Business
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February 03, 2026
Labour board’s view that worker’s comments weren’t ‘sexual harassment’ was unreasonable: FCA
The Federal Court of Appeal has ruled that a longtime WestJet employee’s persistent unwelcome comments, which had sexual undertones, were “sexual harassment” that could possibly justify his termination, notwithstanding that the labour board below made findings that none of his intrusive comments to his female coworkers were “sexual in nature or intent” and that no one interpreted his comments in a sexual manner.
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February 03, 2026
Quebec SMEs call for grandfathering clause for Temporary Foreign Worker Program
Quebec small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are calling on the federal government for a grandfather clause and transitional measures to combat challenges they are facing due to current restrictions on the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) and “poorly aligned reforms” between Ottawa and Quebec.
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February 03, 2026
Appeal Court upholds ministerial decision to refuse aquaculture licences in B.C.
The Federal Court of Appeal has upheld as reasonable a 2023 decision by the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard to refuse to re-issue aquaculture licences to salmon farms in B.C.’s Discovery Islands, despite deviating from the department’s recommendation.
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February 03, 2026
Prateek Gupta joins BD&P’s partnership
Burnet, Duckworth & Palmer LLP (BD&P) has welcomed corporate and securities lawyer Prateek Gupta to its partnership, according to an announcement.
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February 03, 2026
Estée Lauder Cosmetics fined for violating Environmental Protection Act
Estée Lauder Cosmetics Ltd. has been fined $750,000 after pleading guilty to two counts of violating the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999. The company’s violation of the Act was discovered by Environment and Climate Change Canada enforcement officers during a routine inspection.
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February 03, 2026
Debate over data: Athlete wearables under scrutiny at Australian Open
The 2026 Australian Open tennis tournament drew attention not only for its high-stakes matches but also a dispute over wearable technology: umpires instructed World No. 1 seed Carlos Alcaraz, Aryna Sabalenka and World No. 2 seed Jannik Sinner to remove their Whoop devices ahead of their matches.
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February 02, 2026
BMO pays $4M penalty for Bank Act violations impacting over 100K clients
The Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC) has announced its placement of a $4-million administrative monetary penalty on the Bank of Montreal (BMO) for violating consumer provisions in the Bank Act.
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February 02, 2026
Court to consider $60M settlement for Ontario training schools abuse class action
The Ontario Superior Court is set to consider a $60-million agreement to settle a class action concerning allegations that children held in Ontario’s youth detention facilities, also known as training schools, were subjected to a toxic environment as well as physical, sexual and psychological abuse.
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February 02, 2026
Federal Court strikes judicial review of GIC decision on telecom policy citing alternative remedies
The Federal Court has dismissed a judicial review of the Governor in Council’s (GIC) refusal to vary a CRTC internet access policy, finding that parallel proceedings before the Federal Court of Appeal and a renewed petition to the Governor in Council provided adequate alternative remedies.
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February 02, 2026
$3.2M tuna becomes a tax lesson: When are promotional ‘loss leaders’ tax deductible in Canada?
Extraordinary promotional spending often attracts tax scrutiny, particularly when the price paid for a single item exceeds its intrinsic value. Canadian tax law permits aggressive marketing strategies, but it requires that business expenses satisfy statutory tests of purpose and reasonableness.