Natural Resources
-
May 16, 2025
Court of Appeal: SOIRA exemption unlikely with shorter sentence
On Oct. 28, 2022, the Supreme Court of Canada declared the provisions of SOIRA (Sexual Offender Information Registry Act) unconstitutional (R. v. Ndhlovu, 2022 SCC 38). Section 1 of the Charter could not save the provisions.
-
May 16, 2025
Red tape reduction in Canadian hemp landscape
On March 12, 2025, the Regulations amending certain regulations concerning cannabis (streamlining of requirements) and the Order Amending Schedule 2 to the Cannabis Act (collectively, the Amendments) came into force, which had the effect of amending the Industrial Hemp Regulations (IHR) to allow for more permissive activities with hemp seed derivative products and certain other plant materials. Updated to the Canadian hemp legislative regime are relatively rare and these Amendments have been generally welcomed by industry.
-
May 15, 2025
Public Policy Forum report on energy, mineral investment highlights ‘streamlining regulations’
The Public Policy Forum (PPF) has released a “landmark report” outlining strategies to accelerate investment in energy, critical mineral and infrastructure projects, which “could generate $1.1 trillion in GDP growth by 2035.”
-
May 15, 2025
Deepak Gill returns to BLG as partner
Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG) has announced the return of Deepak Gill as a partner in its Vancouver office, effective May 2, 2025.
-
May 15, 2025
When the judiciary and politics mix
Due to ethical constraints, Canadian judges rarely criticize politicians directly in speeches, but there have been moments of tension or implicit critique. The judiciary has a duty to remain impartial and above the political fray.
-
May 14, 2025
New federal Cabinet ministers talk tax cuts, lowering trade barriers, work-life balance and Gaza
Newly minted federal Cabinet ministers spoke for the first time about their portfolios with Hill media on May 14, as Prime Minister Mark Carney vowed that the Liberals’ promised “middle-class” tax cut will be in place by July 1, 2025, and Finance and National Revenue Minister François-Philippe Champagne disclosed that the minority Liberal government has no plans for a federal budget this year — but intends to deliver an economic statement on an unspecified date in fall 2025.
-
May 14, 2025
McMillan adds six new lawyers to its team
McMillan has announced the addition of six new lawyers to its team.
-
May 14, 2025
Ontario, Manitoba sign MOU to eliminate interprovincial trade barriers
On May 14, the premiers of Ontario and Manitoba signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to remove “barriers to trade” between the two provinces.
-
May 14, 2025
Bill 5 risks the environment, human health, Indigenous rights by creating ‘law-free’ zones
If passed, Ontario’s Bill 5, Protect Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act, would effectively return us to the 1970s in terms of environmental oversight and safeguards. The government should withdraw Bill 5.
-
May 14, 2025
Alberta Court of Appeal restricted gun case targets Firearms Act
Alberta residents Alan Swanson and Ian Runkle were notified in July 2020 by the Registrar of Firearms that certain restricted firearms they owned were now classified as prohibited weapons. As a result, any registration certificates they held were “automatically nullified.”