Legislative Update Report No. 2024-04 Le Bulletin d'actualités législatives

Earlier this month and after consultations launched in 2023 and 2024, the federal government published Canada's State of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances Report and proposed Risk Management Approach for Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances, Excluding Fluoropolymers.

Canada's Minister of the Environment issued a notice on July 27, 2024, announcing a new mandatory PFAS reporting rule. In some ways, the notice is similar to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)...

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances ("PFAS"), a group of several thousand man-made chemicals that include perfluorooctanoic ("PFOS"), perfluorooctanoic acid...

The Government of Canada has amended regulations under the Impact Assessment Act to streamline environmental reviews for major infrastructure projects, particularly interprovincial pipelines. These changes shift regulatory responsibility for certain energy projects to the Canada Energy Regulator while removing other project types from federal review following the Supreme Court's 2024 constitutional ruling.

The Canadian government has removed seven types of energy projects from federal impact assessment requirements, shifting review responsibilities to the Canada Energy Regulator and provincial processes. This regulatory change affects pipelines, electrical transmission lines, oil sands facilities, and power plants, fundamentally altering how major energy infrastructure projects will be evaluated and approved across Canada.

Canadian governments and producer-responsibility organizations are refining extended producer responsibility programs across the country, affecting packaging, batteries, electronics, and hazardous products. Recent regulatory changes include expanded collection obligations, adjusted compliance timelines, and new enforcement measures, with significant developments in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, and Atlantic provinces.

Ontario has launched its first call for expressions of interest in carbon capture and storage licences under the new Geologic Carbon Storage Act, targeting Crown-owned pore space beneath lakebeds surrounding the Ontario Peninsula. The detailed submission requirements reveal expectations that proponents have advanced well beyond initial planning stages, with the process serving as a critical test of Ontario's emerging CCS framework and its attractiveness to industry.

Canada's carbon markets are undergoing significant transformation as federal and provincial governments reshape their climate policies. The federal consumer carbon tax has been eliminated while industrial carbon pricing remains in effect, and provinces like Québec and Alberta have introduced major regulatory reforms to their cap-and-trade and emissions reduction systems.

Last month, amendments to British Columbia's Environmental Management Act ("EMA") and Contaminated Sites Regulation ("CSR") came into force, altering how contaminated sites are identified in BC.

Yesterday, the Federal Government announced changes to the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act to exempt various projects funded under the Building Canada Plan from federal environmental assessment ("EA") requirements.

Canada and the United States have escalated their trade war with new retaliatory tariffs and import prohibitions taking effect in September 2026. What specific goods are now subject to these measures, and how do the complex layers of tariffs interact to impact cross-border commerce? This comprehensive analysis breaks down the latest developments in the deteriorating Canada-U.S. economic relationship.

As Canada and the United States escalate their trade dispute with new retaliatory tariffs, businesses face mounting compliance challenges across multiple sectors. This analysis examines the comprehensive tariff landscape affecting bilateral trade, including Canada's September 8, 2026 surtaxes on U.S. imports and the corresponding American section 338 tariffs, detailing rates, exemptions, and the legal frameworks governing these measures.

The Canada Revenue Agency has announced a new priority system for advance income tax ruling requests, targeting investments of at least $1 billion in Canada. This initiative aims to accelerate the tax certainty process for major investors by reducing processing times and providing binding guidance on how specific Income Tax Act provisions apply to proposed transactions.

Canada's new Productivity Mega Deduction permanently provides immediate expensing for a wide range of depreciable property and Canadian development expenses, dramatically expanding the scope beyond the previously announced Productivity Super Deduction. The measure aims to reduce Canada's marginal effective tax rate on new business investment to 6.4%, positioning it as the lowest among major economies and less than half the U.S. rate.

September 2026 has seen significant announcements in the renewable energy space across the country. Alberta is set to introduce a new solar panel recycling program that has drawn industry criticism

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

Legislative Update Report No. 2026-18 Le Bulletin d’actualités législatives

The Government of Canada has launched its highly anticipated Defence Drone Initiative to accelerate the development, testing, production and procurement of Canadian uncrewed and autonomous systems for the Canadian Armed Forces and the Canadian Coast Guard.

Alternative practice structures (APS), already firmly established in the United States, are generating significant interest and activity in the Canadian market, particularly in regard to accounting firms.

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