Log in or register
Share on LinkedInShare on LinkedIn

ARTICLE · 20 MAY 2026

British Columbia Tightens Consumer Protection Rules: Key Contracting And Sales Practice Changes Effective August 2026

Fasken
Explore more from Fasken

As detailed in a prior Fasken bulletin, BC Bill 4 passed into law important amendments to the BPCPA that took effect in 2025, including new restrictions on mandatory arbitration clauses, class action waivers, and contractual limits on consumer reviews. This bulletin focuses on additional, consumer-contracting and direct-sales amendments, and regulatory requirements that will take effect on August 1, 2026, giving businesses limited time to adapt.

CanadaConsumer Protection
Gabriel M.A. Stern, PhD
Gabriel M.A. Stern, PhD
Ariel Laver
Ariel Laver
Paul Burbank
Paul Burbank
Shan L. M. Arora
Shan L. M. Arora
Author LinkedIn connections

British Columbia’s New Consumer Protection Rules

British Columbia has confirmed major updates to the province’s Business Practices and Consumer Protection Act (“BPCPA”) that will directly impact how businesses contract with consumers in BC.

As detailed in a prior Fasken bulletin, BC Bill 4 passed into law important amendments to the BPCPA that took effect in 2025, including new restrictions on mandatory arbitration clauses, class action waivers, and contractual limits on consumer reviews. This bulletin focuses on additional, consumer-contracting and direct-sales amendments, and regulatory requirements that will take effect on August 1, 2026, giving businesses limited time to adapt.

Companies offering subscriptions, online consumer services, home‑service contracts, or direct sales in particular should be attentive to these changes, which introduce new operational obligations and heightened compliance expectations for those business models.

We operate a free-to-view policy, asking only that you register in order to read all of our content. Please login or register to view the rest of this article.

Register for freeORLog in

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.

View source

Related Articles

Legal Intelligence Newsletters: sign up for the latest legal and regulatory news on your chosen topics

Read more about

Related Comparative Guides

See more popular content from

Article

The Warranty Of Good Working Order: New Québec Consumer Protection Regulation Takes Effect October 5, 2026

Starting October 5, 2026, Québec will introduce a new statutory warranty of good working order for consumer goods such as appliances and electronics, with minimum warranty periods ranging from 3 to 6 years. The legislation imposes disclosure obligations on manufacturers and merchants while prohibiting any attempts to exclude or limit this warranty. Businesses operating in Québec must adapt their practices to comply with these consumer protection requirements or face potential compliance issues.
CanadaConsumer Protection
Gowling WLG
Gowling WLG
Article

Peptides In Canada: Regulatory Reality Is Catching Up With The Hype

Health Canada's recent enforcement action against unauthorized injectable peptides signals a regulatory shift that wellness companies cannot afford to ignore. While peptides dominate influencer marketing and online wellness spaces, their legal status in Canada depends on factors far more complex than social media trends suggest. Understanding how route of administration, therapeutic claims, and market authorization intersect is now critical for compliance.
CanadaConsumer Protection
Gowling WLG
Gowling WLG
Article

Garantie légale de bon fonctionnement au Québec : commerçants et fabricants, êtes-vous prêts pour le 5 octobre 2026?

À compter du 5 octobre 2026, une nouvelle garantie légale de bon fonctionnement s'appliquera aux électroménagers et appareils électroniques neufs vendus ou loués à long terme au Québec. Cette garantie, découlant de la Loi 29, impose de nouvelles obligations aux commerçants et fabricants, de l'affichage des prix au traitement des réclamations. Découvrez les biens visés, les durées applicables et les étapes concrètes pour assurer
CanadaConsumer Protection
BCF Business Law
BCF Business Law
Article

Legal Warranty Of Good Working Order In Quebec: Merchants And Manufacturers, Are You Ready For October 5, 2026?

