The Complete Brief
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February 20, 2026
Industry welcomes ruling on U.S. tariffs, urges focus on CUSMA review
Canadian business groups have welcomed the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision striking down tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump under emergency powers. However, they say duties imposed under separate legal authorities continue to weigh on exporters as the two countries prepare for trade talks.
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February 20, 2026
Competition Bureau expands real estate commissions investigation to Vancouver board
The Competition Bureau has announced it has obtained a court order to gather information from Greater Vancouver REALTORS® to advance its ongoing investigation into real estate commission rules in Canada.
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February 20, 2026
Court allows Suncor’s appeal of depreciable properties in tax reassessment
The Federal Court of Appeal has allowed an appeal by Suncor relating to its acquisition of more than $34 million in depreciable property that was transferred to its limited partnership, which did not exist at the time of acquisition, and later used to calculate its 2007 income tax.
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February 20, 2026
Ontario appoints 5 new judges to the Ontario Court of Justice
Ontario Attorney General Doug Downey has appointed five new judges to the Ontario Court of Justice, effective Feb. 26, 2026, according to a provincial announcement.
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February 20, 2026
Connecting the dots: New federal bill tackles Canada’s fragmented health-care data systems
Canada’s health-care system has long struggled with disconnected digital infrastructure, leaving patients and providers frustrated by siloed data. In response, the federal government introduced Bill S-5, the Connected Care for Canadians Act, on Feb. 4, 2026. The legislation is substantially similar to Bill C-72, which was introduced in June 2024 but failed to pass before Parliament was prorogued.
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February 20, 2026
Tax Court endorses Google Maps for ‘shortest normal route’ in moving expense disputes
In a decision that bridges traditional tax principles with modern technology, the Tax Court of Canada has upheld a taxpayer’s claim for nearly $130,000 in moving expenses, relying on Google Maps data that accounted for real-world rush-hour traffic in the Greater Toronto Area.
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February 20, 2026
Equal or exceptional? Reapportionment and relationship dynamics in Lamoureux v. Hedquist
In Lamoureux v. Hedquist, 2025 BCCA 438, the parties were involved in a turbulent five-year relationship from 2015 to 2020. Neither entered the relationship with personal assets; however, the husband, Thomas Hedquist, owned substantial and valuable corporate interests at the outset of their union that qualified as excluded property.
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February 20, 2026
Ontario launches new registry for tracking workplace hazards
Ontario has launched a new registry that will allow workers to record and track exposure to hazardous substances in the workplace.
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February 20, 2026
B.C. proposes legislation to strengthen oversight of designated international education institutions
The Government of British Columbia has introduced the Post Secondary International Education (Designated Institutions) Act, which will “strengthen oversight of B.C.’s international education sector, ensuring better protection for international students.”
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February 20, 2026
Judge deems boy’s injuries at Grande Prairie daycare ‘unfortunate fluke’
911. No, not a distress call. Just the age of the parties in a recent Alberta Court of Justice case, Robinson v. Fellin, 2026 ABCJ 2. Dominic Robinson was 9, and he sued Xavier Fellin, age 11, who struck him at a Grande Prairie, Alta., summer daycare program while arguing and swatting him with a small toy dinosaur. Dominic suffered a severe finger injury requiring surgery.