The Complete Brief
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October 21, 2025
B.C. Supreme Court strikes sweeping COVID class action as abuse of process
The B.C. Supreme Court has struck a proposed class action against provincial COVID-19 health measures in B.C., calling it “the largest and most complex” proposed class proceeding in Canadian legal history and finding the claim to be an abuse of process that disclosed no cause of action.
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October 21, 2025
CRA call centres often fail to deliver accurate, timely help, says auditor general
The Canada Revenue Agency’s (CRA) call centres, which are supposed to help individuals and businesses with their tax queries, frequently dispense inaccurate and/or incomplete information and make Canadians wait unacceptably long times to get it, according to the latest review by the auditor general of Canada.
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October 20, 2025
Court allows cross-appeal in real estate incentives case
The British Columbia Court of Appeal has allowed a cross-appeal in a real estate investment case, agreeing with the respondent that the trial judge was wrong to strike out a clause that limited who could receive incentive payments.
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October 21, 2025
Michelle Cook new Aird & Berlis associate
According to an announcement from the firm, Michelle Cook has joined Aird & Berlis as a member of the workplace law group. Before joining Aird & Berlis, Cook held positions in both the professional services industry and at a prominent regional law firm in Toronto.
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October 21, 2025
B.C. proposes new legislation for 27-week medical leave for workers
British Columbia has proposed an amendment to the Employment Standards Act that will allow workers with serious illness or injury to take more time off for the purpose of undergoing medical treatment and recovery.
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October 21, 2025
Alberta legislature targets economy, safety in fall session
Alberta’s fall legislative session begins this week, and the government is promising a focus on the economy while also tackling issues related to public safety and labour mobility.
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October 21, 2025
Meet Marta, the ideal law firm partner
Back when I was attending Vanier College in Montreal, I met a girl named Marta who was quite beautiful. I could see myself dating someone like Marta, so I tried to get to know her. I was very happy when Marta told me she thought I was a nice guy, she liked me a whole bunch, and she cared very deeply about me.
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October 21, 2025
Trademark confusion and nature of the parties’ goods and business and trade
The Federal Court considered whether the Trademarks Opposition Board was wrong to find that the nearly identical trademarks CHEFS-OWN for bean sprouts and CHEF’S OWN for sauces and seasonings could coexist because the channels of trade and the nature of the goods were sufficiently dissimilar that confusion was unlikely?
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October 21, 2025
Rental, lease agreements must be in writing to qualify for COVID-19 Canada Emergency Rent
In Hutchings v. Canada, 2025 TCC 108, the Tax Court of Canada reaffirmed a core statutory principle: in the context of the Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy (CERS), rent must be “paid under a written lease” to qualify. Even long-standing verbal arrangements, supported by consistent rent payments, were held insufficient to satisfy the strict requirements of the Income Tax Act.
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October 21, 2025
Ontario introduces Building a More Competitive Economy Act to streamline regulatory processes
On Oct. 20, Ontario introduced the Building a More Competitive Economy Act, which would, if passed, “protect and strengthen the province’s economy by streamlining regulatory processes, championing local businesses, advancing labour mobility and increasing competitiveness.”