Next, we need a Great Exodus from net zero ideology. Pictured: Mark Carney. Photo Credit: CP Images, Canadian Energy Centre.  In 2021, all of Canada’s Big Five Banks – TD, CIBC, BMO, Scotiabank and RBC – signed onto the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ) and the Net Zero Banking Alliance (NZBA). U.N.-sponsored and […]

 “I see my responsibility as using this recognition to better our people moving forward.” Pictured: Dave Tuccaro. Photo Credit: Tuccaro Group.  Even while working as a crane operator to help build and maintain oil sands facilities in the late 1970s, Dave Tuccaro always had an entrepreneurial bent. He started businesses including a janitorial services company, […]

Canada inches away from first large-scale LNG exports. Photo Credit: Canadian Energy Centre/TSMC.  The world’s leading producer of semiconductor chips wants access to Canadian energy as demand for artificial intelligence (AI) rapidly advances.   Specifically, Canadian liquefied natural gas (LNG).   The Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) produces at least 90 per cent of advanced chips in […]

Canada continues to be resource-rich and competes very well against major U.S. resource bases. Pictured: Sunrise oil sands project in northern Alberta. Photo Credit: Cenovus Energy. A new report on North American energy highlights the important role that Canada’s oil sands and Montney natural gas resources play in supplying growing global energy demand. In its […]

Horizontal drilling technology and more investment in oil production have fundamentally changed the industry. Photo Credit: Tourmaline.  There’s extensive discussion today about energy transition and transformation. Its primary focus is a transition from fossil fuels to lower-carbon energy sources. But in Alberta, a fundamental but different energy transition has already taken place, and its ripple […]

New compressed natural gas fuelling stations in Grande Prairie and Calgary join new stop in Edmonton. Photo credit: Tourmaline Heavy-duty truckers hauling everything from restaurant supplies to specialized oilfield services along one of Western Canada’s busiest corridors now have more access to a fuel that can help reduce emissions and save costs. Two new fuelling […]

The Tavares’ case will provide much for sports business, legal minds and political analysts to consider. Pictured: Maple Leafs Captain John Tavares. Photo Credit: John Tavares Foundation/X.  There is almost a universal sentiment in the Great White North that our nation is in need of more professional sports teams. Extensive research has concluded time and […]

Whether we are talking about the Canadian or American landscape, there are vast implications that come with Amazon unionization. Photo Credit: Amazon Jobs.  It has been a significant spring for labour relations in Canada. Not only have there been several major unions threatening to go on strike from coast to coast, but landmark events are […]

It is a distinct possibility that the new contracts will eventually have to be settled through binding arbitration. Photo Credit: iStock.  Canadian National Railway (CN) and Canadian Pacific Kansas City Limited (CPKC) are currently in the process of negotiating new collective bargaining agreements with their employees. While a stoppage has not yet commenced, the workers […]

Workers complete the “golden weld” of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion on April 11, 2024 in the Fraser Valley between Hope and Chilliwack, B.C. The project saw mechanical completion on April 30, 2024. Photo courtesy Trans Mountain Corporation   It is a game changer for Canada that will have ripple effects around the world.   The […]

The CRA said it made the decision to delay these new rules because the change had “an unintended impact on Canadians.” Photo Credit: Adobe Stock Images.  The Canada Revenue Agency’s new rules for bare trust reporting cost Canadians more than $900 million, according to a survey of Canadian accounting firms. The irony is that these […]

32% of engaged women disagree that current energy policies are right for them and their families. Photo Credit: Canadian Energy Centre.  A new survey has found a growing number of Canadian women are concerned about the effect energy policies, such as the federal carbon tax, have on the affordability of their day-to-day lives.  The Leger […]

“It’s like we’re finally at the table and we’re having to fight to keep our seat at the table.” Pictured: Indigenous leaders meeting with Japan’s ambassador to Canada Kanji Yamanouchi. Photo Credit: Energy for a Secure Future.  A proposed cap on oil and gas emissions will threaten opportunities for Indigenous communities to bring cleaner alternatives […]

Prime Minister of Japan Fumio Kishida speaks during the G7 summit at Schloss Elmau, Germany on June 26, 2022 as (L-R) Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and German Chancellor Olaf Schulz look on. Getty Images photo   Canada’s proposed oil and gas emissions cap sends a conflicting message to allies in Asia, according to a prominent energy […]

