Articles 2021

It’s now been five months since the federal government announced a proposal to extend the timelines for spending the capital raised via flow-through shares by 12 months. Companies that issued flow-through shares in 2019 relying on the look-back rule are coming up to the deadline (Dec. 31, 2020) by which they are required to have spent all of the funds raised.

Joe Leadbetter is a prospector. With many others, he forms the backbone of Canada’s mining industry.  In Canada – we have what is called a “free entry system”. Prospectors like Joe can enter onto Crown Land and look for minerals. If they find something interesting, they can stake a claim.

Bill C-86, the Budget Implementation Act, 2018, No. 2, SC 2018, c 27, received Royal Assent on December 13, 2018, and provides for certain amendments to the Canada Business Corporations Act (“CBCA”), which will come into force on June 13, 2019.

The Business Corporations Act of Ontario (“OBCA”) currently requires corporations to prepare and maintain corporate books and records. However, corporations incorporated or continued under the OBCA need to be aware of new onerous amendments to the OBCA which quietly came into force on December 10, 2016.

The new Section 140.1 of the Business Corporations Act (Ontario) (the “OBCA”) quietly came into force on December 10, 2016. It requires OBCA governed corporations to maintain an updated register of their “ownership interests in land in Ontario”. Interestingly, the phrase “ownership interest in land” is not defined; thus this requirement may extend to both legal and beneficial ownership in real property.

The Ontario Ministry of Energy recently updated its regulatory proposal to revise the Net Metering Regulation. This new proposal included all of the proposed amendments which formed part of the original proposal except for establishing a billing method for single-entity virtual net metering which would allow load customers to benefit from net metering by building a renewable energy generation facility offsite. The Ministry found this element required additional feedback and consideration.

Ontario’s cap and trade program launched in January 2017 and includes a number of rules regarding participation in the carbon market including prohibitions against insider trading, tipping, bid coordination, unlawful disclosures, fraud and market manipulation. Market participants should ensure they are familiar with all rules governing their conduct in the carbon market. Contravention of the market rules is an offence that could result in substantial minimum fines.

It is clear that carbon pricing will be one of the primary tools that Canadian governments will use to incentivize emissions reductions and generate revenue to pay for mitigation and adaptation. A number of key energy supply agreement provisions that should be reviewed in order to assess: who will bear the cost of compliance with carbon pricing regimes? Who will benefit from revenue generated by the sale of off-sets? Could increasing carbon prices result in the termination of the agreement?

The recent Ontario Court of Justice appeal decision in R v AJL Janssen Landscaping Ltd, 2016 ONCJ 496, has offered some guidance as to when a field may be a “pit” under section 1(1) of the Aggregate Resources Act. Following the decision, a field that is being rehabilitated to accommodate farming uses is generally a “pit” and subject to the ARA’s permitting scheme. But when the primary purpose of that work is to build a structure, it may be exempt.

Blueberry River First Nations (BRFN) has commenced a novel treaty rights infringement claim (Claim) against the Province of British Columbia (Province). The Claim, filed March 3, 2015, alleges that the Province has breached its Treaty 8 obligations due to the cumulative impacts of provincially authorized industrial development in BRFN’s traditional territory. This article provides an overview and analysis of the key aspects of the Claim.