Natural Resources
-
May 23, 2025
G7 finance ministers, central bank governors release communiqué emphasizing ‘unity’
On May 22, G7 finance ministers and central bank governors reached an “agreement on a communiqué which emphasized, above all, the importance of G7 unity in the face of complex global challenges.”
-
May 22, 2025
Federal Court grants standing to P.E.I. fishers, upholds ‘broad discretion’ of minister: lawyer
A fishing body in P.E.I. was recently granted standing by Canada’s Federal Court — but that victory was tempered by the court’s decision to not interfere with the federal government’s refusal to review the province’s catch limit for bluefin tuna.
-
May 21, 2025
B.C. Court of Appeal dismisses constitutional challenge to provincial spill regulations
The British Columbia Court of Appeal has dismissed an appeal launched by three major railways challenging the constitutionality of provincial spill regulations applied to interprovincial railways transporting crude oil and diluted bitumen.
-
May 21, 2025
Ontario investing over $11 million in northeastern forestry projects
The Ontario government is investing $11.3 million in five “research, innovation and modernization” projects in northeastern Ontario relating to wood products made in the province.
-
May 21, 2025
Ontario announces $3 billion expenditure for Indigenous partnerships in mineral supply chain
The Ontario government has announced its support for a “made-in-Ontario critical minerals supply chain that includes new resources and opportunities for Indigenous equity partnerships.”
-
May 16, 2025
Competition Bureau releases 2025-26 annual plan, builds on legislative changes
The Competition Bureau has released its annual plan for 2025-26, saying it will continue to build on previous legislative changes aimed at enhancing competition, especially in the face of “rapid shifts in trade, market dynamics and technology.”
-
May 16, 2025
Ontario budget includes $5 billion support fund, tax deferrals for businesses amid U.S. tariffs
Ontario’s 2025 budget includes a $5 billion “Protecting Ontario Account” and a suite of tax deferral measures aimed at supporting businesses affected by recent U.S. tariffs.
-
May 16, 2025
Ontario bill ‘does a good job’ of creating certainty in home, infrastructure construction: lawyer
Ontario legislators are considering a bill aimed at speeding up construction of new homes and transit, and observers are saying the changes are welcome — but note there are a number of things that legal practitioners need to keep an eye out for as a result of the legislation.
-
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.