Each province has one law that applies to most renting situations, and then other laws that you may need to know about depending on the kind of property that you are renting. For example, if you are renting a condominium unit in Alberta, you’d want to know about the Residential Tenancies Act and the … [Read more...]
Mother May I? Schools and Parenting Disputes
I had the pleasure of attending a lecture by Jim Davies, the general counsel for the Edmonton Public School Board. He gave a group of family law lawyers the educator’s perspective on parenting disputes.1 Today’s dynamic family configurations can be complicated – divorced biological parents, foster … [Read more...]
Bench Press 37-6: A Jury of Your Peers
The Ontario Court of Appeal has ordered a new trial for an Aboriginal man convicted of manslaughter in 2008. The majority on the Court found that Clifford Kokopenace did not receive a fair trial because the jury that heard his case had no Aboriginal members. Mr. Kokopenace argued that his Charter … [Read more...]
Bench Press 37-6: Water Woes
A Court of Queen’s Bench judge has ruled that the provincial Environmental Appeal Board has no jurisdiction to grant public interest standing to interested parties who wish to appeal decisions of the Director of Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development. The applicants wanted to … [Read more...]
Cyberbullying or Criminal Conduct?
Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, texting or similar means of communicating over the Internet have given new challenges to teachers, parents and most of all, youth. We tell youth to be cautious, to use their common sense, to not talk to strangers and to keep their personal information private. And yet … [Read more...]
Changing Terms of Employment
Introduction Darrell Wronko started work at Western Inventory Service Limited (WIS) in 1987, right after graduating from university. He worked at the company for 17 years, including four years as Vice President of National Accounts and Marketing. In 2000, he signed an amended employment contract, … [Read more...]
Tax Problems
As I write this a controversy is playing out in the United States over apparent targeting of Tea Party and other conservative groups by local offices of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to determine if they met American statutory requirements for exemption from tax. Under U.S. law such groups must … [Read more...]
The Growth of Green Building
Even if you’re not directly involved in the construction industry, chances are good you’ve heard in recent years about a renewed interest in more environmentally sustainable buildings. Since the 1990s, there has been new attention given to “green” approaches to design and construction, resulting in … [Read more...]
Your Principal Residence and Taxes
Capital gains have been subject to taxation in Canada since 1972. At present, only half of any capital gain is included in income. While this includes property such as real estate, most Canadians are aware that there is a “principal residence exemption”, and believe gains on their home will not … [Read more...]
No Trespassers Allowed
At law, the term "trespass" encompasses much more than individuals creeping onto their neighbour's property without permission. The act of "trespassing" is often conceptualized as one person setting foot on another person's land without their consent. "Get off my property, you're TRESPASSING!" is a … [Read more...]
