In case you missed it, new limits were introduced on formaldehyde emissions from composite wood products imported into, sold or manufactured in Canada....more
On April 18, 2023, the Government of Canada announced the launch of consultations under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA) with respect to...more
Our Field Notes blog is intended to provide a high-level overview of the emerging issues in the landscape of pesticides in Canada, including happenings at the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA). In our first...more
Key amendments to the federal Hazardous Products Regulations (the Regulations) are now in effect, which, among other things -
- update the Regulations to be in line with the most recent standards under the Globally...more
On December 7, 2022, amendments to the Pest Control Products Regulations (PCPR) were published in the Canada Gazette Part II. Among other things, the amendments...more
Prompted in part by supply chain challenges emerging during the COVID-19 pandemic, Health Canada is proposing a new regulatory framework under the Food and Drugs Act (FDA) specific to biocides. Biocides are products that...more
The term Environmental, Social and Governance, or ESG, refers to a broad set of issues or criteria relating to corporate behaviour and performance that generally fall outside of the traditional financial performance...more
As described in our initial blog post, COVID-19 Pandemic-Related Economic Stimulus for Canadian Businesses, published on April 8 and our update posts, published on April 16, April 24 and May 22, the Canadian federal...more
Just in time for summer, Ontario's outdoor dine-in services at restaurants, bars, food trucks, wineries, breweries and distilleries are becoming available in Ontario's Stage 2 regions. Currently, restaurants and bars in...more
In an earlier post, we highlighted the top issues that agribusinesses might wish to consider when navigating the challenges created by COVID-19. Canadian agribusinesses, alongside governments, have implemented long-term...more
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, companies in various industries have quickly shifted their operations to meet the growing demand for essential supplies, including hand sanitizer. While hand sanitizer may seem like a...more
The COVID-19 pandemic has had an unprecedented impact on the Canadian economy since the first Canadian case was announced on January 15, 2020. In an effort to support Canadian businesses and to provide financial resources...more
The COVID-19 pandemic has had an unprecedented impact on the Canadian economy. Across Canada, the protection of the food supply has been recognized as critical, and the Government of Canada is taking necessary steps to ensure...more
Is your business essential or a priority (or permitted to operate) under various emergency public orders made in response to the global COVID-19 pandemic? Across Canada, various provinces and territories are taking steps to...more
The Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) is proposing to "reduce complexity and modernize pesticide management in Ontario". On October 28, 2019, the MECP posted a proposal to the Environmental Registry of...more
This article is Part III of a series that discusses the federal government’s proposed changes to Canada’s environmental regulatory regime governing project development and operation in Canada....more
This article is Part II of a series that discusses the federal government’s proposed changes to Canada’s environmental regulatory regime governing project development and operation in Canada....more
The road to the first class action against the Province of British Columbia -
On May 3, 2017, the Honourable Justice Masuhara, of the British Columbia Supreme Court, certified the province’s first environmental class...more
Gendron v Thompson Fuels et al provides a cautionary tale for homeowners hoping to "handle things on [their] own". In this case, the plaintiff-homeowner attempted to clean up a domestic fuel oil spill with Tupperware...more
Whether or not the decisions by the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) to successively register neonicotinoid products on a conditional basis constitute a "continuous course of conduct", and whether or not the PMRA...more
On 12 May 2017, the Government of Canada introduced Bill C-48, the proposed Oil Tanker Moratorium Act, in Parliament. This initiative follows up on the launch of the national Oceans Protection Plan in November 2016, and...more
Corporate defendants have the right to a speedy trial, without requiring them to prove actual prejudice to their fair trial rights. In R v Stephensons Rental Services, a March 2017 decision of the Ontario Court of Justice,...more
The Ontario Superior Court awarded damages for migration of dry cleaning solvents the defendant corporation spilled between 1960 and 1974 in Huang v Fraser Hillary's Limited, 2017 ONSC 1500 [Huang] under section 99(2) of the...more
In R v Jones and Schmidt, 2016 ONSC 7388, a November decision of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, the court found that unreasonable delays in bringing the case to trial were mostly attributable to the prosecution and,...more
In Coastal First Nations v British Columbia (Environment), 2016 BCSC 34, the Court decided British Columbia must issue its own environmental decision and consult First Nations on the Northern Gateway Project (NGP), instead of...more