels which […]

Increased employer responsibilities effective September 26 On September 26, 2022 new amendments to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations came into force imposing new obligations on Canadian employers as part of the Temporary Foreign Workers Program (connected to Labour Market Impact Assessments [“LMIA”]) and the International Mobility Program (“IMP”) (connected to LMIA-exempt work permits). Temporary […]

In honour of Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced a holiday on Monday, September 19, 2022 for employees of the federal government. However, Trudeau’s announcement did not extend the holiday requirement to federally-regulated industries, such as banks and airlines. Such industries may choose to follow the federal government’s lead, but they […]