On July 11, 2023, the Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise (CORE) announced the launch of two separate investigations into allegations that Uyghur forced labour was used in the supply chains and operations of two...more
7/17/2023
/ Canada ,
China ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Forced Labor ,
Human Rights ,
International Labor Laws ,
International Trade ,
Labor Law Violations ,
Popular ,
Supply Chain
The Government of Canada published a "Draft State of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Report” (Draft Report) and "Risk Management Scope for Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)" (Risk Management Scope) on May...more
On April 18, 2023, the Government of Canada announced the launch of consultations under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA) with respect to...more
On May, 3, 2023, the House of Commons passed Bill S-211, An Act to enact the Fighting Against Forced Labour and Child Labour in Supply Chains Act and to amend the Customs Tariff (the Act). The Act introduces a public...more
After several stalled efforts in recent years (see previous Bennett Jones blog posts on Bill C-423 and Bill S-216), Parliament is poised to pass a supply chain transparency law aimed at preventing and reducing the risk of...more
2/7/2023
/ Canada ,
Child Labor ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Forced Labor ,
Human Rights ,
Labor Regulations ,
Labour Code ,
Pending Legislation ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Supply Chain ,
Transparency in Supply Chains Act
On January 18, 2023, the Province of British Columbia (Province) and the Blueberry River First Nation (BRFN) signed the Blueberry River First Nation Implementation Agreement (Implementation Agreement)....more
Key amendments to the federal Hazardous Products Regulations (the Regulations) are now in effect, which, among other things -
- update the Regulations to be in line with the most recent standards under the Globally...more
On 4 October 2022, the Government of British Columbia released its policy guidance entitled Interim Approach to Implement the Requirements of Section 3 of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (Interim...more
On October 25, 2022, the Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB) announced it is investing $970 million towards Canada’s first small modular reactor (SMR). The agreement with Ontario Power Generation (OPG) supports the development...more
The federal Canadian Greenhouse Gas Offset Credit System Regulations (OCSR) and the Clean Fuel Regulations (CFR), under the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act and Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999, respectively,...more
The invasion of Ukraine and sanctions against Russia have disrupted global energy and other commodity markets and exacerbated tensions in global supply chains....more
On June 6, 2022, a coalition made up of more than 25 Indigenous organizations from across Canada released a National Indigenous Economic Strategy designed exclusively by Indigenous leaders, institutions and organizations. The...more
On March 18, 2022, the Supreme Court of Canada issued a decision in Anderson v Alberta [Beaver Lake Cree] that elaborates on the test for awarding advance costs to offset the expenses of public interest litigants. The...more
Budget 2022 Introduces: new "Super Flow-Through" Critical Mineral Exploration Tax Credit; funds to Support Critical Infrastructure; and further Support for Indigenous Partnerships....more
On December 16, 2021, the Prime Minister released the much-anticipated mandate letters outlining executive priorities and providing direction to cabinet ministers for the upcoming term. While customized for each of the 38...more
3/30/2022
/ Aboriginal Issues ,
Canada ,
Carbon Emissions ,
Climate Change ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
First Nations ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Net Zero ,
Prime Minister ,
Tribal Governments ,
Tribal Lands
Energy innovation and transformation is front and centre at all levels of government and industry as society collectively tackles climate issues. Interest in the development and deployment of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs)...more
On February 14, 2022, the federal government announced the launch of the Output-Based Pricing System Proceeds Fund (the OBPS Proceeds Fund), which will aggregate the proceeds received by virtue of the federal Output-Based...more
On January 7, 2022, more than a decade after the claim was first filed, the B.C. Supreme Court (BCSC) released its decision in Thomas and Saik'uz First Nation v Rio Tinto Alcan Inc. The decision considers the Saik'uz First...more
On October 7, 2021, the Blueberry River First Nation (BRFN) and the Province of British Columbia (Province) reached an initial agreement in response to the recent court decision in Yahey v British Columbia [Yahey]. The...more
Following two weeks of negotiations between delegates from 197 countries, on Friday, November 13, 2021, COP26 concluded in Glasgow, Scotland, culminating in the release of the final COP26 decision, now known as the Glasgow...more
Three important decisions relating to Indigenous peoples across Canada have been issued recently: Yahey v British Columbia, Southwind v Canada and Ermineskin Cree Nation v Canada (Environment and Climate Change). The three...more
On August 5, 2021, the Government of Canada announced its launch of an initial exploratory phase of consultations on border carbon adjustments (BCAs), along with the release of a discussion paper. These exploratory...more
On July 6, 2021, the Government of British Columbia released its Hydrogen Strategy outlining 63 actions to be undertaken over the short-term (2020-25), medium-term (2025-30) and long-term (2030-50) to make B.C. a leader in...more
On May 7, 2021, Bill 34, The Fuel Tax Amendment Act, 2021 passed the third reading in the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan. Bill 34 amends Saskatchewan's The Fuel Tax Act, 2020 and The Financial Administration Act, 1993...more
On April 23, 2021, the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) released its decision in R. v. Desautel, 2021 SCC 17, which upheld the lower court decisions to acquit Richard Desautel of charges under the Wildlife Act. The SCC confirmed...more