With COVID-19 forcing the global economy to a slow crawl, our court system is matching the pace, with some exceptions.
On March 27, 2020, the British Columbia provincial government issued Ministerial Order No. M086, “Limitation Periods (COVID-19) Order” under the Emergency Program Act, c. 111, which suspended limitation periods for civil or family matters in British Columbia’s Provincial Court, Supreme Court and Court of Appeal.
The suspension will stay until the province’s state of emergency, which started on March 18, 2020, is declared over. Notably, the Order does not stop limitation periods in relation to matters within the jurisdiction...
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By order dated March 26, 2020, the Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General made an order that:
Every mandatory limitation period and any other mandatory time period that is established in an enactment or law of British Columbia within which a civil or family action, proceeding, claim or appeal must be commenced in Provincial Court, Supreme Court or Court of Appeal is suspended.
The language of the March 26 order created some uncertainty as it related to deadlines in the Builders Lien Act, SBC 1997, c 45, in particular how it may have applied to lien time frames and to...
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Living in a British Columbia strata corporation means living with others. And in a time when “social distancing” is key to managing the spread of COVID-19 across our province, many Strata Councils have been left wondering what can be done to keep the distance, while at the same time keeping the peace. For those Councils struggling with balancing the new healthcare directions with daily strata living, Council need only follow what the doctor ordered: stay H.O.M.E.
Have a community plan. The Strata Council is the managing body of a Strata Corporation, and residents will invariably look to their Council for...
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A Message from our Managing Partner
Over the past couple of months, COVID-19 has changed the way we work. As a trusted business partner to our valued clients and a responsible community member and employer, we have remained committed to doing all we can to help stop the further spread of COVID-19 by staying home, staying safe and staying apart.
Beginning Monday, May 25th 2020, following recommendations from the Provincial Health Authority and WorkSafe BC, we will be increasing the number of staff and lawyers in the office to 25% of our workforce. The remainder of our employees will continue to...
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2020 Hindsight - Update of Employment Related Legislation and Caselaw
Join Lanny Robinson, Derek Frenette and Sarah Manshreck and colleagues from across the province as we have a virtual discussion on relevant caselaw from the past year, and share labour and employment law predictions for 2021.
The topics to be discussed by our employment lawyers will include:
Enforceable Termination Language in Your Employment Contracts: An update following the decision in Waksdale v Swegon North America Inc., 2020 ONCA 391.
The Supreme Court Has Spoken: Discussion around wrongful dismissal damages and bonuses in the case of Matthews v Ocean Nutrition Canada Ltd., 2020 SCC 26.
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In light of COVID-19, the date, format and topic for our September Lunch and Learn has changed. We are now hosting a Zoom webinar on September 23rd, 2020 starting at 12:00 noon.
Following months of working from home, Canada is trying to return to normal operations amid COVID-19. The Federal and Provincial Governments have continued to make changes to legislation and benefits. It is crucial for employers to stay on top of the legislative changes and available benefits, and to consider the implications of what the 'new normal' looks like. This seminar will review the effect of recent legislative changes and discuss answers...
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