Why Bother: Business Challenges To Meeting Public Procurement Requirements

Osler's Legislative Update is a bi-weekly listing of new legislation. This issue covers legislation for the period 8/20 to 09/09.

The Province of Manitoba has launched the Manitoba-Canada Defence Alliance to attract defence and security investment opportunities as Canada commits $81.8 billion to military spending. This new initiative brings together government, industry, post-secondary institutions and the Canadian Armed Forces to position Manitoba businesses competitively in the expanding defence procurement landscape.

Canada is positioning itself as a premier destination for institutional investment through legislative reforms, accelerated regulatory approvals, and a new sovereign wealth fund. With ambitious plans to catalyze $1 trillion in investment over five years, the question remains whether Canada can execute major projects with the certainty and speed required to deliver returns that global investors demand.

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

Those involved in importing or exporting controlled nuclear information should review this article because the applicable Canadian regime is undergoing significant change, with important consequences for both licensing and day-to-day management of information.

Le 27 août 2026, le gouvernement du Québec a officiellement déclenché les élections générales, qui mèneront les électeurs aux urnes le 5 octobre prochain. Comme à chaque campagne électorale, plusieurs entreprises, associations et organismes se demandent si leurs activités de relations gouvernementales peuvent se poursuivre et si les règles applicables au lobbyisme changent pendant cette période.

On August 27, 2026, the Government of Quebec officially called the general election, which will lead voters to the polls on October 5. As with every election campaign, companies, associations, and organizations ask whether their government relations activities can continue and if the rules applicable to lobbying change during this period.

Le 27 août 2026, le gouvernement du Québec a officiellement déclenché les élections générales qui mèneront les électeurs québécois aux urnes le 5 octobre prochain. Avec l’ouverture de la période électorale prévue à la Loi électorale (RLRQ, c. E‑3.3), un régime strict de contrôle des dépenses électorales s’applique désormais jusqu’au jour du scrutin.

On August 27, 2026, the Government of Québec called the general election, with voters set to go to the polls on October 5. The election period under the Election Act (CQLR, c. E-3.3) is now underway, and the Act's rules governing election expenses will apply until polling day.

La décision rendue à la majorité de 2 contre 1 par la Cour d’appel de l’Ontario dans l’affaire Minotar s’inscrit dans la tendance récente de la Cour à confirmer une législation provinciale qui limite ou exclut...

This weekly summary provides comprehensive analysis of civil law decisions from the Ontario Court of Appeal for August 31 to September 4, 2026. The featured cases examine critical issues including distribution orders in investment fraud cases, purchase money resulting trusts, and the enforceability of temporary lay-off clauses in employment agreements.

Canada's proposed Bill C-36 would fundamentally transform private-sector privacy law by replacing PIPEDA with the Protecting Privacy and Consumer Data Act. Organizations face stricter data collection tests, new consent exceptions, explicit AI governance rules, and penalties reaching $25 million or 5% of global revenue for knowing violations.

The Ontario Court of Appeal examines whether provincial legislation that retroactively extinguished civil claims and designated land within the Greenbelt violates the constitutional core jurisdiction of superior courts under section 96 of the Constitution Act, 1867. The majority and dissent offer sharply contrasting views on the limits of legislative power to immunize public officials from misfeasance claims and predetermine litigation outcomes.

This comprehensive weekly summary provides detailed analysis of civil law decisions from the Ontario Court of Appeal for August 17-21, 2026, covering critical issues in solicitor-client privilege, international child abduction, and procedural matters. The summaries examine landmark rulings on the crime-fraud exception to privilege in civil fraud cases and the application of grave risk of harm exceptions under the Hague Convention.

This comprehensive weekly summary analyzes five significant Ontario Court of Appeal decisions from August 10-14, 2026, covering constitutional challenges to bike lane removal legislation, limitation periods for third-party claims, class action settlement disclosure rules, constructive dismissal damages, and vexatious litigant declarations. Each case summary includes detailed analysis of legal principles, procedural issues, and practical implications for practitioners.

The Ontario Court of Appeal has delivered a landmark decision clarifying how termination provisions in employment contracts should be interpreted, particularly addressing whether phrases...

The Ontario Court of Appeal released multiple significant decisions during the week of August 3-7, 2026, addressing critical issues in employment law, medical malpractice, defamation, and property law. Notable rulings clarified the enforceability of termination provisions in employment contracts, particularly regarding "at any time" clauses and their consistency with Employment Standards Act minimum requirements, while also examining RSU entitlements and the application of statutory notice provisions.

The Supreme Court of Canada has issued its first comprehensive statement on the doctrine of spoliation since 1896, in SS&C v. BNY Mellon, 2026 SCC 29 an appeal arising from a seventeen-year data-licensing dispute between a data provider (SS&C) and a global custodial bank (BNY Mellon).

The Ontario Court of Appeal released summaries of civil decisions for the week of July 27, 2026, covering diverse legal matters including will rectification, employment classification disputes, condominium oppression claims, insurance coverage issues, and family law proceedings. These cases address fundamental questions about testamentary intent, the distinction between employees and independent contractors, corporate liability principles, and procedural fairness in litigation.

Ontario has launched a major overhaul of its Provincial Nominee Program, consolidating eight immigration streams into four and introducing the new Ontario Workforce Priority Stream with updated eligibility requirements. The changes expand access to workers across all skill levels while implementing stricter employer compliance measures and a redesigned Expression of Interest scoring system that prioritizes labour market integration factors.