Ottawa Business Journal
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Business Matters
Do Employers Have To Accommodate Disabled Employees Unless It Is Impossible To Do So?
The Supreme Court of Canada has once again tackled the issue of what amounts to undue hardship with respect to accommodating a disabled employee. In particular, the Court has examined the concept of......
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A Waiver Of Liability: Will It Stand Up In Court?
A waiver and release of liability, properly drafted and brought to the attention of the signor, may absolve a defendant from liability. Earlier this year, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice......
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Real Estate Developers And Money Laundering Law - What You Need To Know
Recent efforts to further crack down on money laundering and the financing of terrorism in Canada have led to the rapid growth of an already robust regime of government regulation. Since its......
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Employees' Duties To Accept A Reasonable Accommodation
Much has been written about employers' duties to accommodate an employee who is disabled or requires accommodation for religious reasons or other grounds enumerated in the Human Rights Code. However,......
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Should I Worry About A "Standard" Commercial Lease?
Many start-up or smaller companies are often looking to lease retail, office or industrial type commercial space to operate their business. Some of these smaller companies are struggling to get......
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Is It Time To Incorporate Your Business?
If you are the owner of a business and you would like to pay less tax, are worried about personal liability, or are looking to expand, it may be in your best interest to incorporate. Corporations......
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Preparing For The Purchase Of A Business
The decision to purchase a business requires careful consideration of the many factors involved. These factors include conducting the necessary investigations, establishing a rationale for pricing......
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Franchise Law In Ontario
Ontario is one of three provinces that have legislation to regulate franchises. The act that governs franchises in Ontario is the Arthur Wishart Act (Franchise Disclosure), 2000 (the "Act"). Any......
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Remission Orders: A Taxpayer's Last Chance
A remission order is a remedy that is available to taxpayers where attempts at obtaining relief from tax liability through the typical channels have been exhausted or are otherwise unavailable. ...
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Proposed Changes To The Bankruptcy And Insolvency Act
Bankruptcy basics Pursuant to the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act ("BIA"), the following are some of the options for an individual or a corporation facing financial troubles: ...
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Is It Time To Incorporate Your Business?
If you are the owner of a business and you would like to pay less tax, are worried about personal liability, or are looking to expand, it may be in your best interest to incorporate. Corporations......
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Introduction Of International Financial Reporting Standards For Reporting Issuers
The Canadian Accounting Standards Board recently confirmed Jan. 1, 2011 as the date International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS") will replace the use of Canadian generally accepted accounting......
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Dispute Resolution: What Are My Options?
A dispute begins when one person makes a claim or demand on another who rejects it. How to approach disputes that arise in your business will depend on many factors. Perhaps you had previously agreed......
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Seminar: Pre-IPO Shares And A Good Home For Talent
The Capital Pool Company Program ("CPC Program") seminar taking place in Ottawa on Tuesday, Sept. 23 at the Holiday Inn Selects is designed for entrepreneurs and investors in mind. This intensive......
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The TSX Venture's Capital Pool Company Program
The Capital Pool Company program ("CPC program") is a unique corporate finance tool for emerging companies offered by the TSX Venture Exchange ("TSX-V"). This article will provide a brief overview of......
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Retirement Planning: RRSPs And...
Most Canadians recognize that Old Age Security (OAS) and the Canada Pension Plan (CPP), if available, will not be sufficient to maintain a desired standard of living upon retirement. Therefore,......
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Privacy Issues Online: Recent Changes to the Dot-ca Regime
The Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) is the governing body in charge of dot-ca domain names. Recent changes to CIRA's privacy policy have important implications for both domain name......
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Easier to Immigrate? The Canadian Experience Class
We are one step closer to an immigration program that has common sense. In February of this year I wrote in this column with great anticipation about a new immigration category that the Department of......
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Health and Safety in the Workplace - Is Your Company A Safe Workplace?
In Ontario, the Occupational Health and Safety Act (the "Act") establishes the rules and requirements which employers and employees are required to follow in order to ensure a safe workplace. The Act......
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The Supreme Court, Wrongful Dismissal and You: A Brief Look At Honda Canada vs. Keays
On June 27, 2008, the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) released its decision in Honda Canada Inc. vs. Keays (Honda). The case will have an impact on wrongful dismissal cases across Canada. In effect, the......
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The TSX Venture's Capital Pool Company Program
The Capital Pool Company program ("CPC program") is a unique corporate finance tool for emerging companies offered by the TSX Venture Exchange ("TSX-V"). This article will provide a brief overview of......
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Good Fences Make Good Neighbours
The old adage "good fences make good neighbours" remains as true today as it has over the past centuries....
