Environmental Assessment: Foreigners keep out?
According to Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver, “Anyone looking at the record of approvals for certain major projects across Canada cannot help but come to the conclusion that many of these projects have been delayed too long. In many cases, these projects would create thousands upon th…
View the post titled Environmental Assessment: Foreigners keep out?Municipal liability for flooding?
As climate change increases the intensity of storms, and as insurers become more reluctant to insure basements that are known to flood, we notice more and more lawsuits against municipalities for basement floods. Municipalities generally benefit from statutory immunities against lawsuits in …
View the post titled Municipal liability for flooding?The Limits to Growth: looking good at 40?
Forty years ago, The Limits to Growth explored what would happen if we allowed the world’s population and industry to continue to grow rapidly. They compared humanity’s use of energy and materials to the globe’s long-term, sustainable capacity, and concluded that urgent ac…
View the post titled The Limits to Growth: looking good at 40?Class actions for historic contamination
Class actions for historic contamination: Sydney Tar Ponds and Smith v. Inco The class action by neighbours of the notorious tar ponds in Sydney, Nova Scotia, is going ahead, although neighbours of Inco’s Port Colborne plant have lost theirs.
View the post titled Class actions for historic contaminationSpilling Drinking Water: $285,000
Is spilling drinking water an offence?
View the post titled Spilling Drinking Water: $285,000Fine of $345,000 plus jail for hog manure
Eric and Yvonne Van Boekel, Van Boekel Hog Farms Inc. and Van Boekel Holdings Inc. were fined a total of $345,000 plus 25% victim fine surcharge, for repeated hog manure spills from two pig farms, that caused adverse effects to their neighbours and impaired water quality. Mr. Van Boekel was…
View the post titled Fine of $345,000 plus jail for hog manureConservation authorities permitting changes
The Ministry of Natural Resources has Proposed Amendments to Conservation Authority Regulations made and approved under Section 28 of the Conservation Authorities Act. The amendments don’t seem objectionable. They are intended to streamline the permitting process for grading and fillin…
View the post titled Conservation authorities permitting changesImportant New Privacy Ruling: What on earth is “intrusion upon seclusion”?
I’ve often said that my job is mostly about people behaving badly at work, so the fact situations underlying the cases I read are often all too human in nature. Consider the case of Winnie, who was fighting with her common-law husband about money. She wasn’t convinced he was actually paying…
View the post titled Important New Privacy Ruling: What on earth is “intrusion upon seclusion”?Biggest World Risks for the Next Decade
The World Economic Forum’s Risk Response Network has published a fascinating, if sobering, overview of major risks that face the world in the next decade: Global Risks 2012, 7th edition. They predict that economic and societal factors are the most likely to cause major problems, but th…
View the post titled Biggest World Risks for the Next DecadeMerck to pay at least $21.8 million to settle Vioxx lawsuits in Canada.
The Toronto Star reports on the Vioxx class action lawsuit and Pharmaceutical giant Merck has agreed to pay between $21.8 and $36.8 million to settle the case.For full story, please click here.
View the post titled Merck to pay at least $21.8 million to settle Vioxx lawsuits in Canada.Receive Blog Posts
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