On March 28, 2014, the federal government introduced Bill C-31, the Economic Action Plan 2014 Act, No. 1, omnibus legislation intended to implement a number of initiatives first announced in the 2014 federal Budget, Economic Action Plan 2014. Bill C-31 contains a number of measures we previously reported in our February 13, 2014 FTR Now,…
Industry: Arts, Entertainment & Sports
OHSA Consultation on Implementation of Working at Heights Training
The Ministry of Labour is consulting on the implementation of the Working at Heights Training Program Standard released on December 19, 2013. Specifically, a regulatory proposal outlining amendments to O. Reg. 297/13 (Occupational Health and Safety Awareness and Training) under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (“OHSA”) would, if adopted, require employers subject to O. Reg. 213/91…
Federal Government Implements Transitional Pension Funding Relief Regulations (Canada Post)
On March 12, 2014, the federal government published final pension funding relief regulations temporarily relieving Canada Post Corporation from the requirement to make special payments to its defined benefit employee pension plan, as ordinarily required under the Pension Benefits Standards Act, 1985 (“PBSA”). Under the Canada Post Corporation Pension Plan Funding Regulations (“Regulations”), the Corporation will only…
Canada Labour Code Amendments (Bill C-45) Come into Force April 1, 2014
On March 12, 2014, the federal government published an order fixing April 1, 2014 as the date on which key amendments to Part III of the Canada Labour Code (“Code”) outlined in Bill C-45, the Jobs and Growth Act, 2012, come into force. In part, the Bill C-45 amendments will implement a statutory complaints framework…
Ontario Adopts “10% Rule” Exemption for U.S. Government Securities
On March 7, 2014, the Ontario government filed regulatory amendments to General Regulation 909 under the Pension Benefits Act. O. Reg. 51/14 (General) exempts investments in securities issued and fully guaranteed by the government of the United States of America (“U.S.”) from the so-called “10% rule” in respect of the quantitative investment limits applicable to…
Ontario Introduces Legislation Tying Minimum Wage to CPI
Further to the Ontario government’s previously reported commitment to tie future minimum wage increases to the province’s Consumer Price Index, Bill 165, the Fair Minimum Wage Act, 2014 was introduced on February 26, 2014. Bill 165 would amend the Employment Standards Act, 2000 and create a new section 23.1, setting out a framework for the…
Ontario Introduces New Immigration Legislation
On February 19, 2014, the Ontario government introduced Bill 161, the Ontario Immigration Act, 2014, proposed legislation that would, if passed, create a new framework for the recruitment, selection and admission of skilled workers in the province, and establish a significant inspection, investigation and enforcement regime. Among other matters, Bill 161 provides for the establishment by…
Pension Asset Transfers Made Easier
Long-awaited amendments to the Ontario Pension Benefits Act (“PBA”) regarding the transfer of assets between pension plans became effective on January 1, 2014. New supporting Regulations under the PBA[1] (the “Asset Transfer Regulations”) also came into force on January 1, 2014. This FTR Now provides a high-level overview of the new asset transfer regime. The…
OHSA regulations amended – Diving Operations, Mines and Mining Plants
On February 14, 2014, the Ontario government filed the following Occupational Health and Safety Act regulations: O. Reg. 32/14 (Diving Operations), extensively amending various sections of O. Reg. 629/94; and O. Reg. 34/14 (Mines and Mining Plants), amending Regulation 854 of R.R.O. 1990 (now in force). O. Reg. 32/14 comes into force March 1, 2014.
Proposed Amendment to CPP Regulations Defining “Substantially Gainful” Occupation
On February 15, 2014, the federal government published proposed Regulations Amending the Canada Pension Plan Regulations. If adopted, the proposed Regulations would prescribe the meaning of “‘substantially gainful’, in respect of an occupation” in subsections 42(1) and 89(1) of the Canada Pension Plan (“CPP”), one of the factors relevant to determining when a person is…