In Ontario, environmental laws are designed to protect the sprawling natural environment across the province by ensuring that individuals and corporations uphold responsible practices to preserve resources and prevent pollution. However, violating these obligations can result in regulatory charges with accompanying consequences of hefty fines and potentially jail time. Business owners, land developers, and individuals […]
Category Archives: Regulatory Law
Ontario Farm Pleads Guilty Following Migrant Worker’s COVID-19 Death
The first Ontario farm charged with occupational health and safety violations contributing to an employee’s death from COVID-19 has pleaded guilty. Last year, we posted a blog about the death of Juan Lopez Chaparro, a migrant employee from Mexico who had contracted COVID-19 while working at Scotlynn Sweetpac Growers Inc., located in Vittoria, Ontario. An […]
Occupational Health & Safety Act Changes Under Bill 88
Last month, Ontario passed Bill 88, the Working for Workers Act, 2022. The Bill implements new legislation around the electronic monitoring of employees, and will also amend several pieces of existing legislation, including the Occupational Health and Safety Act. Under Schedule 4 of Bill 88, directors, officers, and corporations will face new obligations around the […]
Proposed Regulatory Changes for Ontario’s Insurance Industry
Regulatory agencies exist primarily to protect the public by providing oversight, practice guidance, and disciplinary action for the industries over which they have jurisdiction. As part of that oversight, these agencies must respond when gaps are identified and provide guidance and recommendations to improve services. Recently, the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario, which oversees […]
London Building Collapse Gives Rise to Lawsuit, Insurance Claim, and Regulatory Charges
In December 2020, a building under construction at 555 Teeple Terrace in London, Ontario, partially collapsed, killing two construction workers and injuring several more. The legal fallout from the collapse includes a $2 million lawsuit by the families of injured workers, a $4 million insurance claim by the building’s owner, and regulatory charges relating to […]
Ontario Privacy Commissioner Encourages Provincial Reform
Ontario does not have legislation governing the use of personal information by private corporations within the province. Instead, the province relies on the federal Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) to govern the collection, use, and disclosure of personal information relating to commercial activity in Ontario. In contrast, Alberta, British Columbia, and Quebec […]
Farm Connected to Mass COVID Outbreaks Facing Regulatory Charges
Businesses are subject to a number of regulatory laws governing a wide variety of issues, from environmental controls to securities regulation, to health and safety obligations. Businesses that fail to meet their obligations under these various regulations may be subjected to significant fines under the applicable legislation. In addition, individual owners can also be held […]