A worker at Shell’s Hazira LNG import terminal, about 250 kilometers from Mumbai, India. Photo courtesy Shell   A new 20-year deal by global energy giant Shell to purchase liquefied natural gas (LNG) from British Columbia is a sign Canada is becoming a player in global LNG markets, says an industry specialist.  Shell has agreed to […]

After a major cold spell affected the capacity of Alberta’s power grid to provide electricity, experts weigh in on the need for multiple sources of energy. Photo Credit: Canadian Energy Centre.    The crucial need for Canada to have a flexible and diverse energy grid was given a practical demonstration this past weekend as frigid […]

Energy assets valued at more than $40,000 per Canadian in 2022, StatsCan data shows. Photo Credit: ARC Resources. The value of Canada’s energy resources is more than 75 times greater than the country’s other natural resources combined, according to new data from Statistics Canada.   Led by the oil sands, Canada’s oil, gas and coal assets […]

Natural gas processing facility in Alberta. Photo courtesy Alberta Energy Regulator   Data shows work industry is doing to reduce its environmental footprint New data released in 2023 shows the progress Canada’s oil and gas industry is making to reduce its environmental footprint. From emissions to water use and reclamation, here are some key performance […]

Oil sands worker at the Quest CCS project near Edmonton, Alberta. Photo courtesy Pathways Alliance Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is a proven technology to reduce emissions from industrial operations.   As work to fight climate change accelerates, today there are more CCS projects in development around the world than ever before.   Led by Alberta, Canada […]

Minister of Environment and Climate Change Steven Guilbeault rises during Question Period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2023.   The federal government is proceeding with its plans to cap emissions from the oil and gas industry in a move business leaders say will ultimately hurt Indigenous […]

Supreme Court ruling confirms City of Sudbury’s liability as an ’employer’ in construction safety case, setting a precedent impacting developers’ responsibilities under Ontario’s Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA). Photo credit: The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld   The Supreme Court of Canada (“SCC”) on November 10, 2023, released its decision in R. v. Greater Sudbury (City) […]

A truck approaches Wapisiw Lookout, the first reclaimed tailings pond in the oil sands industry. Photo credit: Suncor Energy   A widely-circulated article this week by the Associated Press misrepresents Canada’s oil sands industry by ignoring its progress improving environmental performance and its commitment to achieving climate targets.   Here are the facts.   Fact: Canadian oil is not […]

SAGD oil sands project in northern Alberta. Photo courtesy Cenovus Energy   Industry contributes $9 billion to $10 billion per year to government revenues across the country. The oil sands industry in northern Alberta is one of Canada’s most important resources. The industry provides reliable energy supply as well as jobs, taxes and government revenues […]

Photo Credit: Pexels   When the Ford Conservatives first won government in Ontario in 2018, the mood in the business community was buoyant. After almost 15 years of anti-business Liberal government under Dalton McGuinty and Kathleen Wynne, change was desperately needed. Detrimental Liberal policies, including extreme “green energy” laws that greatly increased energy costs, intrusive […]

Oil sands project in northern Alberta. Photo supplied to Canadian Energy Centre   The world needs more Canadian energy, not less The Paris-based International Energy Agency (IEA) has released its latest outlook for global energy supply and demand through 2050.  Oil and gas will continue to be central to energy markets even as the world moves more […]

Wood Mackenzie says spending needs to rise by $400 billion over the next decade. Photo credit: Facebook/LNG Canada   An additional $400 billion investment in liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects around the world is needed over the next decade to ensure energy security and achieve emissions reductions, according to a new report by Wood Mackenzie.   Without increased […]

Without oil and gas, Canada would not be the world’s fifth largest exporter of agricultural products. Photo credit: Pexels/Matt Jerome Connor   With fall in full swing, Canada’s farmers are hard at work harvesting the various grains and crops that help keep the country and the world fed.   Diesel and gasoline help power trucks, tractors […]

More Canadian crude than ever is heading overseas, but many of the tankers aren’t leaving from Canada’s shores. Photo credit: Pexels/Jeffry Surianto   Canada’s relationship with the United States as virtually its only customer for oil exports has finally begun to break, according to a leading energy analyst.   More volumes than ever of Canadian oil […]

