Articles

The deadline for contesting the new assessment of properties located in one of the municipalities having filed a triennial assessment roll for 2019-2020-2021 is fast approaching.

Currently, the categories of cannabis that can be legally sold by holders of a federal licence and by distributors and retailers authorized by a province or territory are dried cannabis, fresh cannabis, cannabis oil, cannabis plants, and the seeds of cannabis plants. However, the federal government recently confirmed its intention to amend the Cannabis Act in order to authorize the sale of three new categories of cannabis products.

Overview of the first week of special consultations and public hearings on Bill 2: An Act to tighten the regulation of cannabis

The Quebec government is currently conducting special consultations and public hearings on Bill 2: An Act to tighten the regulation of cannabis, and Langlois lawyers is following the proceedings closely. The main purposes of the draft legislation are to increase the legal age for the consumption, possession and purchase of cannabis to 21, and to prohibit consumption in public places.

On January 31, 2019, the Supreme Court of Canada decided, in Orphan Well Association v. Grant Thornton Ltd., that a provincial regulator, in this case the Alberta Energy Regulator (the “AER”), can enforce end-of-life obligations with respect to oil wells, pipelines and other provincially regulated facilities belonging to a bankrupt company or its trustee in bankruptcy, even if the enforcement orders adversely affect the assets in the bankrupt’s estate and its secured creditors.

In a judgment rendered on January 11, 2019 (Ville de Saguenay v. Construction Unibec Inc., 2019 QCCA 38), the Quebec Court of Appeal restated the principle that a municipality acts by a resolution of its council or by adopting a bylaw, and indicated that contractors should be prudent when the scope of work pursuant to a successful bid is changed or when unforeseen circumstances arise on the construction site.

On June 12, 2018 Quebec’s Labour Standards Act was updated by the coming into force of an initial phase of the provisions of Bill 176, entitled An act to amend the act respecting labour standards and other legislative provisions mainly to facilitate family-work balance. The second phase of this update was implemented on January 1, 2019 with the coming into force of some important provisions, particularly regarding the right to refuse to work, annual vacations, leave for family or health reasons, and psychological harassment.