
Bone up on the law before collecting fossils
By John Cooper
Finders keepers is not the case in Canada when it comes to the popular pastime of fossil hunting, with each province and territory having laws that protect and preserve fossils found within its borders. If a leg of lambeosaurus or a woolly mammoth tusk might look good on your fossil-picking menu – think again. Collecting […]

The Iraq War 20 Year Later: Those who spoke out and those who didn’t
By Rob Normey
With 20 years having passed since the start of the Iraq War, it is fascinating to look back at who spoke out against the war and who didn’t, including most surprisingly, left-wing journalist Christopher Hitchens. This year marks 20 years since the start of the Iraq War. Reading some thoughtful journalistic articles on the debacle […]

High Ratio vs. Conventional Mortgages
How the Court deals with a home foreclosure depends on whether the mortgage is a high ratio, insured mortgage or a conventional mortgage where the borrower’s down payment was at least 20% of the value of the home. If you are facing foreclosure in Alberta, it is important to know what type of mortgage you […]

Bill C-18: Canada’s Online News Act
Canada’s Online News Act received royal assent but is not yet law, though it is already stirring up controversy with Google and Meta saying news will no longer be available to Canadians on their platforms. Meta and Google have been in the news lately in response to Canada’s Online News Act receiving royal assent on […]

All About Rental Fees (Part 2): Parking fees, late payment of rent fees, and lease break fees
By Judy Feng
Part 2 of this 2-part article looks at whether rental fees like parking fees, late payment of rent fees, and lease break fees are legal under Alberta’s Residential Tenancies Act. Over the past year, CPLEA has been hearing about confusion over fees that landlords are charging tenants. The first part of this article series, All […]

Public Trust Doctrine and Climate Litigation in Canada
The right to a healthy environment is making headway thanks to case law against governments arguing the public trust doctrine and with changes under Bill S-5 to the Canadian Environmental Protection Act. AUTHOR’S NOTE (September 2023) On August 14, 2023, the Montana First Judicial District Court in Lewis and Clark County ruled in favor of […]

All About Rental Fees (Part 1): Refundable vs non-refundable
By Judy Feng
Landlords try to charge fees, both refundable and non-refundable, for lots of things, but are these rental fees legal? CPLEA has been hearing lately about confusion over fees that landlords are charging tenants. There also seems to be confusion about whether increasing fees triggers rent increase notice rules under the Residential Tenancies Act (RTA) in […]

Key Differences In Personal Injury Law: Ontario vs. Quebec
By Ted Bergeron
Claimants should know about key differences between Ontario and Quebec law that change how they deal with a personal injury in each province. Location, location, location. Location is vitally important. It determines your residential property value and the success or failure of your business. It’s also a key factor in how to deal with your […]
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