Canada can lead the world with reliable, affordable energy supply and clean technology as countries work to reduce emissions. Photo credit: Cenovus    The International Energy Agency (IEA) has updated its net zero scenario, pushing for governments to implement more aggressive climate policies on the energy industry.   The IEA itself acknowledges the scenario is “a pathway, […]

Highlights ‘the importance of oil and gas in the world’s energy mix for years to come’. Photo credit: Toronto Stock Exchange   For the second year in a row, oil and gas companies are the best performers on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX). More than half of the businesses in the annual TSX30 – a ranking of […]

On the ongoing confidentiality obligations of former employees, NDAs, and more. Photo credit: Pexels/Sora Shimazaki   Many employers have trade secrets and other proprietary interests relating to commercially sensitive materials and information. Such information may include intellectual property rights like patents, copyrights, trademarks, and client and prospective client lists that they have significantly invested in.  […]

Canadians live the way we do because we have one of the most productive, innovative, and responsible energy industries in the world. Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons   “The Canadian banking system is well-known for its strength and stability and the sector is an essential contributor to the country’s economic growth and well-being. Canadians rely on […]

‘Energy forms and sources are a complex mix, and one doesn’t need to be at the expense of another’. Pictured: This summer Inside Education hosted 24 teachers from eight provinces and territories to explore energy development in Alberta as part of its Energy Futures program. Photo credit: Inside Education via Canadian Energy Centre   Alberta […]

Photo credit: Pexels/Pixabay   The recent Ontario Court of Appeal (OCA) decision in Monterosso v. Metro Freightliner Hamilton Inc., 2023 ONCA 413, the Ontario Court of Appeal (OCA) (“Metro Freightliner”) extends the duty to mitigate their damages upon the early termination of a fixed-term agreement (i.e., take reasonable steps to reduce their damages by attempting to […]

From private companies to public pension funds, countless entities have adopted a woke, ideologically-driven agenda in recent years– with some starting to pay the price. Photo credit: Getty Images/Justin Sullivan   The slogan “Go Woke, Go Broke” has achieved popularity recently as it seems that so many of the companies which have opted to follow […]

‘Heavy is the crude that wears the crown’. Photo credit: Suncor Energy   Demand for oil from Canada is rising as world oil consumption hits new records.   Heavy, sour oil grades like those Canada primarily exports are experiencing what one analyst calls a “price renaissance,” outperforming the U.S. light, sweet oil benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI).   […]

We consistently hear about how the so-called rich don’t pay enough tax. But is that really true in Canada? And in any instance, does punishing the most productive people in a society really help the overall economy? Photo credit: Getty Images/Gerardo Mora   We’ve been hearing a lot about the mythical “fair share” lately, notably […]

In the mid-80s, Canada was still quite competitive with most developed countries in terms of productivity, but it has been all downhill since then – with productivity declining significantly after 2015. Photo credit: Flickr/Arild   Canada has had challenges keeping up with other countries in terms of its productivity performance for decades, but recent indicators […]

‘Every Canadian should be aware that our largest industry continues to thrive’. Photo credit: Cenovus Energy   Canadian oil and gas exports rose significantly in 2022 and show little sign of abating despite a call by Canada’s minister of environment and climate change to ‘phase-out unabated fossil fuels.’  Total exports in Canada rose 22.5 per […]

Now that Stellantis and Volkswagen have negotiated a collective $31-billion handout from the feds and Ontario, no doubt other automakers will follow. Photo credit: Bloomberg/Emily Elconin   Thirty-one billion dollars. That’s how much of your money Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier Doug Ford are handing over to two of the world’s largest and most […]

A recent case out of Saskatchewan sheds first light on the question. Photo credit: CNN   A single emoji can have a variety of meanings, but we nonetheless use them to communicate – more often in our personal lives than our business lives. People have been using emojis and previously emoticons for more than 40 […]

All indicators point to more tough times ahead for the backbone of Canada’s economy. Photo credit: Pexels/Tim Douglas   Some recent data from various sources indicate that Canada’s small business community has yet to recover from the impact of the pandemic. As this sector represents about half of the economy, this is not a trivial […]