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Proposed Legislation Will Affect 19,000 Federal Not-for-profit Corporations
On June 13, 2008, a bill was tabled in the House of Commons which will dramatically affect some 19,000 federally incorporated not-for-profit corporations. If enacted into law, the bill (Bill C-62)......
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Do You Need A Lawyer To Prepare A Will?
It is important to have a will prepared by a lawyer and it is important to do it while you are in good health. ...
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Employees' Duties to Accept a Reasonable Accommodation
Much has been written about employers' duties to accommodate an employee who is disabled or requires accommodation for religious reasons or other grounds enumerated in the Human Rights Code. However,......
[ FULL STORY ]

The Impact of Recent Amendments to the Ontario Human Rights Code on Employers
Significant amendments to the Ontario Human Rights Code (the "Code") will come into force on June 30, 2008 as per the Human Rights Code Amendment Act, which received Royal Assent on Dec. 20, 2006.......
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Workplace Bullying and Harassment: Reducing the Risk and Responding Appropriately
Bullying and other forms of harassment in the workplace can be extremely costly to employers. In addition to the potential for declining productivity levels due to victim illness and stress leaves,......
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Asset Protection From A Tax Law Perspective
There are many pieces of legislation in Canada, both federal and provincial, that protect the interests of creditors. In general, these pieces of legislation provide that a conveyance of property to......
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Exiting a Corporate Marriage
Successful business relationships ("corporate marriages") require comprehensive shareholder agreements that address a range of issues such as control of the company and exiting the company. Since the......
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The Ontario New Home Warranties Plan: Is Your New Home or Condo Covered?
The decision to purchase a newly constructed home or condominium is a big one for most purchasers. Potential purchasers should take steps to reduce the risks associated with the transaction by......
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New Land Transfer Tax Rebates For First-Time Homebuyers
In Ontario, the Land Transfer Tax Act provides that every time a person acquires an interest in land, by either registered or unregistered transfers, land transfer tax is payable....
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Changes to the Takeover Bid Regime for Reporting Issuers
Effective Feb. 1, 2008, a series of changes was made to what may be generally called the takeover bid regime in Canada (the "Bid Regime"). The revised Bid Regime comprises the following statutes,......
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Franchise: Expanding Your Business
Over the past few decades, franchising has been the dominant small-business strategy in Ontario for the expansion of businesses and distribution of products and services. One reason for this......
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License To Finance: The New Mortgage Brokerages, Lenders and Administrators Act
Since the first of the year, those of us who are keenly "tuned in" to the real estate market have been privy to a number of rather ominous predictions. Everywhere you turn, in the media and in your......
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Removing the Barriers: The Customer Service Accessibility Standard and Your Business
On January 01, 2008 Ontario's Customer Service Accessibility Standards, a Regulation of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act 2005 came into effect. The Customer Service (CS)......
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The OSC is Calling, Now What?
The Ontario Securities Commission ("OSC") is Canada's largest regulator of the securities industry. Their central goal is to act as consumer protection agents for the investing public. They accomplish......
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Proposed Changes to the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act: Personal Bankruptcies and Consumer Proposals
Parliament has made some changes to the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act (the "BIA") which are likely to have a significant impact on personal bankruptcies and consumer proposals in this country. The......
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Navigating the Turbulent Waters of Off-shore Trusts
For some time, Canadians have been using off-shore trusts to achieve certain objectives, most notably; protecting assets from potential creditors and, of course, deferring and/or reducing tax.......
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Immigration's New Category: The Canadian Experience Class
Finally, there is a glimmer of hope for foreign nationals in Canada on work and/or study permits who deserve a little special treatment for their applications for permanent resident status. Long......
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Paid Time off Policies Increasing in Popularity
An increasing number of Canadian employers are converting their vacation policies, sick/ medical leave policies and personal leave policies into one paid time off ("PTO") policy. PTO policies gained......
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Things to Consider When Hiring a Caregiver
If you're considering hiring a caregiver for your child or children, who will work out of your house then there are a few things to consider. Before hiring a caregiver, you should register with the......
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Holograph Wills
In Ontario there are very formal requirements for signing Wills that are properly prepared by your lawyer. There are complex provisions requiring that the two independent witnesses who must sign the......
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Listing your Company on the TSX or TSX-V
The stock markets in Canada and around the world have been the subject of intense focus and attention as of late. On January 22, 2008, a record 1,030,720 trades took place on the Toronto Stock......
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No Paper, No Problem? Electronic Discovery and You
The discovery process requires parties involved in litigation to produce documents that are relevant to the action. This is proving to be a much more difficult task in the digital age. Approximately......
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Good Fences Make Good Neighbours
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