On September 13, 2010, Bill 68, the Open For Business Act, 2010, was reported as amended by the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs and ordered for Third Reading. As previously reported, Bill 68 is omnibus legislation that would amend Ontario’s Employment Standards Act, 2000 as follows: to allow the Director of Employment Standards…
Industry: Non-profit Organizations
Technical Pension Amendments Proclaimed In Force on October 1, 2010
On October 1, 2010, amendments to the Pension Benefits Act and Financial Services Commission of Ontario Act, 1997, set out in Bill 16, the Foundation for Jobs and Growth Act, 2010, will come into force. These Bill 16 amendments permit the Ontario government and the pension regulator to enter into agreements with other designated provincial…
Ontario Legislative Assembly Resumes Sitting
On September 13, 2010, the House resumed sitting.
Proposed Integrated Accessibility Regulation Under the AODA: FTR Now
On Friday, September 10, 2010, Hicks Morley published a detailed overview of the “Integrated Accessibility Regulation Proposed Under the AODA” in an FTR Now, which is available on our website. As previously reported, the proposed Integrated Accessibility Regulation was published by the Ontario government on September 2, 2010.
New General Pension Regulation Amendments Filed
On September 8, 2010, the Ontario government published O. Reg. 342/10 (General) under the Pension Benefits Act, amending Reg. 909 of R.R.O. 1990. The amendments authorize the Ontario government and the pension regulator to enter into reciprocal agreements with designated jurisdictions providing for the orderly regulation of multi-jurisdictional pension plans. O. Reg. 342/10 will come…
Ontario Proposes Integrated Accessibility Regulation Under AODA
On September 2, 2010, the Ontario government published the proposed integrated accessibility regulation (“IAR”) under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (“AODA”) for public review and commentary. As previously reported, the IAR initiative combines the information and communications, employment and transportation standards into a single, integrated regulation, intended to make them “more flexible”…
Federal Government Releases Consultation Draft of Legislative Tax Proposals
The Department of Finance released draft legislative proposals in July and August of 2010 to implement a variety of tax measures, including those first outlined in its 2010 Budget along with several previously announced tax initiatives, for public consultation. The proposals outline significant changes to the tax rules applicable to employee stock options that will:…
Ontario to Introduce Phase II Pension Reforms
On August 24, 2010, the Ontario government announced that further pension reforms to be tabled this fall will address almost 40 recommendations made by the Expert Commission on Pensions. The announcement indicates that this “broad package of pension reforms” will include: modifications to the funding requirements for multi-employer pension plans and jointly sponsored pension plans,…
Federal Government Introduces New Temporary Foreign Worker Regulations
On August 18, 2010, the federal government published new regulations applicable to temporary foreign workers (“TFWs”) under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. The Regulations Amending the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (Temporary Foreign Workers) are designed to protect TFWs and minimize their exploitation by employers and third-party agents by amending the Immigration and Refugee…
FSCO Releases Final Records Retention Policy
The Financial Services Commission of Ontario (“FSCO”) issued a records retention policy for pension plan administrators effective July 9, 2010. The policy is intended to provide guidance for “prudent records management and retention practices” relating to Ontario-registered pension plans. The policy was approved and issued following the introduction of a draft policy last year and…