Priestly Demolition fined $70,000 for Spill and Failure to Report
The defendant, Priestly Demolition Inc. caused chlorine gas to be discharged into the environment when an employee operating a magnetic grapple attempted to move old pressurized gas cylinders. During the move, a valve snapped releasing the gas. The employee experienced a burning sensation an…
Continue reading the post titled Priestly Demolition fined $70,000 for Spill and Failure to ReportHalf of World’s Natural Heritage Sites Are Under Threat
A chilling report recently released by WWF (formerly World Wildlife Fund) has found that nearly half of the world’s UNESCO-designated natural World Heritage Sites are threatened by industrial activities including oil, gas, and mineral extraction, overfishing, and illegal logging. Sadly, some…
Continue reading the post titled Half of World’s Natural Heritage Sites Are Under ThreatTeck Metals: $3 Million in Fisheries Act fines
On February 29, 2016, Teck Metals Ltd. plead guilty to three offences under the Fisheries Act for the release of substances deleterious to fish in the Columbia River. The total fine was $3,000,000 for the Fisheries Act offences. Teck Metals also paid $400,000 in fines under BC legislation. A…
Continue reading the post titled Teck Metals: $3 Million in Fisheries Act finesShell fined $500,000, pays $200,000 to First Nation following 2013 spill
In case you missed it, nearly 3 years following the event, Shell Canada Ltd has been sentenced for a spill of “flare knock-out liquids” at a Sarnia-area refinery. The January 2013 spill affected members of the nearby Aamjiwnaang First Nation, who experienced a variety of adverse health effec…
Continue reading the post titled Shell fined $500,000, pays $200,000 to First Nation following 2013 spillPlastic-bottled water ban on the horizon in Montreal?
Not long after announcing his city’s intention to ban single-use plastic bags by 2018, Montreal mayor Denis Coderre has indicated that banning plastic-bottled water may be next. Bottled water has long been decried for its heavy environmental footprint. Not only is it unnecessary where safe a…
Continue reading the post titled Plastic-bottled water ban on the horizon in Montreal?A reminder: Employees Have Obligations, Too
You probably know that employers are required to accommodate a disability to the point of undue hardship. If you’ve ever been involved in a situation requiring accommodation, you probably also know that “undue hardship” is a very high standard. So it’s good to hear about arbitrators who also…
Continue reading the post titled A reminder: Employees Have Obligations, TooThe Duty To Accommodate Does Not Require an Employer to Turn Customers Away
A Store Manager for a leather company injured her wrist. Ultimately, the store terminated her position, prompting a human rights application to the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal. As part of this application, the employee argued that the accommodation process required: the employer continue t…
Continue reading the post titled The Duty To Accommodate Does Not Require an Employer to Turn Customers Away2016 Shaping Up To Be ‘Significant’ Year For Franchise Law
(Note: This article was also published on AdvocateDaily.com) The Supreme Court of Canada is set to hear its first franchise case in more than four decades something that, coupled with significant recent decisions, could bring needed balance to the industry, franchise lawyer Peter Dillon tell…
Continue reading the post titled 2016 Shaping Up To Be ‘Significant’ Year For Franchise LawFirst Imprisonment under CEPA for dry cleaner
At the end of February, Environment and Climate Change Canada posted a notice about its “first-ever imprisonment” of a dry cleaner under the tetrachloroethylene regulations. For improper storage and handling practices, the dry-cleaner will face a four-month conditional sentence in the form o…
Continue reading the post titled First Imprisonment under CEPA for dry cleanerThe GM Salmon debate: allow, label, or outlaw?
To what extent should we continue to welcome genetically modified organisms (“GMOs”) into our food systems? The question has continued to invoke impassioned responses in recent years, with GMOs simultaneously touted by some as the salvation to global food security issues while de…
Continue reading the post titled The GM Salmon debate: allow, label, or outlaw?