Labour & Employment

  • July 16, 2026

    Wrongful dismissal: The ‘damages formerly known as Wallace’ are back

    Early in my career, “Wallace damages” were all the rage. After the Supreme Court of Canada’s decision in Wallace v. United Grain Growers (c.o.b. Public Press), [1997] 3 S.C.R. 701, a common law notice period could be extended to punish an employer’s bad faith in the manner of dismissal, and it seemed that every wrongful dismissal claim included a “Wallace bump.”

  • July 15, 2026

    Competition Bureau seeks feedback on proposed cartel enforcement guidelines

    The Competition Bureau is seeking comments on proposed cartel enforcement guidelines that address illegal business agreements, such as bid-rigging, price-fixing, wage-fixing and no-poaching agreements.

  • July 15, 2026

    Federal Court overturns CAF refusal to refer home-equity loss claim to Treasury Board

    The Federal Court has set aside the Canadian Armed Forces’ (CAF) refusal to refer a retired officer’s request for reimbursement of a nearly $190,000 home-equity loss arising from a military posting, ruling that the decision failed to grapple with whether the catastrophic loss and the inadequacy of the relocation policy warranted referral to the Treasury Board.

  • July 14, 2026

    CUSMA review: Cross-border mobility now a planning risk for Canadian employers

    The formal Canada–United States–Mexico Agreement (CUSMA /USMCA) joint review process officially started on July 1, 2026. Leading up to this date, governments accepted public comments and held hearings through late 2025, and the United States and Mexico officially launched bilateral preparatory discussions on March 5, 2026.

  • July 14, 2026

    DISCRIMINATION - Prohibited grounds - Race, colour, ancestry or place of origin - Workplace discrimination - Termination

    Appeal by the City of Nanaimo (City) from an order dismissing its petition for judicial review of a decision of the British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal (Tribunal). The Tribunal found that the City discriminated against its former Chief Financial Officer, Mema, on the basis of race, contrary to s. 13(1)(b) of the Human Rights Code, when it suspended and later terminated his employment.

  • July 13, 2026

    Commercial litigator Noëmie Frappier joins McCarthy Tétrault

    McCarthy Tétrault has added Noëmie Frappier as counsel in its litigation and dispute resolution group in Montreal.

  • July 13, 2026

    100K backlog: Forcing timely Bill C-3 citizenship decisions

    When Bill C-3, An Act to amend the Citizenship Act (2025), took effect last December, the federal government took a predictable victory lap. By passing the legislation, Ottawa permanently dismantled the “first-generation limit” that stripped Canadian citizenship from thousands of children born abroad to Canadian parents. Politicians hailed it as the ultimate remedy for the “Lost Canadians.”

  • July 10, 2026

    Many trial judges overworked and stressed — but not as much as lawyers: new national survey

    Many federally appointed trial judges report stress from excessive workloads, limited control over their time in the workplace and too few support resources, according to a new national survey of judges’ physical and psychological health. On July 9, the Canadian Judicial Council (CJC) reported on extensive research commissioned from the Université de Sherbrooke between 2024 and 2026 by the council of 44 chief and associate chief justices.

  • July 09, 2026

    Scenes from the courtroom: Keeping the customers satisfied

    Bruce Simpson had one of those ideal clients: a recidivist with a wealthy brother who always picked up the tab. Otherwise indistinguishable from the host of vagrants who graced Number Five Court back in the day, old Bill spent the warm months variously at the Mission, the Shepherds, the Sally Ann, and in good weather, in one of Ottawa’s downtown parks.

  • July 10, 2026

    Express Entry evolution: Fundamental shift in how Canada selects economic immigrants

    Canada is contemplating the most significant restructuring of the Express Entry system since its introduction in 2015. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has launched consultations on proposed reforms that would fundamentally change both eligibility requirements and the way candidates are ranked for permanent residence.

  • July 10, 2026

    Injunctions keep franchisees in line after mid-term exit

    When a franchisee walks away mid-term and takes 600 agents with it to a direct competitor, an interlocutory injunction can be the difference between a franchisor’s protected system and an open door for every other franchisee to follow.