Though electronic transactions rule the modern marketplace, a recent survey from the Bank of Canada reveals four-in-five Canadians want to retain hard currency as a means of payment. Photo credit: Shutterstock/Stefan Malloch   In our modern technological world of debit cards, electronic financial transactions, and other means of moving money around the globe in split […]

Granted charitable status and funnelled untold sums from government coffers, not-for-profit organizations promoting social and political causes, particularly the so-called ‘climate crisis’, continue to balloon in size, scope, and number across the country. Photo credit: Pexels/Cottonbro Studio   For some time now, there has been considerable growth in the number of not-for-profit organizations sucking up […]

Recent report indicates small businesses are borrowing more and more taxpayer-backed loans from the government. Photo credit: Pexels/Andrea Piacquadio   Despite some economic indicators that Canada’s economy is not doing too badly considering a general global slowdown, the state of small business does not seem to be very positive. A recent report from the federal […]

At the end of June, it will be a criminal offence for employers to agree with one another to: (a) fix, maintain, decrease, or control wages or other terms of employment; and (b) enter agreements to not solicit or hire each other’s employees. Photo credit: Pexels/Mart Production   On June 23, 2022 significant amendments were […]

Though the business of electrification appears to be booming across Canada, average taxpayers won’t get to share in the economic benefits – in fact, they’re the ones footing the bill. Pictured is Ontario’s Minister of Energy Todd Smith speaking at Electricity Canada’s recent Regulatory Forum. Photo credit: Twitter/Todd Smith   Recent days have seen announcements […]

Arterra Wines Canada adds Angels Gate Winery and Kew Vineyards to portfolio that already includes top brands from Niagara Jackson-Triggs and Inniskillin. Photo credit: Facebook/Angels Gate Winery   The country’s leading wine distributor and marketer has added two more Niagara brands to its growing portfolio. On Friday, May 5, Arterra Wines Canada announced its acquisition […]

In a recent Ontario Court of Appeal decision, it was held that an employer cannot infer condonation or consent to a layoff from an employee’s mere silence during a nine-month period of inactive employment. Photo credit: Pexels/Andrea Piacquadio   If an employee does not immediately object to being laid off, does that mean that the […]

A new study from the Fraser Institute outlines some of the issues with the environment, social and governance (ESG) framework many businesses have adopted (or were forced to adopt) in recent years, including challenges related to standardization and reporting. Photo credit: Forbes/Getty Images   Just as the whole ESG (environment, social and governance) regime is […]

The recent appeal decision in Northern Air Charter (PR) Inc. v. Dunbar, 2023 out of Alberta is instructive. Photo credit: Northern Air    While not an Ontario case, the decision in Northern Air Charter (PR) Inc. v. Dunbar, 2023 ABKB 171, does carry some weight as it is an appeal decision. This case provides some […]

The widespread labour unrest is taking different forms around the world, with unions in France, the UK, US, and Canada all flexing their collective muscles at the same time. At home, the current federal government strike is the largest single public sector strike in around two decades. Photo credit: The Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick   In […]

Over time, contracts entered into at the start of employment may not be worth the paper they are written on – whether due to changes in the law or fundamental expansions of an employee’s duties and responsibilities that trigger established legal doctrines. Photo credit: Pexels/Kampus Production   In response to the question posed by the […]

Photo credit: Bloomberg/Eddie Seal via Getty Images   Spending on oil and gas exploration and production needs to rise dramatically to avoid global supply shortages, says a new report published by commodity and energy market analysts.  Annual investment needs to rise 28 per cent to reach $640 billion by 2030, according to the report by the International […]

Studies and surveys indicate Generation Z values work-life balance more than any other generation to date. Its members, the oldest of whom are now in their mid-20s, are resistant to working long days, do not want to respond to emails on weekends and evenings, and value mental health and time off more than the daily […]

To read part one, click here. Photo credit: Pexels/Anna Shvets   On March 20, 2023, Bill 79, Working for Workers Act, 2023 (“Bill 79”) was tabled.   Bill 79, if passed, would provide further protections for remote employees under the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (“ESA”) and make changes to other employment related legislation such as the Occupational Health and Safety Act (“OHSA”). […]

