Miller Thomson Publishes Article In The Municipal World Magazine

I am interested in buying a house by a river which is for sale. Will I own the riverbank? What responsibilities will I have for maintenance?

The EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) became generally applicable on 12 August 2026, introducing comprehensive sustainability, labeling, and conformity requirements that affect businesses placing packaged products on the EU market. Companies exporting to the EU must now treat packaging as part of product compliance rather than simply a waste issue, with key obligations already in force despite many requirements being phased in through 2030. Businesses that have not yet assessed their packag

Recent EU and UK regulations are transforming product sustainability through new requirements for packaging, batteries, textiles, and supply chains. From digital product passports to deforestation-free commodities, these developments create comprehensive obligations for manufacturers and traders seeking to operate in European markets.

The UN Climate Change Conference (COP 26) runs from 31 October to 12 November 2021 in Glasgow, under a UK presidency As governments seek to tackle the climate emergency with increasing urgency, employers too are considering how best to play their part.

The European Union has introduced a comprehensive Sustainability Omnibus Package that will significantly impact how businesses across member states approach environmental, social, and governance reporting. Understanding these regulatory changes is crucial for companies operating in or with the EU to ensure compliance and adapt their sustainability strategies accordingly.

The EU's Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) fundamentally transforms how physical goods are manufactured, tracked, and sold across the European single market by introducing binding performance standards, mandatory sustainability disclosures, and Digital Product Passports.

Over the last month we have seen a continued focus upon those making misleading environmental claims, an act known as greenwashing.

As sustainability pressures mount and net-zero targets drive demand for carbon offsetting, UK landowners face a significant opportunity to generate income through carbon credit schemes. With the market contributing £1.2 billion to the UK economy in 2025 and carbon credits trading at £25-£35 per tonne, peatland restoration and woodland creation projects offer substantial returns while enhancing biodiversity and environmental protection.

The Environment Agency has launched a consultation on significant reforms to its Enforcement and Sanctions Policy, introducing new civil penalty frameworks and automatic financial penalties for water companies under the Water (Special Measures) Act 2025. The proposed changes expand enforcement mechanisms across multiple sectors including waste management, packaging regimes, and mercury controls, while establishing a fundamentally different regulatory approach for water sector operators that allows penalties

Ontario commercial truck drivers with less than two years of heavy-truck experience must now pass a practical road test administered by Quebec's SAAQ before transferring their licence to operate heavy vehicles in the province. This new requirement follows fatal collisions and an Ontario Auditor General audit that exposed significant gaps in training standards and provider oversight. Carriers operating across the border need to factor these requirements into workforce planning, recruitment timelines, and dis

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...

Ontario truck drivers with less than two years of commercial heavy vehicle experience must now pass a practical road test administered by Quebec's SAAQ before exchanging their license to drive commercial heavy vehicles in the province. This new requirement follows a series of collisions involving heavy trucks in Quebec and a May 2026 audit revealing significant gaps in Ontario's training standards and oversight of providers. Carriers operating across the Ontario-Quebec border must now factor these requireme

On September 15, 2026 (“Announcement Day”), the Department of Finance released draft legislative proposals to implement the “Productivity Mega Deduction,” permanent 100% first-year (“immediate”) expensing for a wide range of new or used depreciable property and for Canadian development expenses (“CDE”)...

Bill C-12 has fundamentally transformed Canada's anti-money laundering framework by introducing penalties up to forty times higher than previous levels and expanding compliance obligations across the financial sector. The legislation now requires all reporting entities to enroll with FINTRAC and maintain "reasonably designed, risk-based and effective" compliance programs, while imposing cumulative maximum penalties that can reach 3% of global revenue.

Canada's federal government has proposed the Productivity Mega Deduction, offering permanent 100% first-year expensing for depreciable property and Canadian development expenses in the mining sector. How will this transformative tax measure reshape investment strategies and project economics for mining companies operating in Canada?

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.

With less than two weeks before the October 1, 2026 effective date, British Columbia has paused the planned expansion of Provincial Sales Tax (“PST”) to professional services, a measure many businesses and their advisors had already spent months preparing for.

Foreign companies entering Canada often assume their existing privacy programs designed for GDPR or CCPA compliance can simply extend to Canadian operations, but Canada's legal requirements demand targeted modifications. This comprehensive guide examines Canada's private sector privacy legislation, breach reporting obligations, AI governance expectations, and anti-spam regulations that businesses must navigate before launching in the Canadian market.

In OSSTF v Ontario,[1] the Ontario Labour Relations Board ("OLRB") offered helpful insight into the education sector's two-tiered collective bargaining regime.