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October 23, 2026
Quebec runs its own immigration system, separate from the federal government, with distinct rules that reflect the province’s focus on French-language integration and low overall immigration levels. For corporations, this means that options to hire and retain foreign workers are more limited than in the rest of Canada, and processes often involve additional provincial steps.
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October 23, 2026
For the first time in more than 50 years, the Court of Appeal for Ontario has updated its test for leave to appeal from a decision of the Divisional Court. In Knauff v. Ontario (Human Rights Tribunal), 2026 ONCA 653, a five-judge panel confirmed that the test for leave is whether the proposed appeal raises an arguable question of law or mixed law and fact that is of sufficient public importance to warrant consideration by the Court of Appeal.
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October 23, 2026
Appeal by SaskEnergy Incorporated (SaskEnergy) from two decisions. Following two unrelated workplace incidents, five members of Unifor Local 649 (union) employed by SaskEnergy grieved management decisions requiring them to undergo drug and alcohol testing.
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October 22, 2026
The Supreme Court of Canada has granted Ottawa’s request for leave to appeal Federal Court rulings that held that the federal government wrongly declared a national “public order” emergency in 2022. On Oct. 22, the top court granted the federal government’s leave application and also granted leave to cross-appeal to the Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) and the Canadian Constitution Foundation (CCF).
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October 22, 2026
Ontario’s Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) will decrease its average workplace injury insurance premium rate from $1.23 to $1.18 per $100 of insurable payroll in 2027, with more than 80 per cent of premium-paying businesses receiving a rate reduction, according to an Oct. 22 release.
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October 22, 2026
Canada’s Express Entry system is undergoing its most consequential recalibration in several years. The 2026 changes operate on two levels: an expanded and more demanding category-based selection framework introduced in February, and a significant redesign of the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) that will take effect on Nov. 3, 2026.
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October 22, 2026
The Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) is one of Canada’s central pathways for employers to hire foreign talent when no Canadians or permanent residents are available to fill a position. Unlike the International Mobility Program, which is LMIA-exempt, the TFWP requires employers to obtain a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) before a foreign worker can be hired. This LMIA process ensures that the employment of a foreign national will not negatively affect Canadian workers.
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October 22, 2026
Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly moving beyond experimentation and into broad enterprise adoption at remarkable speeds. Once confined largely to niche technology companies, research institutions and startups, AI now sits at the centre of many traditional industries, reshaping sectors such as financial services, health care, manufacturing, logistics, energy and professional services, while creating ripple effects across global markets. Statistics Canada reported that AI adoption among Canadian businesses increased from 6.1 per cent in the second quarter of 2024 to 12.2 per cent a year later. By Q2 2026, adoption rates had reached 19.2 per cent.
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October 21, 2026
A new electoral coalition has formed ahead of next year’s Law Society of Ontario (LSO) bencher elections saying the regulator has lost its focus and needs to go back to the basics. The team, which refers to itself as CORE, is focusing on four commitments — focusing on the law society’s core function of regulation of the legal professions, open and transparent decision-making, restored accountability and ethical leadership.
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October 21, 2026
The federal government has announced a new Cabinet Directive on Regulatory Competitiveness and Red Tape Reduction, requiring regulators “to reduce regulatory burden costs by $2 for every $1 added.”
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October 21, 2026
A royal commission or national commission of inquiry into immigration could boost Canadians’ understanding of hot-button immigration issues and generate positive public dialogue as well as needed policy reforms, says an expert on Quebec’s uniquely autonomous immigration regime that sparks envy from other provincial leaders.
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October 21, 2026
I recently wrote about the spate of AI-generated departure posts on LinkedIn, in which lawyers thank everyone in the wonderful firms that they are leaving, lauding their phenomenal experience, and teasing the “next chapter of their journey.” I called it malarkey, but only because it is malarkey.
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October 20, 2026
The Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) is calling on Parliament to amend Bill C-39 to remove proposed changes to the Canada Labour Code that would establish a framework for the labour minister to intervene to end a strike or lockout.
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October 20, 2026
The ongoing Canada-U.S. trade conflict could leave Canada’s economy 1.4 per cent smaller after five years than it otherwise would have been and cost the country 185,000 jobs if current trade measures remain in place permanently, according to an Oct. 20 assessment note from the Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO).
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October 20, 2026
In the decision of Canada v. Martin, 2026 FCA 144, the Federal Court of Appeal was tasked with determining the scope of taxable Canadian source income earned by two professional baseball players employed by the Toronto Blue Jays: Russell Martin and Josh Donaldson. The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) reassessed the players’ taxable income to increase the tax owing based on the differing treatment of a retirement compensation arrangement (RCA). The CRA’s position was rejected by the Tax Court of Canada in Martin v. Canada, 2024 TCC 153, which was appealed to the Federal Court of Appeal.
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October 20, 2026
The International Mobility Program (IMP) is one of the most important corporate immigration pathways in Canada. Unlike the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, the IMP allows employers to bring in foreign workers without the need for a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). This exemption saves time, reduces costs and makes the process far more flexible for companies looking to attract or transfer global talent.
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October 19, 2026
Stephanie Zhang has joined Clark Wilson’s construction and infrastructure practice in Vancouver.
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October 19, 2026
Canada’s international student boom is ending more quickly — and more painfully — than many governments and post-secondary institutions expected. Colleges are cancelling programs, universities are freezing hiring, campuses are being consolidated and communities that built businesses, housing projects and employment around a constantly expanding student population are confronting a sharp demand shock.
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October 19, 2026
The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC), together with the privacy regulators in Quebec, British Columbia and Alberta, recently released the findings of their joint investigation into OpenAI OpCo, LLC (OpenAI), the developer of ChatGPT.
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October 19, 2026
Splitting the difference feels like the sensible way to settle a case. Each side moves, nobody loses face, and everyone leaves with a number that sounds reasonable. In my mediation practice, I see it constantly. Counsel on both sides stake out positions, trade offers over several rounds and land somewhere in the middle.
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October 16, 2026
The federal government has announced changes to the Express Entry system to prioritize candidates for permanent residence with eligible Canadian work experience or a qualifying job offer in a high-wage occupation.
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October 16, 2026
On Oct. 15, the Manitoba government introduced the Budget Implementation and Tax Statutes Amendment Act (BITSA 2), which has measures to help keep Manitoba Hydro rates affordable and improve accountability and transparency in the province’s financial reporting.
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October 16, 2026
As we discussed in the first article in this series, Canada’s economy depends heavily on immigration, and corporations play a central role in shaping the flow of talent into the country. In that regard, Canada’s Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) give provinces and territories the ability to select immigrants who meet their local labour-market needs.
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October 15, 2026
Canadian businesses are calling for a comprehensive review of the country’s tax system to improve competitiveness and reduce complexity as the economy deals with the impact of the trade conflict with the U.S., according to a KPMG survey of companies with annual revenues of at least $10 million.
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October 15, 2026
Kelly Kim has joined Lenczner Slaght as counsel, adding to the firm’s health law practice.