Excess material or waste?
The Ministry of the Environment has tried and failed to introduce a rational excess materials policy. In its absence, the province has established two main benchmarks for excavation fill, but they do not match.
Continue reading the post titled Excess material or waste?Suing negligent engineers
A surprisingly large part of my practice involves suing engineers and other environmental consultants for their negligence and breach of contract relating to contaminated sites.
Continue reading the post titled Suing negligent engineersSunrise Propane good for lawyers
As landlords are not generally liable for their tenants' torts, it will be very surprising if the Sunrise class action is certified against them.
Continue reading the post titled Sunrise Propane good for lawyersIs Wal-Mart’s green agenda for real?
We love the concept of mega-corporations competing on their “sustainability quotient”, as long as the results are legitimate and not just greenwashing. Wal-Mart deserves credit for its new initiative, but also careful scrutiny to see what it produces.
Continue reading the post titled Is Wal-Mart’s green agenda for real?Important 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 child support payments to Sandra,...
Continue reading the post titled Important New Privacy Ruling: What on earth is “intrusion upon seclusion”?New Amendments to the Employment Standards Act, 2000 May Require Employers to Find Themselves Guilty of Violating the Act
The majority of employers in Ontario are required to abide by the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (the “ESA”), legislation that includes standards for, among other things, the provision of a minimum wage, statutory holiday pay, overtime and limitations on hours of work. Where employees believe that their rights under the ESA have been violated, they...
Continue reading the post titled New Amendments to the Employment Standards Act, 2000 May Require Employers to Find Themselves Guilty of Violating the ActWithdrawal of Life Support: What does the Cuthbertson and Rubenfeld v. Rasouli decision mean for patients and families?
The family of a patient requiring life support struggles with painful decisions over life and death. The difficulty of these decisions is intensified when the patient’s substitute decision-maker (usually a close family member) and attending physicians disagree as to whether life sustaining measures should be withdrawn. The family of a patient requiring life support struggles...
Continue reading the post titled Withdrawal of Life Support: What does the Cuthbertson and Rubenfeld v. Rasouli decision mean for patients and families?Understanding Legal Costs
When clients first become involved in a legal action, many are confused about how the civil legal system works and whether or not they could be subjected to paying the other party’s costs. Every situation is different, but in Ontario it is the usual practice for the loser to pay the winner’s costs. What are Costs?...
Continue reading the post titled Understanding Legal CostsWhen is a Freedom of Information request frivolous or vexatious?
Freedom of information requests will be refused if they are “frivolous or vexatious.” The bar is very high for a request to be considered frivolous or vexatious – the head of the institution that is refusing the claim needs to have evidence to substantiate their decision. This short article is intended to give an overview...
Continue reading the post titled When is a Freedom of Information request frivolous or vexatious?School’s out: Play it safe in summer
The solstice was last week, summer is here!!! That also means that School ends, and Summer Activities begin. Now, our pools, parks, patios and more are open and ready for enjoyment and gatherings. The increase of outdoor activities means more fun to be had, but also should mean a heightened awareness of best safety practices...
Continue reading the post titled School’s out: Play it safe in summerReceive Blog Posts
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