New technology could help reduce oil sands emissions in the future. Pictured is a conceptual rendering of the BWRX-300 SMR plant by GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy. The plant will be located at the Darlington Nuclear Generating Station site near Oshawa. Photo credit: GE Hitachi   North America’s first commercial small modular nuclear reactor (SMR) is […]

To date it has been unclear for employers as to how to fit remote workers into the mass termination regime in light of the location-based definition of “establishment” under the ESA. This is because the term “establishment” under the ESA is defined as “a location at which the employer carries on business”. Photo credit: Pexels/Andrea […]

Despite certain government actors and activist groups trying to paint the material with a broad brush of all-bad-all-the-time, the benefits of plastic abound. Photo credit: AMAC Technologies   The federal government’s foolish and misinformation-driven war on plastics continues. After implementing a ban on the manufacture and importation of a handful of plastic products such as […]

On Monday, the provincial and federal governments announced that Volkswagen picked southwestern Ontario to build its first electric vehicle battery plant in North America. The announcement was met with much fanfare. But is all this money being thrown at EVs a good use of our tax dollars and the focus from governments, or just the […]

Canadians get the worst of both worlds – high taxes and poor public services. Perhaps it’s time for a change. Photo credit: Getty Images via Bloomberg   Get out the torches and pitchforks Canadians. A number of recent polls and studies have found that a strong majority of Canadians believe they are overtaxed and not […]

For now, the only part of the Liberals’ Sustainable Jobs Plan that could actually be called a plan is the hiring of more government workers. Pictured is Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson. Photo credit: The Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick   After three years of jabbering on about the so-called “Just Transition”, the federal Liberals recently came […]

A recent multi-national study commissioned by the Fraser Institute revealed, among other findings, that many people – particularly young people – continue to view socialism as the ideal economic system.    Over the decades, different political directions and trends come and go, depending on the conditions at the time and the appeal of various politicians. […]

Photo credit: Getty Images/Runstudio    You may recall from my previous articles, the Ontario Court of Appeal (OCA) in Dawe v The Equitable Life Insurance Company of Canada, 2019 ONCA 512 reaffirmed the leading decision on the issue of notice of Lowndes v Summit Ford Sales Ltd. (2006), 206 O.A.C. 55 (Ont. C.A.) that the determination […]

Former mayor of Toronto John Tory’s time in office was marked by a level of financial imprudence that rivals that of even Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Photo credit: CBC/Evan Mitsui   It’s time to dispel a yearslong myth: former mayor John Tory was no friend to Toronto taxpayers. He shouldn’t let the door hit him […]

The corporate heads who don’t speak up against bad government policies might think they are being constructive by going with the flow, but they don’t do anyone any favours in the long run, including themselves.    The first time I saw a bunch of CEOs from large energy companies lined up behind politicians who were […]

Resource developers in Canada face unique geographical, jurisdictional, regulatory and political obstacles. Pictured is Pearl Island in Doha, Qatar. Photo credit: DEME Group   That Germany has given up on Canada to supply liquefied natural gas (LNG) and instead signed a massive multi-year LNG purchase agreement with Qatar has left many angry and disappointed.   Investment […]

Already better compensated and more secure in their respective positions than their private sector counterparts, public sector employees – at least, the unions that represent them – are coming back to the taxpayer trough for yet more feed. Photo credit: PSAC   Recent weeks have seen a veritable frenzy of public sector unions demanding outrageous […]

The AI-powered technology is an ideal tool for businesses looking to create chatbots that can understand and respond to customer inquiries naturally and intuitively. Photo credit: Freepik   Business and chatbots have become increasingly intertwined in recent years, with more and more companies turning to chatbots to improve customer service and automate repetitive tasks. One […]

The current federal government in particular does not seem overly concerned about defending Canadian businesses, and is too lenient when enforcing the law against foreign companies. Photo credit: Fiat Chrysler Automotives   Amid the massive increases in taxation and regulatory red tape that has been introduced in recent years by the Trudeau government in the […]

A successful claim for the statutory tort of human trafficking in the context of labour under the Prevention of and Remedies for Human Trafficking Act can be made out by employees in vulnerable positions who experience employers’ abuse.     Farm operations in Niagara rely heavily on temporary foreign workers (“TFWs”).  As such, the recent case of […]

