On April 1, the federal carbon price backstop came into effect, which meant that a $20/tonne charge for greenhouse gas emissions is being applied in Ontario.
The Ontario government has proposed changes to its Endangered Species Act for the first time in 10 years, with lawyers saying the shift could lead to longer timelines for decisions around how to protect endangered habitat.
A landmark decision from the Supreme Court of Canada will have an impact on how the provincial regulators that issue licences and permits deal with future environmental remediation in Ontario, say lawyers.
With the rollout of private retail cannabis stores in Ontario, the province put restrictions in place to ensure that licensed producers can only maintain a 9.9-per-cent stake in those retail outlets.
The rules around advertising and promotion of cannabis are restrictive; however, lawyers say there is room within federal regulations to be creative if their clients are willing to assume a little risk.
Criminal defence and employment lawyers say that with new provisions in the Criminal Code around testing for cannabis usage, the reliability of oral fluid testing remains controversial.
Lawyers say some Ontario condominiums have been looking to change their rules to restrict cannabis. They say there are options for legally prohibiting cannabis in buildings, such as grandfathering rules to existing residents or owners if those guidelines to prohibit smoking were not in place before the Oct. 17, 2018 legalization date.
A recent case has changed the laws in Ontario around adoption after two women successfully challenged the 2017 changes to the provincial Child, Youth and Family Services Act.
