On September 27, 2018, the Ontario government tabled Bill 36, the Cannabis Statute Law Amendment Act, 2018. On the same day, it published proposed cannabis-related amendments to two regulations, for comment by October 7, 2018. Smoke-Free Ontario Act, 2017 Proposed Regulation If Bill 36 passes, the government is considering changes to O. Reg. 268/18 made…
Industry: Municipalities & Municipal Agencies
Reduction of WSIB Premium Rates for Employers Announced
On September 26, 2018, the Ontario government and the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) announced that WSIB premium rates for employers will be reduced by almost 30 percent, starting January 1, 2019. The announcement states the reduction is due to the elimination of the unfunded liability of the WSIB’s Insurance Fund. The unfunded liability…
Recreational Cannabis Update
On September 27, 2018, the Ontario government introduced Bill 36, the Cannabis Statute Law Amendment Act, 2018. If passed, Bill 36 will make significant amendments to the Cannabis Act, 2017, create the new Cannabis Licence Act, 2018 and will amend various provincial legislation to adjust for the upcoming legalization of recreational cannabis on October 17, 2018.
New Cannabis Legislation Tabled by Ontario Government
On September 27, 2018, the Ontario government tabled Bill 36, the Cannabis Statute Law Amendment Act, 2018. If passed, Bill 36 will enact the Cannabis Licence Act, 2018 and will make amendments to the Cannabis Act, 2017, the Ontario Cannabis Retail Corporation Act, 2017 and the Smoke-Free Ontario Act, 2017, as well as consequential amendments…
Early Effective Date Announced for New Federal Parental Sharing Benefit
The government has announced that the new federal Parental Sharing Benefit will launch on March 17, 2019. As we previously reported, the 2018 federal Budget (Budget) proposed to establish an additional Parental Sharing Benefit with the goal of encouraging parents to share Employment Insurance (EI) benefits. The intended goal of this reform was to allow…
Requiring Proof of Eligibility to Work in Canada on a Permanent Basis Discriminatory
In a recent decision released by the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario, the Tribunal found that an employer discriminated against a potential employee on the basis of citizenship when it required proof of eligibility to work in Canada on a permanent basis as a condition of employment.
2018 Federal Budget Bill Passes
On June 21, 2018, Bill C-74, the Budget Implementation Act, 2018, No. 1, received Royal Assent. Bill C-74 is omnibus legislation enacting some of the measures outlined in the 2018 Federal Budget. Among other things, it includes amendments to the following: Employment Insurance Act, to permanently implement the Working While on Claim pilot project; Canada…
Coming Into Force Date of New Smoke-Free Ontario Act, 2017 Postponed
As we previously reported, the new Smoke-Free Ontario Act, 2017 (SFOA) was to come into force on July 1, 2018. That coming into force date has been postponed indefinitely to give the new government an opportunity to review the new regulations related to vaping…
Cannabis Act Regulations Now Available
The federal government has finalized the regulations in support of the Cannabis Act. They include: Cannabis Regulations Industrial Hemp Regulations Qualifications for Designation as Analyst Regulations (Cannabis) Regulations Amending and Repealing Certain Regulations Made under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act Cannabis Act (Police Enforcement) Regulations The Cannabis Act comes into force on October 17,…
Appeal Court Rules on Termination Clauses and Proper “Failsafe” Language
The differing interpretations by the courts of employment contract provisions which limit entitlements upon termination has caused considerable confusion of late. The Ontario Court of Appeal has rendered a helpful decision which may serve to lessen some of the confusion. The Court reversed a lower court decision and found that a clause in an employment…