 In an increasingly data-driven world, it’s more important than ever that Canadian employers stay up-to-date on any and all developments on the privacy law front. Photo credit: Pexels/Ingo Joseph   This past year saw many developments in the area of privacy law that underscored the need of organizations to keep up with a data-driven world. […]

Courtesy of your federal Liberal government. Photo credit: Reuters/Blare Gable   As if all the talk about a looming recession wasn’t enough, we also know that Canadians will be facing a number of tax increases in 2023, courtesy of the federal Liberal government. For starters, both Employment Insurance premiums and Canada Pension Plan premiums will […]

Western Canada Sedimentary Basin (WCSB) contains some of the world’s largest oil and gas reserves. Two geological formations in the WCSB are driving oil and gas development in Canada today: the McMurray and the Montney. Pictured is the Ante Creek development, located on the Montney. Photo credit: ARC Resources   The Western Canada Sedimentary Basin […]

Paz Bakery makes Brazilian-inspired cheese buns with local ingredients. Pictured is co-founder Paloma Lara. Photo credit: Facebook/Paz Bakery    If the last few years have taught us anything, it’s that global supply chains are fragile creatures, and the more we make at home the better.  Homegrown products don’t only provide security in uncertain times, they […]

Lake v. La Presse (2018) and its recent appeal help shed light on the subject. Photo credit: Pexels/Sora Shimazaki   When we speak of wrongful dismissal damages, assuming there are no contractual provisions limiting such damages or their calculation, we speak of an employee’s “reasonable notice entitlements” under the common law. Such “entitlements” amount to […]

  There is no ‘like-for-like’ replacement. Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons   Ontario’s Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) is recommending the province step-up natural gas use to help avoid an energy shortage.  Ontario will require an additional 4,000 MW of electricity between 2025 and 2027 – the equivalent of adding a city the size of Toronto […]

Bureaucrats didn’t financially suffer during the pandemic. They benefited. Now they want more. And if taxpayers don’t pony up, bureaucrats won’t show up for work.     Different people experience things differently. The pandemic exposed a specific divide. Private-sector workers missed paycheques. Small business owners worried their savings wouldn’t keep the lights on. Meanwhile, federal bureaucrats […]

In choosing arbitration over an OHRT hearing, an employer must consider speed and expense. Photo credit: Pexels/Sora Shimazaki   The standard process in Ontario for well over a decade is for the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal (OHRT) to defer human rights applications pending the completion of a labour arbitration for unionized employees. If the substance […]

The whole notion of collective bargaining is predicated on there being a reasonable balance between the union and the employer. Prohibiting the employer from bringing in other workers to carry on operating severely upsets this balance, leaving far too much power in union hands. Photo credit: CityNews   The federal Liberals just announced they are […]

Are you an employer looking to throw a company party this holiday season? Read on. Photo credit: Pexels/Kampus Production   With the opening up of COVID-19 restrictions on social gatherings, many workplaces are looking forward to celebrating together the upcoming holiday season and the ability to socially gather like it was 1999. Putting aside caution […]

The federal government, via the CMHC, has provided hundreds of thousands of dollars in funding to study the idea of a home equity tax. Photo credit: Bloomberg/SeongJoon Cho   Despite spending nearly half a million dollars studying and promoting a home equity tax, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s own study found 95 per cent […]

 If something looks like a duck, waddles like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it’s a duck. Likewise, if it takes money from you like a tax, funds government spending like a tax, and even the government admits it’s a tax, then it’s a tax. Photo credit: AFP/Getty Images   Political pundits are […]

Breaching the ESA’s post-termination payment schedule can now lead to moral and punitive damage awards in wrongful dismissal cases, as the recent Pohl v. Hudson’s Bay Company case described below demonstrates.     There are specific rules for the payment of termination and/or severance pay under the Ontario Employment Standards Act, 2000 and its regulations (collectively […]

With its preoccupation with going after the rich, Ottawa is forgetting about the Canadian workers who will get caught in the crossfire.   Hundreds of people who pull wrenches for a living have a unique point of view on Ottawa’s new luxury tax. Most of us might not be too bothered by a tax on […]

Reduced oil production from Canada is bad for the world, veteran Wall Street energy analyst says. Photo credit: Bloomberg   The outlook for production growth from Canada’s oil sands is down again, limiting supply of what one analyst calls “the Great Canadian Barrel” to a world growing increasingly short on oil to meet its needs. “Canada is […]

