-
April 28, 2026
In a property ownership case, the Ontario Court of Appeal has held that an appeal from a vesting order was moot once the order was registered on title, despite the appellant pursuing a stay motion pending appeal.
-
April 28, 2026
Appeal by appellants (Satnam and Jaswinder) from the dismissal of their claim to a 50 per cent beneficial ownership interest in the Farwell Crescent property (Farwell). Satnam advanced $55,000 toward the down payment when Sukhvinder purchased Farwell, but the appellants were not placed on title.
-
April 28, 2026
Over the past several years, Indigenous issues and reconciliation efforts have started to move out of the shadows and into the forefront of Canadian minds. However, the heightened attention following the May 27, 2021, media release by the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation, which revealed a ground-penetrating radar discovery of 215 unmarked graves at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School, has since steadily declined, despite the ongoing overrepresentation of Indigenous Peoples in the legal system, continued inequities in child welfare and persistent barriers to accessing culturally appropriate supports.
-
April 28, 2026
On Jan. 28, 2026, the Toronto Superior Court of Justice’s online booking system displayed no available dates for a Civil Case Conference. On Jan. 29, the wait was eight days. By Feb. 3, it was 210 days. Same court, same hearing type. Three wildly different outcomes in a week.
-
April 24, 2026
The Ontario government has fast-tracked legislation through the provincial legislature that makes significant changes to the province’s freedom of information (FOI) laws, a move observers are calling “undemocratic” and dangerous.
-
April 24, 2026
On April 2, the British Columbia Court of Appeal released a landmark ruling in Nuchatlaht v. British Columbia, 2026 BCCA 137. The court granted the Nuchatlaht Aboriginal title to the entirety of the area claimed in the case — approximately 210 square kilometres of Nootka Island off the west coast of Vancouver Island.
-
April 24, 2026
Young lawyers expect to spend their early years learning how to research, draft, negotiate and advocate in court. Those skills are difficult, but at least they are taught openly. A senior lawyer will hopefully demonstrate how to structure a factum, mark up your work and explain what “good” looks like.
-
April 24, 2026
A recent case is a clear example of a failed commercial real estate transaction affirming that the “time is of the essence” clause must be complied with, even amid pandemic challenges, and that COVID-19 does not constitute an excuse for non-performance of contractual obligations.
-
April 23, 2026
Taking its cues from a handful of other provinces, Saskatchewan has introduced legislation that would add associate judges to its Court of King’s Bench.
-
April 23, 2026
Ontario has introduced legislation to restrict foreign acquisition of farmland and make it easier for farmers to lease or access arable land in northern Ontario, according to an April 22 release.
-
April 20, 2026
This month, the Ontario Bar Association (OBA) launched its Rule of Law campaign in which local lawyers host discussions in their communities to help the public better understand the rule of law and its everyday importance to democracy.
-
April 20, 2026
With AI, lawyers can turn to AI agents to answer questions, locate files, find facts (or make them up) and automate certain functions. AI chatbots appear analogous to intelligent articling students.
-
April 17, 2026
MLT Aikins has welcomed Steven Prysunka as an associate in its Edmonton office.
-
April 17, 2026
The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) has announced that the six-month trend in housing starts decreased by 2.9 per cent in March to 248,378 units. It said the measure was the moving average of the seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of total housing starts for all areas in Canada.
-
April 17, 2026
The British Columbia Court of Appeal has overturned an order requiring former residents of manufactured houses to physically remove their homes from the reserve lands they were ordered to vacate.
-
April 17, 2026
This British Columbia Court of Appeal case highlights how the enforcement powers of the strata plan for unpaid strata fees and the egregious conduct of the homeowner can lead to the dismissal of the appeal (Zhang v. Strata Plan BCS 4288, 2026 BCCA 55). The homeowner, Shimin Zhang (Zhang), is the appellant and the Strata Plan (Strata) is the respondent in the appeal.
-
April 16, 2026
Amendments to the Competition Act came into force in December 2024 and have significantly changed how exclusive use clauses in commercial leases are treated in Canada. The changes broaden the Act’s reach so that even typical landlord‑tenant agreements may now be reviewed if any part of the agreement is aimed at limiting competition.
-
April 16, 2026
The British Columbia Court of Appeal has granted leave to appeal in a case requiring a lender to produce its legal bills for a costs assessment in a foreclosure dispute, saying the case raises important and unresolved questions about privilege and redemption rights.
-
April 15, 2026
As B.C. contemplates making changes to its landmark Indigenous relations law, the president of the province’s bar association is affirming her organization’s support for the legislation and is calling on the government to be transparent in its implementation. In a statement issued April 14, Canadian Bar Association British Columbia Branch (CBABC) president Patricia Blair called the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA), which mandates the B.C. government to bring provincial laws into alignment with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), the cornerstone of British Columbia’s commitment to reconciliation.
-
April 15, 2026
In a recent decision, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice reinforced that courts will uphold a debtor’s consent to a receivership when it forms part of a negotiated arrangement, emphasizing the importance of commercial certainty.
-
April 14, 2026
The Alberta Court of King’s Bench reinstated security posted for a construction lien, finding that an applications judge erred by vacating it under inapplicable statutory provisions governing liens.
-
April 13, 2026
On March 26, the province of Ontario introduced its 2026 budget, which proposes a temporary enhancement to the provincial portion of the Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) New Housing Rebate and New Residential Rental Property Rebate. The measure is intended to improve housing affordability by increasing the amount of provincial HST relief available on qualifying new home purchases while preserving the existing rebate framework and eligibility rules.
-
April 13, 2026
The Supreme Court of Canada’s spring docket presents the nine judges with a wide range of appeals, including the last cases to be heard by soon-to-retire Justice Sheilah Martin and her colleagues in their iconic 1940s-era Ottawa courthouse, which is slated for a multi-year major update. The Supreme Court’s new spring session, scheduled from April 13 to May 22, 2026, features 14 appeals, 10 of which involve criminal law issues.
-
April 07, 2026
Zachary Thiffault, Métis from the Georgian Bay Métis Community and citizen of the Métis Nation of Ontario, is one of three new associates who joined Aird & Berlis recently. Thiffault is a member of the firm’s Indigenous practice and litigation and dispute resolution groups. Prior to joining Aird & Berlis, he articled and worked at a full-service firm in Midland, Ont., and as in-house counsel to an Indigenous government.
-
April 08, 2026
Ontario’s controversial legislation allowing it to fast-track infrastructure projects is facing a constitutional challenge. A coalition of public interest and environmental groups is saying the Special Economic Zones Act (SEZA), which allows the province to establish areas where infrastructure and resource developments are exempt from provincial or municipal laws that might otherwise apply, violates s. 92 of the Constitution Act, 1867, which grants the legislature exclusive power to make laws.