BACKGROUND The last major overhaul of the Divorce Act, which governs issues of custody and support for married persons, was in 1985. In May 2018, the government introduced Bill C-78, which proposed significant changes to the Divorce Act. The bill received Royal Assent on June 21, 2019, and the majority of the amendments to the […]
We are living in a time where there is great potential to improve business practices through the effective implementation of technology. Upcoming amendments to the Companies Act[1], Co-operative Associations Act[2] and Corporations Registrations Act[3] will permit the electronic storage of books and records for both companies and cooperatives. A number of other key updates include, […]
Background Bill C-69 was passed by the Parliament of Canada in June 2019.[1] It was omnibus legislation, a package of both new legislation and amendments to existing legislation. One of the objectives of Bill C-69 was a complete overhaul of the environmental assessment of large resource projects in Canada. It was, and continues to be, a […]
On September 10, 2019, the federal government announced the appointment of the first ever federal Pay Equity Commissioner. The Pay Equity Commissioner’s role is to provide leadership and direction for the administration and enforcement of the new federal Pay Equity Act (the “Act”). The Act establishes a new pay equity regime which is aimed at reducing gender based pay discrimination by ensuring all federally regulated employers take proactive steps to ensure they are providing equal pay for equal value.
The Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program (AIPP) offers a fast route for employers wishing to hire immigrants and for people wishing to immigrate to Atlantic Canada. The AIPP has recently been extended until December 2021. The AIPP is an employer-driven program that allows Atlantic Canadian employers looking to fill labour gaps with applicants who meet their […]
This article was first published in Municipal World, Canada’s municipal magazine. NS Restructuring Offers New Model for Consolidation Nova Scotia’s first municipal consolidation in over 20 years is gaining attention as, potentially, a new model for consolidating two already stable and viable municipalities that are convinced they can achieve even more by coming together. The […]
On November 1, 2019, employees on Prince Edward Island will be entitled to up to three (3) days leave with pay and an additional seven (7) days leave without pay if an employee, their minor child or a person for whom an employee is a primary caregiver of is a victim of domestic violence, intimate […]
Contemplating selling your business? Considering entering into a purchase agreement? Materiality scrape provisions are something you should be keeping an eye out for. In many purchase agreements, vendors will make representations about what they are selling. These include a wide range of assurances— such as that it has good title to the assets/shares being sold, […]
With advances in medical technology, the use of assisted human reproduction has increased significantly in the past 40 years, since the first child born from in vitro fertilization (IVF) was born. The law has not kept pace with the changing medical and societal landscape. A recent series of decisions across the country highlight the need […]
The Nova Scotia Department of Labour and Advanced Education is considering expanding the equal pay provisions of the Labour Standards Code (the “Code”), and its ability to enforce compliance with the Code through the imposition of administrative penalties. The Code currently has equal pay provisions that prohibit employers from paying women differently from men for […]