A recent study showed that Canada’s under-30 crowd is generally pessimistic about the future, especially in regard to employment, income, and the possibility of home ownership. Photo credit: Pexels/Liza Summer   Some very interesting research was published by the Macdonald-Laurier Institute (MLI) recently regarding the state of mind of young Canadians and their expectations regarding […]

Singling out oil and gas doesn’t make sense. Here’s why. Photo credit: Cenovus Energy   Canada’s strategy to single out greenhouse gas emissions from the oil and gas industry could make it harder to meet overall reduction targets, according to two leading energy analysts.   Neither of Ottawa’s two proposed policies to cap and reduce oil […]

The Ontario Superior Court recently ordered Toronto-based student travel firm S-Trip to pay a group of former staff $450,000 after misclassifying the workers as ‘volunteers’, when in reality they should have been categorized and compensated as ‘employees’. Photo credit: Twitter/S-Trip   Are you part of an organization that relies on volunteers? Many not-for-profit corporations such […]

At right around 31 per cent, Canada has one of the world’s highest unionization rates. However, not all Canadian sectors are created equal, with a stark contrast in rates between the private versus public sectors. Photo credit: Toronto Star/Bernard Weil   In honour of Labour Day, it’s worth having a look at what Canadian labour […]

Canada is letting down its allies and losing money by not encouraging LNG investment.   Prime Minister Justin Trudeau isn’t optimistic about LNG exports to Europe because he says there’s no business case.   Even though the Chancellor of Germany just came to Canada asking for LNG to help fill the five new import terminals it is building. And […]

Though hardly a new concept, the pandemic has revitalized and made more acceptable the notion of putting in the bare minimum while on the clock.     There has been quite a bit of discussion in the media and workplaces of late about a supposedly new trend that is being called “quiet quitting”. This refers to […]

The true extent of the economic damage inflicted by the pandemic and its associated government policies on Canada’s mom-and-pop shops will take years to be fully realized and revealed. However, for preliminary illustration, a recent survey found that 17 per cent of small businesses across the country were preparing to close permanently because of inordinately […]

Employers must not solely rely on the self-interested decision making of their insurance companies when making very important employment decisions. One such decision is when the employment contract is “frustrated”.    After a five-week trial in the Ontario Superior Court case of Baker v. Blue Cross, on Jun. 24, 2022 a Toronto jury granted the […]

Rise in the CPI decelerated to 7.6 per cent in July. Gas prices fell considerably across the country on a month-over-month basis, dipping most precipitously in Ontario where the Ford government temporarily lowered the provincial gas tax. Though Bank of Canada officials acknowledged inflation likely peaked in June, the central bank said it intends to […]

Courts in Ontario and Nova Scotia have thus far tended to decline to deduct, while courts in BC, Alberta, and Saskatchewan have tended to deduct. Photo credit: The Canadian Press/Jason Franson   In my assessment, the official expiration of deemed IDEL in Ontario triggers a domino effect in relation to several legal issues. One is […]

 If and when the deemed IDEL ends it will be a game changer for employers, employees, and the courts in Ontario, as the detonator will be set for both parties to assess the viability of their ongoing employment relationship. Photo credit: Pexels/Sora Shimazaki   As you may recall from my earlier articles, there is paid […]

 The U.S. and Canada should work together to build new oil pipelines to strengthen North American energy security. Photo credit: Reuters via BBC   There’s an important message for U.S. President Joe Biden as he heads to Saudi Arabia this week to ask for OPEC to increase oil production: he should be asking Canada instead.   […]

Two recent divergent decisions regarding Alectra Utilities’ and FCA Canada’s ability to uphold mandatory vaccination policies in the workplace underscore the need for organizations in Ontario to re-examine and, if necessary, update their respective policies. Photo credit: Twitter/Alectra Utilities    Labour arbitrators remain the frontline decision-makers regarding workplaces and how they balance the needs of […]

How could twinning an existing pipeline that has been operating safely for 69 years be this late and this expensive? Photo credit: Trans Mountain    On June 22, Ottawa’s Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO) reported that the Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion (TMX) is “no longer a profitable undertaking.”  The updated cost is $21.4 billion, the latest […]