Real Estate
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February 25, 2026
Court slams Human Rights Tribunal’s refusal to hear cases
The Ontario Divisional Court has dismantled a major pillar of the Human Rights Tribunal’s unfair drive to reduce its backlog by dismissing most claims without a hearing.
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February 24, 2026
Yukon high court explores ambiguity in lease agreements
A recent ruling out of Yukon grappled with the “concept of ambiguity” in lease agreements and ultimately established law around contractual interpretation, says the lawyer of a resident who argued the territory had granted him a “lifetime lease” on a piece of property.
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February 24, 2026
Globalization complexity: Foreign beneficiaries, foreign estate taxes
The Canadian family is becoming increasingly global. One aspect of this is that our children and other family members increasingly work in other countries, sometimes staying after post-secondary education at a foreign college or university, forming relationships, including marriage, having children and settling in their new home jurisdiction. Others immigrate to Canada, leaving relatives and friends in their country of origin.
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February 24, 2026
The Supremes sing a new tune: U.S. Supreme Court tariff decision, energy prices
The Supremes’ number one hit was Stop! In the Name of Love. This was never truer than it is today.
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February 20, 2026
Competition Bureau expands real estate commissions investigation to Vancouver board
The Competition Bureau has announced it has obtained a court order to gather information from Greater Vancouver REALTORS® to advance its ongoing investigation into real estate commission rules in Canada.
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February 19, 2026
Legal institute proposes solutions for land, airspace access issues in B.C. construction projects
A legal think tank in B.C. is calling attention to an issue that it says has become more contentious in recent years — disputes around access to land and airspace next to construction sites.
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February 19, 2026
Non-party to mortgage contract has claim against lender and lawyer struck
The Rules of Civil Procedure contain powerful rules for the pretrial disposition of actions. One of those rules is rule 21, which, among other things, permits a defendant to strike out an action on the grounds that it discloses no reasonable cause of action or on the grounds that it is frivolous, vexatious or an abuse of process. For malpractice lawyers who defend claims against lawyers, rule 21 is often relied upon to seek the early dismissal of an action in circumstances where the plaintiff and the defendant lawyer were not in a solicitor-and-client relationship.
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February 19, 2026
Legal programs cannot be treated as line items on a budget
The Paralegal Town Hall stands in proud partnership with the Ontario Association of Black Paralegals as we introduce a joint open letter addressed to Premier Doug Ford, Attorney General Doug Downey, Minister Paul Calandra, members of college boards of governors, and other key decision-makers across Ontario.
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February 18, 2026
Saskatchewan court rules on tax exemptions for property with schools, religious spaces
Saskatchewan’s high court has shown that religious groups or schools wanting tax exemptions on property must not only occupy and operate it but also be using it for its intended purposes, says a lawyer.
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February 18, 2026
Mobility rights: At the heart of the nation built by John A. and Laurier
In 2024, the Town of Canmore, Alta., enacted Division of Class 1 Property Bylaw 2024‑19 (the bylaw), creating five residential tax subclasses: Residential, Tourist Home, Primary Residential, Residential Vacant Serviced Land, and Residential Vacant Unserviced Land.