News & Events

The recent Ontario Human Rights Tribunal decision in Talos v. Grand Erie District School Board has shifted expectations on the ability of benefits plans to treat workers over 65 differently, on the basis that this is particular type of discrimination is excepted explicitly under the Ontario Human Rights Code (the “Code“). When Bill 211, “An

On April 20, 2018, the Government of Ontario filed long anticipated amendments to the general regulations under the Pension Benefits Act, which significantly change the funding requirements for defined benefit pension plans.  The regulations are the product of a public consultation begun by the Ontario government, initially announced in the 2015 Ontario Economic Outlook and

In Canadian Elevator Industry Welfare Trust Fund v Skinner, the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal considered what constituted discrimination in the denial of access to coverage for medicinal marijuana, emphasizing the deference that courts and tribunals will give to the administrator of a benefit plan in choosing what drugs the plan will cover. The case

The 2018 Federal Budget was released on February 27, 2018, and amongst other things, included a major and somewhat surprising announcement regarding the phase out of the CRA’s Health and Welfare Trust Policy, which has governed health and welfare trusts (HWTs) since 1966. The announcement was included in the Tax Measures: Supplementary Information document released

On November 11, 2017, the Tax Court of Canada released Scott v. The Queen, 2017 TCC 224 (CanLII), a precedent setting decision regarding the taxation of payments made in relation to the termination of employment benefits in the context of the Nortel insolvency.  The Tax Court “overruled”, in part, an Advanced Tax Ruling issued by

Bill 177, the Stronger, Fairer Ontario Act (Budget Measures) (the “Act”), was introduced to the Ontario Provincial Parliament for first reading on November 14, 2017.  Schedule 33 of the Act provides changes to the Pension Benefits Act (the “PBA”), which will have broad implications for pension regulation in Ontario.  While sweeping changes have been announced,

On October 17th, MP Marilène Gill of the Bloc Québécois introduced Bill C-372, a private member’s bill which would amend the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act (BIA) and the Companies Creditors’ Arrangement Act (CCAA). The Bill would provide for priority status for claims in respect of underfunded pension plans as well as for claims arising as

In recent days, the policy and interpretation choices made by the Canada Revenue Agency (“CRA”) have taken a rare step into the public discourse. At issue are employee discounts enjoyed by retail workers. While tax issues are often widely discussed, it is normally in relation to legislative changes being considered by the Federal Government rather

The regulatory environment applicable to pension plan administrators will shift in 2018, with the Superintendent of Financial Services gaining the power to impose monetary penalties for breaches of the Pension Benefits Act (“PBA”). On January 1 new provisions of the PBA come into force, which, along with a new Regulation on Administrative Penalties, create a

The recent Federal Court decision in Bemister v. Canada highlights some of the difficulties that litigants face in attempting to use the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms to remedy pension and benefit issues. Background The Applicants in Bemister were federal retirees who participated in the Public Service Health Care Plan (“PSHCP”) and the National