Jade Scrymgeour And Derren Roberts Write An Article For Water Canada

On April 28, 2026, the federal government released Canada’s Spring Economic Update 2026 (the “ Update ”), continuing the “Build Canada Strong” agenda first set out in Budget 2025.

Canada is experiencing a surge in infrastructure investment driven by streamlined regulatory approvals, enhanced government financing mechanisms, and growing demand for energy and digital infrastructure. This guide examines the evolving legal and regulatory landscape that foreign investors must navigate to successfully structure, finance, and develop major projects across the country.

Effective April 1, 2026, Quebec's Act respecting contracting by municipal bodies fundamentally transforms how municipal contracts are awarded, moving beyond the traditional lowest-price model to embrace qualitative evaluation criteria including environmental practices, life cycle costs, and contractor performance history. Municipal bodies now have eight award procedures to choose from, along with new pre-tender processes that can limit competition to prequalified enterprises. Contractors must adapt their te

Yesterday, the Federal Court released David Robert Wells v Canada (Attorney General) et al and Sandra Frances Wells v Canada (Attorney General) et al, reported together in 2018 FC 483...

Under Order in Council 1358-2026, the Québec government authorizes, from September 7, 2026 to January 31, 2027, the Centre d'acquisitions gouvernementales (the “CAG”) to depart from the general principle that public calls for tenders must be open and without discrimination to foreign suppliers from jurisdictions bound by an intergovernmental agreement with Québec.

This comprehensive legislative update covers recent regulatory changes, proclamations, and proposed regulations across Canada's federal government and all provinces and territories.

The federal government has published notices proposing to add the Mackenzie Valley Highway and Roberts Bank Terminal 2 to Schedule 1 of the Building Canada Act as projects of national interest. These potential listings, following a similar notice for the West Coast Oil Pipeline, provide the first practical indications of how the government may use the Act to advance major infrastructure projects through streamlined federal approvals while maintaining Indigenous consultation and environmental assessment requ

On September 21, 2026, the federal government introduced Bill C-39, the Building Canada Strong Act. It is the latest and most comprehensive instalment in a series of federal reforms that began in 2025 with the Building Canada Act and the creation of the Major Projects Office.

Canada's inaugural Investment Summit in September 2026 aims to attract $1 trillion in investment across defence, infrastructure, Indigenous partnerships, technology, energy, critical minerals and agriculture. This analysis examines the federal measures shaping the Summit's agenda and outlines the key legal, regulatory and structuring considerations businesses and investors should evaluate when assessing nation-building opportunities in Canada.

The Canadian federal government has introduced Bill C-39, the Building Canada Strong Act, a comprehensive legislative package designed to accelerate federal project approvals, strengthen transportation and trade infrastructure, and modernize labour relations in federally regulated sectors.

Canada's federal government is seeking public input on AI transparency measures that could introduce new disclosure obligations, incident reporting requirements, and tracking mechanisms for AI systems. Organizations have until September 23, 2026 to influence the regulatory framework before it takes shape through potential legislation, standards, or mandatory requirements.

Deepfakes are reaching courts. Learn how a U.S. case dismissed for AI-generated evidence and Canadian authentication rules are changing what litigators must do now.

As a non-resident engaging in activities in Canada, it is important to understand whether your activities will result in income tax being levied.

A 2026 Ontario Court of Appeal decision reveals that construction contracts signed years after legislative reforms may still be governed by the old Construction Lien Act if the procurement process began before July 1, 2018. The ruling demonstrates how early project proposals and negotiations can determine which statutory regime applies, regardless of when the final contract was executed or where the project was ultimately built.

Quebec's new Bill 24 prohibits businesses from using a person's identity or image in consumer advertising without consent, creating significant compliance obligations for companies using AI-generated content, synthetic voices, and digitally altered spokespersons. The legislation introduces broad enforcement powers and extends liability beyond content creators to platforms that distribute or facilitate unauthorized representations.

A family trust is a tax and estate planning tool widely used by family businesses in Canada. Among other things, it can be used to establish an estate freeze, facilitate the gradual transfer of wealth to the next generation, maintain a degree of control over family assets and, in some cases, provide better assets protection. Historically, family trusts have also been used in a variety of income-splitting strategies.

Canadian organizations developing, acquiring, deploying or using AI have until September 23, 2026 to contribute to shaping the federal government's approach to AI transparency through a public consultation. Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada is seeking input on five key areas that could lead to new disclosure obligations, incident reporting requirements, and AI agent tracking mechanisms.

Ontario commercial truck drivers with less than two years of heavy-truck experience must now pass a practical road test administered by Quebec's SAAQ before transferring their licence to operate heavy vehicles in the province. This new requirement follows fatal collisions and an Ontario Auditor General audit that exposed significant gaps in training standards and provider oversight. Carriers operating across the border need to factor these requirements into workforce planning, recruitment timelines, and dis

Canada's IPO market has undergone fundamental restructuring rather than simple recovery, with companies staying private longer and institutional investors increasingly favoring rigorous long-form offerings over alternative listing structures. The mining sector remains a critical counterweight, representing over $1.1 trillion in market capitalization and demonstrating sustained capital-raising strength even as traditional IPO activity contracted sharply between 2022 and 2024.

A publicly listed REIT successfully restructured approximately $1 billion in defaulted debt through a CBCA plan of arrangement without filing for CCAA protection, demonstrating how corporate law mechanisms can serve as practical alternatives to formal insolvency proceedings. The Ontario Superior Court's decision in Re Ravelin Properties REIT also clarified that confidential restructuring negotiations do not necessarily trigger material change disclosure obligations for public companies.