Articles 2025

This article provides critical insights into understanding and managing limitation periods in environmental law with an in-depth look at key cases in this area.

This article provides a helpful overview of amendments to the Pest Control Products Regulations that were published in the Canada Gazette Part II on December 7, 2022. The amendments are intended to clarify regulatory requirements for treated articles and establish criteria for authorizing certain treated articles, formally exempt certain antimicrobials used in products regulated under certain Acts and replace the requirements for declarations by importer of control products.

This timely article provides an overview of municipal powers to address sustainability in land development, which have been the subject of significant scrutiny in light of changes pursuant to Bill 23.

This article provides an overview of the impact Bill 23 and the changing role of Conservation Authorities in Ontario.

This article provides an update on the status of single-use plastic regulations and other regulatory measures – including recycling – taken to reduce the impact of plastics in the environment across Canada, and provides an overview of upcoming federal regulations on recycled content and labelling rules for products.

The sixth in McMillan LLP’s “Plan for the Ban” series, this bulletin summarizes two consultation papers published by the federal government: one on the creation of labelling rules to enhance the accuracy of recyclability and compostability information on plastic packaging and single-use plastics, and the other on the establishment of a federal plastics registry requiring plastic producers to report annually on their plastic contribution to the Canadian economy.

This article reviews the decision of the Ontario Superior Court in the case of Kin v Ecclesiastical. The application was brought as a result of the claim brought by the purchaser of the property for damages due to the discovery of underground storage tanks. The applicants were the defendants in the claim and the issue dealt with by the court, and reviewed in this article, relates to the determination of insurance coverage and application of the pollution exclusion clauses.

This article provides an explanation and overview of the new administrative penalty regime (“AMP”) proposed for the enforcement of Ontario's environmental laws. The article reviews the process for the issuance of an AMP under the proposed regulations and the approach applied for the calculation of penalty amounts. Note that the associated draft regulations implementing the administrative penalty regime have not yet been posted on the ERO for review and comment.

This article provides an updated summary of the current state of legislation across Canada relating to single use plastic and explores the changes and trends businesses can expect over the next few years. The article concludes that the existing, pending and future regulations are likely to continue to expand over time resulting in an increased need for innovation and production in the area of reusable, recyclable and biodegradable alternatives for businesses and consumers.