Tax
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March 23, 2026
Alysa O’Keefe joins Aird & Berlis
Alysa O’Keefe is a new associate at Aird & Berlis LLP.
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March 23, 2026
Snippets from recent cases in failed real estate transactions: Buyers and sellers beware
Failed real estate transactions often give rise to disputes between buyers and sellers. While most of these disputes are mutually settled by the buyers and the sellers, there are some that don’t and make their way to the courtroom. Although these courtroom dramas are scary, they teach us a lesson so we, as lawyers, get better when advising our respective clients in those situations. I have picked three cases.
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March 23, 2026
Seismic Bill 21 case draws record counsel & intervener presence at this week’s four-day SCC hearing
This week’s blockbuster Bill 21 appeal at the Supreme Court involves 140 counsel of record — with 64 of them slated to make oral argument over four days on behalf of the seven main party groups and the record 51 interveners.
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March 18, 2026
Affordable housing bylaw did not violate municipal governance legislation: Alberta Court of Appeal
Alberta’s top court has ruled that a municipal bylaw meant to help generate revenue for affordable housing did not run afoul of provincial legislation.
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March 18, 2026
The mask of professionalism: Stress of maintaining the ‘good lawyer’ image
In the first part of this two-part series (see link below), I wrote that in addition to actual legal work, most lawyers are also expected to act, speak and dress in certain ways. This added layer of effort can feel like a performance. It requires constantly monitoring yourself to maintain the image of a “good lawyer,” and it is exhausting. Here, I turn to what can be done to reduce the stress associated with all this extra labour.
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March 12, 2026
Recent amendments to Ontario’s Construction Act
The Construction Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. C.30 as we know it today originally came into force on March 1, 1983, as the Construction Lien Act. This Act laid the foundation of construction law in Ontario. The Construction Lien Act was amended and renamed as the Construction Act on July 1, 2018. The purpose of the Construction Act is to ensure the protection of contractors, subcontractors and suppliers. It provides an efficient structure to protect them by securing prompt payment methods with strict deadline rules and resolving construction disputes through an adjudication process.
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March 11, 2026
Ottawa extends temporary work-sharing EI measures to help employers avert mass layoffs from tariffs
The federal government is extending temporary special measures under the employment insurance work-sharing program until March 31, 2027, from March 6, 2026, to help employers facing unexpected slowdowns avoid layoffs and maintain stability for their workers.
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March 11, 2026
The billable hour is running out of time
Early in my career, I noticed a pattern I could not ignore. I would build rapport with clients, earn their trust and then watch everything fall apart the moment the invoice was sent. They were not upset with me personally, even though sometimes it felt that way. They were blindsided by a system that charged them in a way they found unfair. Even worse, I would get penalized if I found strategies to be fast and efficient to make it more fair.
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March 10, 2026
Ontario, Canada invest $228M for workers in the province
The Ontario government is expanding training and employment supports for those impacted by tariffs and global trade disruptions with a $228.8-million investment from the federal government over the next three years.
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March 09, 2026
REAL PROPERTY TAX - Assessment - Land transfer tax
Appeal by the appellants (Hsia and Chuang) from an order of the Supreme Court. The order required them to pay additional property transfer tax under the Property Transfer Tax Act on the fair market value of an entire residential property. Hsia, a Canadian citizen, and Chuang, a foreign national, purchased a property in a specified area in 2017, registering 95 per cent and 5 per cent interests respectively.