Director Independence Regime – Time For A Change?

Kaitlin Mak is a legal professional at Gowling WLG, a global law firm. This profile page provides information about her practice areas, experience, and professional background. Learn more about her expertise and how she can assist with your legal needs.

The eighth annual Blakes Canadian Public M&A Deal Study focuses on recurring and emerging issues in the structuring and negotiation of Target-supported public company acquisitions in Canada.

Ontario's PULSE report and Bill 140 propose sweeping governance reforms for municipally owned electricity distribution utilities and their holding companies, mandating independent boards and new capital planning requirements by 2027. These changes aim to attract institutional investment for $120 billion in infrastructure expansion, but will require utilities to restructure shareholder agreements, recruit new directors, and implement complex governance arrangements within an extremely compressed timeline.

Rising costs of living create challenges for, especially, families with young children. To address child care accessibility and affordability...

Canadian boards are increasingly likely to receive take-private proposals as private equity activity surges, with $26.5 billion deployed in 2025 and mega-deals dominating 2026. Directors must navigate complex fiduciary duties, regulatory requirements, and stakeholder interests while maintaining defensible processes that withstand scrutiny.

Are you considering a career in real estate and construction? Get invaluable advice directly from Mason Bennett, CFO at Beedie. Start your journey on the right foot.

In September 2026, the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance (the Committee) released its recommendations for the 2026 Federal Budget. While these recommendations do not form part of the Budget itself, they provide insight into current political policy priorities and proposals that may be reflected in future legislative and fiscal initiatives. In this article, we highlight several recommendations of particular relevance to charities and not-for-profit organizations, with a specific focus on the proposed social sector fund.

The amendments were developed with the input of stakeholders, including members of the judiciary, the legal profession, government ministries and the public, in response to ongoing concerns regarding chambers delays, scheduling inefficiencies, inaccurate time estimates, and matters that are set down for hearing but ultimately do not proceed as scheduled

A recent British Columbia Supreme Court case reaffirms that non est factum—the legal doctrine allowing parties to void contracts signed under fundamental misapprehension—remains an exceptionally narrow defence. When guarantors attempted to escape liability by claiming limited English proficiency and misunderstanding the unlimited nature of their guarantees, the court rejected their defence, emphasizing that parties cannot avoid contractual obligations simply because they failed to seek proper

The Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization (CIRO) is developing a series of three targeted compliance bulletins to help Dealer Members and Approved Persons apply the Client Focused Reforms (CFRs) in practice. The bulletins build on Joint CSA/CIRO Staff Notice 31-368 Client Focused Reforms: Review of Registrants’ Know Your Client, Know Your Product and Suitability Determination Practices and Additional Guidance, and respond to recurring deficiencies and areas of uncertainty identified through compliance examinations.

The eighth annual Blakes Canadian Public M&A Deal Study focuses on recurring and emerging issues in the structuring and negotiation of Target-supported public company acquisitions in Canada.

On October 7, the Government of British Columbia introduced Bill 20 in the B.C. legislature. Bill 20 implements long-anticipated reforms aimed at providing greater payment and cash-flow certainty for stakeholders...

Canada has announced C$27.6-billion in counter-tariffs on U.S. imports, effective September 8, 2026, targeting over 700 product classifications across steel, aluminum, dairy, electronics, and other sectors. The measures represent a dollar-for-dollar response to U.S. Section 338 tariffs, with rates ranging from 15% to 50% depending on the product category. The government has also introduced a C$7.5-billion support package for affected Canadian workers and businesses.

On December 11, 2025, Hydro-Québec announced that a new call for tenders for wind power projects will be launched in spring 2026 to meet Quebec's growing demand for electricity.

On October 20, 2026, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) published its Consultation on Legislative and Regulatory Modernization for Space Activities (Consultation), which seeks input on the potential modernization of Canada’s legislative framework for space activities through the creation of a new Space Act.

The Government of Canada has introduced new regulations aimed at further reducing the presence of certain...

Welcome to the October issue of Blakes Competitive Edge, a monthly publication of the Blakes Competition, Antitrust & Foreign Investment group. Blakes Competitive Edge provides an overview of recent developments in Canadian competition and foreign investment law, including updates on enforcement activity by the Canadian Competition Bureau (Bureau), recent initiatives and key trends.

Effective January 1, 2027, Manitoba is expanding its land transfer tax regime to apply to beneficial (unregistered) transfers of land, even where legal (registered) title is not being transferred. The amendments bring Manitoba’s regime more closely in line with Ontario’s and Quebec’s current regimes and will affect transactions involving bare trusts, nominees and other ownership structures that separate legal and beneficial ownership of land.

Canada’s mining sector is at an important inflection point. Against a backdrop of growing global demand for critical minerals and increased competition for investment capital, the Canadian federal government has recently introduced a series of tax measures designed to encourage investment and strengthen the competitiveness of Canada’s mining industry. For investors, these measures may meaningfully influence the after-tax economics of projects and financing structures across the mining value chain.

The Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) has announced significant changes to its Long-Term 2 Request for Proposals, creating a dedicated stream for repowered facilities with a 1 terawatt cap.