Resources, Articles, & Advocacy
Legislative Update | April 07, 2025
Your OBA LegUp Policy and Legislative Update Week of April 7
Province Wants More Strong Mayors: Ontario is proposing to expand strong mayor powers to the heads of council in 169 additional municipalities starting in May. The province said on Wednesday that the expansion would help ensure municipalities have the tools they need to reduce obstacles to new housing and infrastructure developments. The additional municipalities would include the City of Orillia, the Township of Uxbridge, the Town of Wasaga Beach, the Township of King, and the Town of Collingwood. The government first granted the powers to the mayors of Toronto and Ottawa in 2022, and since then has expanded them a few times. Public comments on the proposal may be submitted via email until April 16, 2025.
Legislative Update | April 04, 2025
Your OBA LegUp Policy and Legislative Update Week of March 31
Ford Calls Tariffs “Unacceptable”: Canada got "the best of a bad deal" when the country was spared yet another volley of tariffs from U.S. President Donald Trump's administration Wednesday, Ontario Premier Doug Ford says. But that deal is still "totally unacceptable," Ford was quick to add when speaking with reporters at Queen's Park Thursday, noting the threat to the nation's auto sector especially is still "very high." Prime Minister Mark Carney has announced Canada is retaliating against Trump's trade policy with a 25 per cent tariff on vehicles imported from the U.S. that are not compliant with the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA).
Legislative Update | March 31, 2025
Your OBA LegUp Policy and Legislative Update Week of March 24
OBA Seeks "Urgency, Transparency and Accountability" from LSO: In an op-ed published on Thursday, the OBA urged the Law Society of Ontario to deal quickly with the current crisis and then shift its focus from the insular considerations of how to govern itself to the vital work of governing. “These are hard times for the rule of law, access to justice and our economic stability. Lawyers have a critical role to play," OBA President Kathryn Manning wrote. “We must get past this issue and turn our efforts to these fundamental matters. The only way past this issue is to chart a straightforward course through; there is no getting around it. We look forward to working with the many benchers who recognize that.”
Article | March 17, 2025
Purolator Inc. v. John Doe et al., 2024 ONSC 6812
In Purolator Inc. v. John Doe et al., 2024 ONSC 6812, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice upheld an ex parte injunction, rather than a labour injunction, preventing Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) members from picketing outside of a Purolator facility in Toronto.
Article | March 17, 2025
Life, Liberty, Security of the Person, and Shelter? Recent Decisions on Encampments in Ontario
This article summarizes three recent cases concerning the legality of encampments, beginning with the landmark decision in Regional Municipality of Waterloo v Persons Unknown and to be Ascertained, and concluding with its application to The Corporation of the City of Kingston v Doe and Heegsma v Hamilton (City). Taken together, these cases suggest that until there are policies to robustly address homelessness, unhoused Ontarians are increasingly turning to s.7 Charter litigation to advocate for their right to shelter, including in encampments.
