Business, Management, Marketing, Money, Tax, Law, People

On Jan. 22, 2025, the Québec government published its draft regulation (the Proposed Regulation) on the right to repair, following the assent of Bill 29: An Act to protect consumers from planned obsolescence and promote the durability, repair, and maintenance of goods (the Act) in Oct. 2023. The Proposed Regulation provides valuable clarification and guidance on the modifications introduced by the Act towards favouring durable goods, particularly with regard to…

This ironic curse of unknown origin seems to be our current plight, so much so that any article written today will be out of date tomorrow. Accurate predictions require a time machine, but the current uncertainty appears to be with us for the unforeseeable future. What appears certain is that trade conflicts and the potential acquisition of Canada have galvanized Canadian spirits (with already imposed restrictions on American ones). There…

The recent decision of the Court of Appeal for Ontario in Huether v Sharpe, 2025 ONCA 140, clarifies what constitutes a “continuous act or omission” that is sufficient to toll the running of the 15-year ultimate limitation period in s.15(2) of the Limitations Act (Act). Background The Township of McMurrich Monteith (Township) issued a building permit (Permit) for the construction of a dwelling in 1986. Inspections conducted by the Township…

Louis-Edgar Jean-François, CEO of national non-profit Groupe 3737, joined Ravi Latour, BLG partner and co-chair of the firm’s Race Action Committee, for a conversation in honour of Black History Month 2025. The discussion touched on how Groupe 3737 is fostering innovation and entrepreneurship in Black communities in Canada and how organizations can best support Black talent. BLG has been a proud supporter of Groupe 3737’s initiatives since 2022 and was…

February has brought rising concerns over tariffs, with potential consequences extending well beyond traditional industries. The United States has imposed new tariffs on steel and aluminum,1 and the threat of higher tariffs on Canadian products looms large.2 As tensions rise, some Canadian provinces have begun exploring retaliatory measures, such as limiting the U.S. based business’ access to provincial procurement contracts.3 At the federal level, the Canadian government has pledged to…

Earlier we wrote about a communication by President Trump about the unfairness of the Value Added Tax. Now the U.S. Commerce Secretary has added his official perspective on the matter. Mr. Lutnick “has warned that Canada's national sales tax will be subject to retaliation.” Retaliation is, of course, a curious term. It is not clear how Canada’s non-discriminatory national sales tax is harming the United States, U.S. exports to Canada,…

On Dec. 23, 2024, the Capital Markets Tribunal (CMT) released its decision in TeknoScan Systems Inc. et al. (Re), 2024 ONCMT 32, in which it made important rulings on the use of transcripts of compelled examinations in enforcement hearings. The CMT held that read-ins from transcripts of compelled examinations of the respondent, when they are admissions against interest, are inadmissible where that respondent has properly invoked the protections against self-incrimination…

This is one article in our U.S. tariff effect series, featuring a multi-part analysis of the impact of tariffs on Canadian employers With the imposition of tariffs by the current U.S. Administration on the horizon, including increased tariffs on steel and aluminum imports recently announced, employers may be faced with difficult decisions regarding workforce reductions. As discussed in our first article of this series, temporary layoffs are one strategy that employers may…

On March 4, 2025, the Trump administration proceeded to impose sweeping tariffs on Canadian exports to the U.S. Canada retaliated swiftly, announcing tariffs in respect of a limited range of U.S. products, fanning the flames of a trade war between longstanding allies and trading partners. Background President Trump first signed an Executive Order 14193 (Imposing Duties to Address the Flow of Illicit Drugs Across Our Northern Border) on February 1,…