Decision Day: Employees and the BC Provincial Election

A provincial election has been called in British Columbia for October 24, 2020. Although this year’s election falls on a Saturday, many employees may find that their work schedules conflict with regular voting hours. Below is a brief overview of British Columbia’s Election Act and an employee’s entitlement to vote. Taking the Time to Vote…

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Desert Pirates – What Were We Thinking?

Our firm has a history of bold and (to some) controversial print ads.  We look forward to these biennial campaigns.  They are an important way for us to communicate who we are and showcase our evolution over time.  We build them around what has become a repeating and significant event for us: being named one…

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4 MT+Co. Lawyers Recognized in Best Lawyers in Canada 2021

We are pleased to announce that 4 of our lawyers have each been selected by their peers for inclusion in the 2021 Edition of The Best Lawyers in Canada, and have been recognized in multiple practice areas including Aboriginal Law, Natural Resources Law, Environmental Law, Corporate Law, and Mergers & Acquisitions Law. This year, our…

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More Changes to Canada Emergency Response Benefit Program

On August 20, 2020, the Federal government announced several significant changes that will affect all workers currently receiving benefits through the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (“CERB”). CERB The current CERB program has been extended by an additional four weeks, up to a maximum of 28 weeks of benefits. However, as of September 27, 2020, the…

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BC Employers – Temporary Layoff Extension Expiring This Month

BC-regulated employers, who have employees on temporary layoffs and do not anticipate recalling them before August 30, 2020, need to apply for a variance from the Director of Employment Standards as soon as possible, and at the latest, by August 25, 2020. The normal timeframe for a temporary layoff under the BC Employment Standards Act…

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Further Changes to Temporary Layoff Provisions

The BC provincial government recently announced a further change to the Employment Standards Act’s (“Act”) temporary layoff provisions. Previously, a temporary amendment to the Act extended the maximum length of a temporary layoff to 16 weeks in any 20 week period. The maximum length of a temporary layoff related to COVID-19 has now been extended…

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BCUC’s Indigenous Utilities Inquiry Final Report Misses the Mark on UNDRIP and Transformative Regulatory Change

BC Utilities Commission and Indigenous Nations Many Indigenous Nations view the development of Indigenous-led utilities and Independent Power Producer (“IPP”) projects as a viable means of promoting self-determinism and economic stability and manifesting their Aboriginal rights and title within the utilities sector. Over the past year, several of our clients participated as interveners in the…

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Federal Government Proposes New Changes to Emergency Wage Subsidy Program

Update: On July 21, the House of Commons unanimously passed the federal wage subsidy changes outlined below. On July 17th, 2020, Finance Minister Bill Morneau announced the Federal Government’s proposed plan to alter eligibility requirements for the emergency wage subsidy program. This announcement followed earlier news that the subsidy program was receiving a significant budget…

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