What happens if a deceased’s will is lost? What if it has been destroyed?
Estate trustees – an individual (or individuals) appointed to administer a deceased’s estate – may find themselves unable to locate the original copy of the deceased’s Will. Perhaps the Will has been misplaced, or destroyed. What is to be done in these situations? Luc…
View the post titled What happens if a deceased’s will is lost? What if it has been destroyed?$70,000 in fines for breach of PCB regulations
On July 27, 2016, the Ontario Court of Justice levied $70,000 in fines against a Hamilton company for contravention of the federal PCB regulations and for failing to comply with an Environmental Protection Compliance Order, issued under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA).…
View the post titled $70,000 in fines for breach of PCB regulationsReforming the Ontario Municipal Board
The province recently announced, with little fanfare, that it was initiating a review of the Ontario Municipal Board (“OMB”). The OMB is an independent adjudicative tribunal that plays a crucial role in land use planning in the province. It reviews decisions made under a number of statutes, …
View the post titled Reforming the Ontario Municipal BoardAcquittals in Two Recent Fisheries Act Prosecutions
We often report on convictions under the Fisheries Act. It is less often that we report on acquittals. In the last several months, two cases related to charges against farmers in PEI under the Fisheries Act were dismissed. The cases turned on whether the farmers, contrary to section 36(3) th…
View the post titled Acquittals in Two Recent Fisheries Act ProsecutionsSIDS on track to pioneer new international treaty on climate change
Despite their comparatively insignificant contribution to climate change, Small Island Developing States (“SIDS”) are among the most vulnerable nations to the effects of climate change. Rising sea levels, an increase in extreme weather events, desertification, warming marine habits, and othe…
View the post titled SIDS on track to pioneer new international treaty on climate changeCO Exposure can be Lethal
A property maintenance business plead guilty and was fined $75,000 for failing to protect their workers from exposure to carbon monoxide gas while power washing an underground parking garage. Ground Maintenance Cleaning Contractors Inc. (“GMCC”), was hired to power wash the underground garag…
View the post titled CO Exposure can be LethalHow Sierra Club became a player in the coal business
As strange as it might sound, the US chapter of the Sierra Club has acquired control over a large coal reserve in the Appalachians. In 2014, Sierra Club and two other environmental non-governmental organizations (“ENGO”s) sued a coal producer, Alpha Natural Resources, for polluting several s…
View the post titled How Sierra Club became a player in the coal businessA Break for Employers on Termination Clauses
Finally! The Ontario Court of Appeal upheld a termination clause in an employment contract that did NOT reference benefit continuation (when indeed there were benefits) or severance (when the employer had a payroll of $2.5 million or more and the employee qualified for the severance payment …
View the post titled A Break for Employers on Termination ClausesThe Virtual Office: Working From Home Considerations
With the advancement of technology, employers looking to cut overhead costs, and family and lifestyle accommodations growing, working from home is becoming more and more common. However, there are some considerations that must be explored before such practices are approved. Policies If emplo…
View the post titled The Virtual Office: Working From Home ConsiderationsNationwide flurry of activity on Environmental Bills of Rights
Hot on the heels of several provinces introducing Environmental Bills of Rights (“EBRs”), Ontario has just announced a review of its Environmental Bill of Rights, 1993. In March 2016, both British Columbia (Bill M 236-2016) and Manitoba (Bill 20) introduced EBRs (this was a re-introduction o…
View the post titled Nationwide flurry of activity on Environmental Bills of RightsReceive Blog Posts
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