New CRA Technical Direction Published for Health and Welfare Trusts

The Canada Revenue Agency (“CRA”) has posted an updated technical direction regarding Health and Welfare Trusts. Effective July 27, 2015, Income Tax Folio S2-F1-C1: Health and Welfare Trusts replaces and cancels CRA’s prior administrative position, as outlined in Interpretation Bulletin IT–85R2, Health and Welfare Trusts for Employees. The new Technical Direction incorporates a number of…

Ontario Government Announces ORPP Implementation Details

On August 11, 2015, the Ontario government released new details about the Ontario Retirement Pension Plan (“ORPP”) and its implementation. As previously reported, the ORPP was announced in the 2014 Ontario Budget. A consultation paper entitled “Ontario Retirement Pension Plan: Key Design Questions” was released in December, 2014 for public comment. In particular, the paper…

FSCO Invites Public Consultation on Recent Changes to SIPP Requirements

On June 30, 2015, the Financial Services Commission of Ontario (“FSCO”) posted Investment Guidance Notes on Environmental, Social and Governance Factors (ESG) and Statements of Investment Policies and Procedures (SIPPs) for Member Directed Defined Contribution Plans for public consultation prior to being finalized. Investment Guidance Notes set out the expectations of FSCO regarding the investment…

Union Financial Disclosure Bill Receives Royal Assent

On June 30, 2015, Bill C-377, An Act to amend the Income Tax Act (requirements for labour organizations), received Royal Assent. Bill C-377, a private member’s bill, requires unions to file certain financial information with the Canada Revenue Agency (“CRA”) within six months from the end of each fiscal period. Among other things, information to…

New Police Record Checks Reforms Introduced

On June 3, 2015, the Ontario government introduced Bill 113, the Police Record Checks Reform Act, 2015, legislation that would, if passed, implement a new process governing requests for searches of the Canadian Police Information Centre databases, or other police databases, in connection with screening an individual for certain purposes. Among other things, the Bill would: authorize…

Federal Government Announces Possible Canada Pension Plan Expansion

On May 26, 2015, the federal government announced that it will conduct public consultations regarding potential changes to the Canada Pension Plan (“CPP”) to allow Canadians to voluntarily contribute more.  No details were released at the time of the announcement.  We will continue to monitor any developments regarding a possible expansion of the CPP.

Changes to the Federal Pension Investment Rules

In March 2015, the federal government published final regulations amending investment rules under the Pension Benefits Standards Regulations, 1985 (“Regulations”). These reforms apply to federally registered pension plans and to pension plans registered in provincial jurisdictions that have adopted Schedule III of the Regulations, as amended (the “Federal Investment Rules” or “FIR”). As we previously…

SCC Clarifies Test for Qualifying as an Expert Witness

Expert evidence has been a hot topic in Canadian law recently. Following this trend, in White Burgess Langille Inman v. Abbott and Haliburton Co., the Supreme Court of Canada considered the duty owed by an expert witness to the court to be independent, impartial and unbiased. The Court clarified that where an expert is “unable”…

2015 Ontario and Federal Budgets Released

On April 23, 2015, the Ontario government tabled the 2015 provincial Budget, “Building Ontario Up” (“Budget”) and Bill 91, Building Ontario Up Act (Budget Measures), 2015 (“Bill 91”), supporting omnibus legislation designed to implement some of the proposals contained in the Budget. We are in the process of reviewing the Budget and Bill 91, and…

FSCO Updates Form 1 (Pension Plan Registration), Asset Transfer FAQs

On April 7, 2015, the Financial Services Commission of Ontario (“FSCO”) published a revised Application for Registration of a Pension Plan, Form 1 and added new frequently asked questions for plan administrators (“FAQs”) with respect to Multi-Jurisdictional Pension Plan Asset Transfers, among other things.  The Form 1 has been updated to provide FSCO with additional…