Substance Over Form in the Enforcement of Franchisees’ Statutory Rescission Rights: the Anomalous Case of Notice by Pleading
In a decision released on March 23, 2020,[1] the Ontario Court of Appeal favoured substance over form in finding that a franchisee could properly discharge its obligation to give written […]
WeirFoulds mourns the loss of Partner, friend and colleague, Michael McQuaid
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our Partner, friend and colleague, Michael McQuaid. Mike passed away peacefully on Saturday, April 4 following a period of […]
Ford Government Tightens Lockdown on Ontario Businesses: New Truncated List of Essential Workplaces Released
On Friday April 3, 2020, the Ontario provincial government released a new, truncated list of essential workplaces exempted from the mandatory emergency closure order. This measure was made in conjunction […]
Daniel Wong speaks with Huffington Post about employee safety during COVID-19 pandemic
Daniel Wong, chair of WeirFoulds’ Employment Law Group, spoke with the Huffington Post about employee safety during the COVID-19 pandemic and the rights of both employers and employees. In the […]
The Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy: What All Employers Need to Know
On April 1, 2020, Finance Minister Bill Morneau provided details regarding the federal government’s Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy that was initially announced on March 27, 2020. Consistent with promises made […]
Blanket Relief for Certain Regulatory Filings as a Result of COVID-19
As previously discussed, the Canadian Securities Administrators (the “CSA“) issued notices laying out measures the CSAs would take in order to assist market participants with the challenges they may face […]
COVID-19: Real Estate Update
As of Tuesday, March 24, 2020 all of Ontario’s “non-essential services” were required to close in response to the growing COVID-19 pandemic in the province. This mandatory shut down will […]
WeirFoulds lawyers start #CommunityOverCOVID movement to donate would-be lunch money to local food bank
While many professionals have started working from home amid the COVID-19 pandemic, local food banks are struggling to keep up with demand. Health Canada has issued a statement encouraging Canadians […]
Navigating Ontario’s Closure of Non-Essential Businesses
On March 24, 2020, the Ontario provincial government passed Regulation 82/20 under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act. This regulation ordered the closure of all “non-essential” businesses beginning at […]
Tax-Effective Charitable Giving: RRSPs and RRIFs, Public Securities and Life Insurance
While the most common method of philanthropic giving is a gift of cash, Canadians should note other options for giving to charity both during their lifetimes and after death. Structuring […]
Ontario Litigation Update: COVID-19
COVID-19 is impacting all aspects of life including Ontario’s Courts. Thanks to the hard work, and responsiveness of the various justices, court staff, legislators, and other stakeholders – in a […]
Privacy in the AI Era? OPC Launches Consultation on Regulation of AI
American writer Kurt Vonnegut once penned the line, “You asked the impossible of a machine and the machine complied.” Our society has voraciously devoured the possibilities offered by artificial intelligence […]
Protecting Limitation Periods During COVID-19
The last two weeks have been unprecedented for every person and business in Canada. Courts across Canada have been shutting down many of their operations in order to respond to […]
Municipal Business in the Face of an Emergency: Ontario Enacts the Municipal Emergency Act, 2020
Yesterday, the Ontario government enacted the Municipal Emergency Act, 2020 which amends the Municipal Act, 2001 and the City of Toronto Act, 2006 to provide that, during emergencies, members of […]
A Novel Type of Leave in the Wake of COVID-19: The Ontario Government’s Changes to the Employment Standards Act, 2000
On March 19, 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ontario Legislature passed Bill 186, the Employment Standards Amendment Act (Infectious Disease Emergencies), 2020 (”Bill 186”). The Act amends […]