Starting October 5, 2026, Quebec will implement a new legal warranty of good working order for household appliances and electronic devices, requiring merchants and manufacturers to adapt their practices from price display to claims handling. What obligations will businesses face under Bill 29's amendments to the Consumer Protection Act, and how can they prepare for compliance before the deadline?
CanadaConsumer Protection
BCF Business Law
BCF Business Law
Article

New Performance Standards For Button/Coin Batteries And Products Containing Them Now In Effect In Canada

Health Canada has introduced mandatory performance standards for consumer products containing button/coin batteries, requiring immediate compliance from manufacturers, importers, advertisers, and sellers. Companies must now certify that their products, packaging, and labelling meet specified safety criteria or equivalent standards to mitigate ingestion hazards. This regulatory update offers a more flexible, outcomes-based approach compared to the prescriptive requirements of Reese's Law in the United States
CanadaConsumer Protection
McMillan LLP
McMillan LLP
Article

Regulation Of Food-Contact Materials In Canada

Canada maintains a sophisticated yet largely voluntary system for regulating food-contact materials, placing primary responsibility on industry to ensure packaging safety. While Health Canada offers Letters of No Objection (LONOs) as written assurances, this regulatory framework may soon shift toward a mandatory positive list approach, fundamentally changing how food packaging materials are assessed and approved in the Canadian market.
CanadaConsumer Protection
Steptoe LLP
Steptoe LLP
Article

Quebec’s Bill 24: New Consent Requirements For AI Generated Advertising And The Legal Risks Business Cannot Afford To Ignore

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.
CanadaConsumer Protection
Miller Thomson
Miller Thomson
Article

Canada Considers Positive List Approach For Food Contact Substances

Health Canada has launched a public consultation on a proposed regulatory overhaul that would fundamentally transform how food packaging materials are evaluated and approved for use in Canada. The agency is considering implementing a mandatory notification system and potentially creating a binding positive list of approved substances, marking a significant departure from the current voluntary Letter of No Objection framework.
CanadaConsumer Protection
Steptoe LLP
Steptoe LLP
Article

Canada’s Counter-Tariffs On US Goods: A Primer On What Canadian Businesses Need To Know

Effective September 8, 2026, Canada implemented retaliatory tariffs on certain U.S. goods in response to the initial 50% tariffs imposed by the US under Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930. To operationalize these measures, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) issued Customs Notice 26-23, establishing binding administrative rules on how the surtax will be applied, calculated, and collected.
CanadaInternational Law
Fasken
Fasken
Article

Counter-Tariffs In Force, U.S. Import Bans Announced, A Cabinet Planning Forum, An Investment Summit, EU Diplomatic Overtures And A House Returning

With Labour Day now behind us, Parliament Hill is gearing up for its September 21 return. Canada’s counter-tariffs on nearly $28 billion in American goods are now in force, and the United States has already escalated in response: President Trump has signed measures to ban certain Canadian alcohol, dairy-related products, molasses, non-alcoholic beer, motorcycles and mopeds from entering the U.S. market as of September 29, while modifying the list of Canadian goods subject to 50% tariffs effective September 15 and directing action to remove Canadian-origin products from U.S. government procurement schedules.
CanadaInternational Law
Fasken
Fasken
Article

Buying Quebec, Buying Canadian: What The New Orders In Council 1358-2026 And 1359-2026 Mean For Procurement

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.
CanadaGovernment, Public Sector
Fasken
Fasken
Article

More Than Skin Deep: Ontario Considers A Makeover Of Cosmetic Injection Rules

A regulatory shift now under consideration in Ontario could reshape how the province’s medical aesthetic clinics operate. The proposal, which would change how nurses are authorized to administer medical aesthetic services, invites a broader look at how Ontario currently regulates cosmetic injections and how the proposed changes would align the province more closely with the regulatory frameworks already in place elsewhere in Canada. While these procedures are often marketed as routine “spa” services, they remain medical acts that involve prescription products and carry clinical risks.
CanadaFood, Drugs, Healthcare, Life Sciences
Fasken
Fasken
Article

Life Sciences-Health Canada Takes Action Against Unauthorized Peptide Sales

On July 29, 2026, Health Canada announced that it had obtained a permanent injunction against a Québec-based company in connection with the sale of unauthorized injectable peptides in Canada. The announcement reflects Health Canada’s continued focus on peptide products and serves as a reminder that injectable peptides intended for human use are regulated as prescription drugs and are subject to Canada's drug regulatory framework.
CanadaFood, Drugs, Healthcare, Life Sciences
Fasken
Fasken