Bill Amending Employment Standards Act, 2000 Passes at Second Reading, Sent to Committee

On June 3, 2010, Bill 68, the Open For Business Act, 2010, carried at Second Reading and was Ordered referred to the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs. As previously reported, Bill 68 is omnibus legislation that would amend Ontario’s Employment Standards Act, 2000 to allow the Director of Employment Standards to require claimants…

Post-Secondary Legislation Passes Third Reading

On June 3, 2010, Bill 43, the Post-Secondary Education Statute Law Amendment Act, 2010, carried at Third Reading.  As previously reported, this omnibus legislation amends Ontario’s Post-Secondary Education Choice and Excellence Act, 2000, the Private Career Colleges Act, 2005, and the Ontario College of Art & Design Act, 2002.

Information & Privacy Post 2009 and Spring 2010

Dear Friends After a short hiatus, and the introduction of a new editor, we are pleased to once again bring you the Hicks Morley Information and Privacy Post! As the first edition in over a year, we’’ve combined our traditional Year in Review with our first Quarterly Edition for the year and are excited to…

Ontario Passes New Retirement Homes Act

On June 2, 2010, Bill 21, the New Retirement Homes Act, 2010, carried at Third Reading after being reported as amended by the Standing Committee on social policy. Bill 21 was introduced on March 30, 2010 and provides legislative protection for seniors living in retirement homes. Parts III to IX of the Act come into…

Ontario Releases Independent Review of AODA

On May 31, 2010, the government released Charles Beer’s independent review of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005. The government also announced that it is in the process of combining the information and communications, employment and transportation standards into a single, integrated regulation. This initiative is intended to make them “more flexible” for…

School Board Update – ETFO Organizing Campaign

As you know, the Ministry of Education’s Early Learning Program requires boards to hire designated early childhood educators (“DECEs”) to work alongside teachers in delivering the Program to junior kindergarten and kindergarten pupils. The Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (“ETFO”) has recently made it clear that it will seek to represent the designated early childhood…

Federal Amendments to PIPEDA Introduced

On May 25, 2010, the federal government introduced two Bills that, if passed, would significantly amend PIPEDA: Bill C-29, the Safeguarding Canadians’ Personal Information Act and Bill C-28, the Fighting Internet and Wireless Spam Act. Bill C-29 would: specify the elements of valid consent for the collection, use or disclosure of personal information; permit the…