Rock-Paper-Scissors Debt Cancelled Primeau c. Hooper, 2020 QCCA 576 Mr. Hooper lost a set of three games of rock-paper-scissors to Mr. Primeau in January 2011. The wager? $517,000 - $258,500 carried over from a previous debt on a quits or doubles bet. Mr. Hooper signed a mortgage from Mr. Primeau … [Read more...]
Volunteering and Income Tax
Whether we volunteer to coach our child’s soccer team, deliver groceries to those who cannot do it themselves or provide pro bono services in our professional capacity, many Canadians (12.7 million in 2013 according to Statistics Canada) gratuitously give their time to others. With over 1.96 billion … [Read more...]
COVID-19 in Alberta: A legislative overview of tenancy-related changes
Since declaring a public health emergency in Alberta on March 17, 2020, the government has made a flurry of announcements and legislative amendments in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The government has implemented these changes through legislation and Ministerial Orders that majorly impact both … [Read more...]
Canada’s Carbon Tax Laws: Where are we now?
March 25, 2021 Author's Note | The Supreme Court of Canada released it's 6-3 decision today finding Canada's carbon tax to be constitutional. Read the Case in Brief or full reasons. On June 21, 2018, Canada’s Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act (the Act) came into effect. Part 1 of the Act … [Read more...]
Democracy in Ruins: Flaubert’s Sentimental Education and the fate of radical Democrats
I recently read Peter Brook’s book Flaubert in the Ruins of Paris: The Story of a Friendship, a Novel and a Terrible Year. The book provides a fascinating account of the composition and the literary and wider political history of Gustave Flaubert’s 1869 novel Sentimental Education. Brook’s book led … [Read more...]
Criminal Acts in Children’s Stories
Many years ago I defended a young man on a charge of “criminal harassment”. This was shortly after the federal government added this crime to our Criminal Code. The offence involves repeatedly following or communicating with another person when you know that the other person does not want to hear … [Read more...]
The Legal Status of the Spousal Support Advisory Guidelines
The Divorce Act sets out the factors that a judge considers when ordering one ex-partner to pay spousal support (also knows as “partner support” or “spousal maintenance”) to the other ex-partner. The factors in provincial family law legislation that applies to unmarried couples, such as Alberta’s … [Read more...]
Bear With Me: Law for little ones
Children, even from infancy, learn about rules. They are told not to run with sharp objects, not to touch a hot stove, and that when darkness falls, they will be expected to go to bed. As children grow, they learn about the rules that govern the world around them. They begin to learn that they exist … [Read more...]
New at CPLEA (Vol 44-4)
In this issue of LawNow we are highlighting a few updated resources and two upcoming workshops. Updated Resources The following CPLEA resources have been updated. They are available for download from our website or for order (for free!) from our store. How Old Do I Have to Be In … [Read more...]
What to do with Your Conscience at Work?
We hear a lot today about people following their conscience. Conscience is more than mere preferences and choices. It is about one’s values, spiritual worldview and visceral sense of right and wrong. Few employees want to compromise on their deepest conscientious beliefs for their jobs. These … [Read more...]