  • July 10, 2026

    P.E.I.’s new Employment Standards Act is now in force

    Prince Edward Island’s Bill 76 replaces the province’s existing Employment Standards Act (ESA). The bill received royal assent in November 2024 and has been proclaimed into force as of June 30, 2026.

  • July 09, 2026

    Mathews Dinsdale adds John-Paul Alexandrowicz in Toronto

    Mathews Dinsdale has announced that John-Paul Alexandrowicz has joined its Toronto office as a partner and will lead its education practice group.

  • July 09, 2026

    Feds note doubling of compliance penalties under Temporary Foreign Worker Program

    Employment and Social Development Canada has released compliance inspection numbers for the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, noting that between 2025-2026 more than $10.2 million in penalties were issued to non-compliant employers.

  • July 09, 2026

    Boots, brands and broken bodies: Law and morality meet the myth of progress at Calgary Stampede

    Modern corporate rodeos like the Calgary Stampede’s animal events are not benign traditions. They are disciplined spectacles of risk transfer: animals absorb the danger while humans collect status, sponsorship visibility and curated views of the consequences.

  • July 09, 2026

    Career tips: Why ‘it just sorta happened’ never really happens

    Some of my business clients had had a plan. Most didn’t. Either way, the lesson is the same.

  • July 08, 2026

    P.E.I. library hotspots could help residents access virtual court: province

    Prince Edward Island is bringing internet access to those who lack it with portable hotspot devices available through the library — and there is “no reason” they could not be used for virtual court appearances, says a government spokesperson.

  • July 08, 2026

    The U.S. O-1 visa: Best paths for extraordinary foreign nationals

    Many professionals assume that United States immigration law reserves the O-1 visa category for globally recognized figures whose accomplishments are widely known outside their respective fields. This perception is often supported by the public attention given to entertainers, athletes and outstanding entrepreneurs who have obtained O-1 classification.

  • July 07, 2026

    Canada, Newfoundland and Labrador invest $10M for tariff-impacted workers

    Canada and Newfoundland and Labrador have announced an agreement investing $10.6 million over three years for workers whose jobs have been impacted by global tariffs.

  • July 07, 2026

    B.C. college eases licensing rules for some foreign-trained doctors

    The body regulating B.C.’s doctors has updated its bylaws to streamline the process of allowing internationally trained physicians to practise in the province. The amendments approved by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia (CPSBC) include changes to licensure eligibility requirements, which allow internationally trained physicians from select jurisdictions to be eligible for the full class of licensure if they meet certain requirements.

  • July 07, 2026

    Vacation pay and the reasonable notice period: Where Canadian courts stand

    When a court awards damages in lieu of reasonable notice, should the award include vacation pay that would have accrued over the notice period?

  • July 07, 2026

    Not all roads lead to wage-loss benefits: Thomas v. WorkSafeNB

    In this case, a former paramedic, Travis Thomas, developed PTSD after repeated exposure to traumatic events during his employment. When Thomas applied for compensation, he argued that PTSD had disabled him in 2014, while he was still working as a paramedic, and that his wages should be calculated using his paramedic salary.

  • July 07, 2026

    Feds launch consultations for Budget 2026

    The federal government has announced the launch of online and in-person consultations for Budget 2026 ahead of its delivery this fall.

  • July 06, 2026

    Prime minister appoints new chief justices of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice & Federal Court

    Prime Minister Mark Carney has appointed new leaders to head two of Canada’s major trial courts. On July 6, Justice Alan Diner was appointed chief justice of the Federal Court, the national superior trial court that decides disputes in the federal domain. He succeeds Paul Crampton, who retired from the post Oct. 31, 2025.

  • July 06, 2026

    Ottawa looking for additional input on changes to federal labour policy

    Canada’s government is holding another round of consultations on revamping labour relations policies for workers in federally regulated industries — this time with a focus on grievance arbitration, bad faith bargaining, and strikes and lockouts. In a July 3 news release, Ottawa announced that “additional consultations will take place over the summer” in a bid to further “protect the rights of … workers, including the right to strike.”

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