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Beginning on January 1, 2022, workers in BC will be automatically entitled to a minimum of five paid sick days each calendar year. With this move, BC becomes the first province in Canada to legislate this level of paid time off for workers who become ill. All employees, whether unionized or not, who are covered […]

On February 24, 2020, the Government of Canada presented to the House of Commons proposed legislative amendments to the country’s Criminal Code[1] via Bill C-7, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (medical assistance in dying)[2](Bill C-7). The Bill passed second reading, but now appears to have stalled, like so many things, due to the […]

”The medium is the message”. The wisdom of these famous words written by Canadian philosopher Marshall McLuhan is felt so acutely today. Communication media, its accessibility and its impact on how information is received, have evolved dramatically over the last two decades. During the same time, society has undergone fundamental reflection and upheaval; phenomena that […]

The Canada Revenue Agency (the “CRA”) announced the prescribed rate for the third quarter of 2020 (“Q3”) on June 22, 2020. Starting July 1, 2020, the prescribed rate is 1% (reduced from 2% in the second quarter).  The prescribed rate is set each quarter based on the average yield in the first month of the […]

Updated on May 19, 2020 To encourage businesses to retain their employees during the COVID-19 pandemic, Parliament convened on an emergency basis on April 11, 2020 to enact Bill C-14, which legislates the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (the “CEWS”).  Details of this program were announced by the federal government on a rolling basis over the […]

Companies must consider environmental, social and governance (“ESG“) factors in their mergers and acquisitions (“M&A“) transactions to achieve maximum value and monitor risks. ESG matters are becoming increasingly significant in M&A transactions as businesses are facing mounting scrutiny and pressure for transparency on climate risk, social justice, sustainability, and corporate governance. To address ESG considerations […]

In Provincial Budget 2020, measures were announced that would require businesses not otherwise carrying on business in British Columbia (“BC”) to register for and collect PST. Amendments to the Provincial Sales Tax Act (British Columbia) (“BC PSTA”) were supposed to be effective on July 1, 2020, but were put on hold due to COVID‑19. It […]

The rapid emergence of the Metaverse hosts a set of new wonders, curiosities, and potentially even worries. For many, it begins with asking the question – what is the Metaverse? Why are big corporations investing billions of dollars to create digital landscapes for the next big thing in tech? This moment is reminiscent of the […]

In a recent ruling the Supreme Court of British Columbia has reaffirmed that notice periods for wrongful dismissal in BC are capped at an upper limit of 24 months, absent special circumstances. In Okano v Cathay Pacific Airway Limited, 2022 BCSC 881 (“Okano”), the plaintiff was 61 years old and had been employed by the […]

On January 7, 2021, we published a communiqué regarding the new measures in effect to control the community spread of COVID-19 in Québec, which included the implementation of a province-wide curfew. Read our previous communiqué. As of January 9, 2021, the Québec population has been subject to a curfew lasting from 8:00 p.m. to 5:00 […]