Wildlife is central to the Canadian identity. From Indigenous communities to the urbanites of our largest cities, an overwhelming majority of Canadians want the federal government to protect and restore species at risk of extinction. The principal federal instrument that provides for this … [Read more...]
Alberta’s Climate Leadership Plan: An Update on Law and Policy Developments
Over the past 18 months we have seen a rapidly changing law and policy landscape for climate change mitigation in Alberta. The Climate Leadership Plan Changes began in November 2015 with the release of the long anticipated Climate Leadership Plan (the “Plan”). The Plan, based upon recommendations … [Read more...]
Appealing to Consciousness and Conscience: The Effects of Climate Change on the World’s Most Vulnerable Populations
Recently, I have become more attuned to the effects of climate change. The forest fires in Portugal, the declining levels of the salmon that were once abundant in the Atlantic, heat warnings and tornado watches in the Prairies, risk of forest fires in Jasper, Alberta because of the massive pine … [Read more...]
Syncrude Ducks Produce Creative Sentence
Introduction Syncrude Canada Ltd, formed as a joint venture, is currently one of the earliest and largest producers of crude oil from Canada's oil sands. The consortium was initially formed in 1964 to mine oil from the Athabasca oil sands. It operates a large oil sand mine, utilities plant, … [Read more...]
Real property; GST and Rebates
Sales of used residential complexes are generally exempt from GST/HST however; the GST/HST applies on sales of new residential properties. The New Housing Rebate and New Residential Rental Property Rebate permit recovery of a portion of the GST/HST that is paid on a newly constructed or … [Read more...]
Punitive Damages and the Residential Tenancies Act
Case Commented On:Wilderdijk-Streutker v Zhao, 2017 ABPC 24 (CanLII) Punitive damages are rarely awarded in residential tenancy disputes, but Wilderdijk-Streutker v Zhao is one of those rare cases. And although an award of punitive damages is very fact-dependent, there are some principles and rules … [Read more...]
Gimme Shelter: Housing Law in Canada
Like most areas of law, the legislation pertaining to real estate and the various forms of residency people experience has slowly evolved as society changes. Once, most people either owned a home or rented and the laws relating to each were relatively simple. Over time, however, the recognition of … [Read more...]
Current Trends In Technology For The Provision of Legal Information
We live in a world where communication happens instantaneously and copious amounts of real and false information can be spread rapidly to a large number of people. Information has become so abundant that those who aren’t well-versed researchers can easily be overwhelmed and have difficulty … [Read more...]
Exploring New Frontiers for the Delivery of Legal Services in Canada
A brush with the judicial system in any capacity is not a pleasant experience for most people. Even those who succeed in a court usually do not walk out happy. But if you are amongst the increasing number of people who simply cannot afford to pay for legal services, the experience with the judicial … [Read more...]
Improving Access to Justice: Technological Innovations
Last December, I received a Jury Summons in the mail. I completed the required form, took a picture of it with my cell phone, and then emailed the image back to the address provided. It took me about five minutes to do that. Almost immediately I got a return email confirming receipt of my form and … [Read more...]