Family Day In Ontario - An Update

Keeping up with employment law in Canada used to be a marathon. Now, it's a sprint. For employers in Québec, Ontario, and British Columbia, a significant volume of new legislation...

Canada's gig economy continues to grow steadily, with nearly half a million Canadians now engaged in this type of work. Many businesses rely on this form of highly flexible labour...

Since the end of the First World War, Canadians have recognized November 11 as Remembrance Day, a day to honour members of our armed forces who have died in the line of duty.

WorkSafeBC is proposing significant amendments to British Columbia's Occupational Health and Safety Regulation that would fundamentally reshape how employers address workplace harassment, violence, and psychological health. The proposed changes introduce expanded definitions, new prevention program requirements, and obligations to identify and control psychosocial hazards. These amendments could require most B.C. employers to substantially revise their existing workplace policies and procedures.

On March 1, 2018, An Act to amend the Holidays Act (Remembrance Day) received royal assent and became law.

Starting November 1, 2026, BC's pay transparency reporting obligation expands to cover employers with 50 or more employees, significantly broadening the scope of the Pay Transparency Act and Pay Transparency Regulation (the "Act").

The Canadian province of British Columbia has introduced measures that prohibit employers from asking job applicants for pay history information.

On April 20, 2026, the Ontario government introduced Bill 105, known as the Protecting Ontario's Workers and Economic Resilience Act, 2026 (the "POWER Act"), for first reading.

The Ontario Ministry of Labour has announced that inspectors will be conducting safety inspection blitzes, targetting the industrial and construction sector.

Canada's federal government has announced a $3.5 billion rapid response support package in anticipation of retaliatory tariffs against the United States, introducing new temporary employment insurance measures and workforce retention programs. The package extends EI benefits, waives waiting periods, and creates funding opportunities for employers to retain and retrain workers rather than implement large-scale layoffs.

On March 5, 2025, Canada published a Final State of PFAS Report finding that the entire class of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)...

The United States has escalated its trade dispute with Canada by imposing import bans on alcoholic beverages, dairy products, and motorcycles under Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930, while Canada responds with matched counter-tariffs on $27.6 billion worth of U.S. goods. Following the collapse of bilateral negotiations in August 2026, both nations have entered an unprecedented phase of trade restrictions that extends beyond traditional tariffs to include procurement exclusions and threatens further auto

A major U.S. vendor agreement has established a rigorous new AI safety standard for educational technology, prohibiting the use of student data for AI training and enforcing strict data minimization. While the standard does not directly bind vendors in Canada, Canadian school boards can leverage this precedent to demand equivalent contractual protections and strengthen their own AI governance frameworks.

The Supreme Court of Canada held its second annual ceremony marking the opening of the judicial year at its temporary home in the West Memorial Building, with Chief Justice highlighting the Court's increased caseload and architectural features. What significant constitutional and legal challenges will the Court address in its fall 2026 session, including cases on firearm regulations, Crown immunity, and vicarious liability?

The Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization’s (CIRO) proposed Incorporated Approved Person model could materially change how client-facing advisors structure their businesses and receive compensation with significant impacts to sponsoring firms. The proposed rule amendments, published on July 9, 2026, would introduce a harmonized incorporated compensation option for client-facing Approved Persons across CIRO regulated dealers. Comments are due November 6, 2026.

On July 2, 2026, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) published its updated Guidance on the Common Reporting Standard (Updated CRS Guidance).

The Government of British Columbia has published the Restricted Insurance Agent Licence Regulation, introducing a new restricted licensing framework...

​The amendments to the Contaminated Sites Regulation, which take effect November 1st, 2017, will incorporate new soil, water, and vapour standards.

Since April 1, 2021, residential projects of at least 450 m² (about 5 units or more) in Montréal have been subject to the By-law for a Diverse Metropolis (the BDM).

The Government of Alberta recently confirmed its plan to implement a data centre levy framework as part of its broader AI Data Centre Strategy. The levy framework requires that large-scale data...