On May 01, 2025, the Ontario government announced Bill 9, the Municipal Accountability Act, 2025 (Bill 9). Bill 9 re-introduces legislation originally proposed under Bill 241, the Municipal Accountability Act, 2024, that was not enacted prior to the provincial election. If passed, Bill 9 would enable the creation of a new, standardized municipal code of…
Industry: Municipalities & Municipal Agencies
Zohra Bhimani
Zohra is a labour and employment lawyer in Hicks Morley’s Waterloo office. She offers advice and representation to employers and management in both the private and public sectors on a wide range of labour, employment, and human rights issues. Zohra received her Bachelor of Laws from Queen Mary University of London, where she received the…
Drew McArthur
Drew McArthur is an employment lawyer practising out of Hicks Morley’s Ottawa office. Drew enjoys advising employers on a variety of matters related to litigation, employment law, and human rights.
Bayley Winkel
Bayley Winkel is a pensions, benefits, and compensation lawyer in Hicks Morley’s Toronto office. He has developed specialized experience in preparing legal opinions and successful regulatory applications for employer entitlement to pension plan surplus.
Ontario Municipal Social Services Association (OMSSA) – 2025 Exchange Conference: Navigating Workplace Risk
Municipal workplaces are increasingly challenged by issues of security, workplace violence, bullying, and harassment. Hicks Morley’s Stephanie Savoni and Nadine Zacks will be leading a session on “Navigating Workplace Risk,” covering legal obligations in health, safety, and mental well-being at OMSSA’s Exchange Conference on May 13.
Ontario Announces Protect Ontario Through Free Trade Within Canada Act, 2025
The Ontario government introduced Bill 2, the Protect Ontario Through Free Trade Within Canada Act, 2025. Framed as a defensive strategy, Bill 2 aims to boost interprovincial trade in response to U.S. tariff pressures.
Municipalities Take Note: Ontario Proposing to Expand Strong Mayor Powers to 169 Additional Municipalities
The Ontario government is proposing to expand Strong Mayor powers to 169 additional municipalities, reshaping local governance across the province. In this Human Resources Legislative Update, Jamie Burns outlines what these changes mean for the future of municipal decision-making.
Workplace Investigation Training Workshop
This session focuses on investigation fundamentals. Attendees will learn the key takeaways from case law and best practices for investigating workplace incidents.
Arbitration Workshop
For human resources professionals tasked with maintaining workplace labour relations, navigating an organization’s grievance and arbitration process can present unique challenges—particularly if you aren’t yet familiar with key aspects and strategic considerations along the way. This hands-on workshop has been designed to equip both new and more experienced members of your labour relations team with the skills necessary to prepare a case for grievance arbitration.
Bad Faith Damages – How Employers Can Avoid and Defend These Claims
In this session, we will discuss what constitutes bad faith in the employment context and how it applies to different phases of the employment relationship. We will address employer conduct leading up to termination, at the time of termination, during the post-termination period and during litigation—each of which can have an effect on an award for bad faith damages.