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British Columbia

  • January 28, 2021
  • "Tommy Douglas - Keeping an eye on Parliament" by Jamie McCaffrey is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0
One of the institutions we treasure most as Canadians is our national health care system. Under the Canada Health Act (CHA), all "insured persons" are entitled to receive "insured health services" without charge.     “Insured health services” means hospital services, physician services and...

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  • January 25, 2021
  • Image: "Injured Piggy Bank With Crutches" by kenteegardin is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
“It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends on his not understanding it.” -- Upton Sinclair Last week, this column discussed how the B.C. Worker’s Compensation Board (WCB or Board) uses key performance indicators to...

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  • January 15, 2021
  • Image: "Statement by the chief coroner" by BC Gov Photos is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
The B.C. Workers Compensation Board’s (WCB or the Board) website and annual reports contain no images of anyone injured. This is consistent with how the Board currently administers claims. The October, 2019 report to B.C.’s Minister of Labour, New Directions Report of...

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  • January 8, 2021
  • Image: "#selfcare_in_september day 15: 10 good things about my body. ☆ ☆ This was a huge struggle. If you're friends with me on Facebook you saw my post about my spinal injury. It's flared up recently or I've reinjured myself and am in constant agony. ☆ ☆ When yo" by Katje van Loon is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0
If in the past 18 years you or someone you know has suffered a serious injury at work, you will know what it is like to encounter British Columbia’s Worker’s Compensation Board (WCB or the Board). B.C.’s workers compensation system is...

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  • November 27, 2020
  • Image: "Study" by Tim Swinson | http://timswinson.com is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0
Clearly, some members of society are being left behind amid responses to  corona virus. Women, the disabled and the impoverished are particularly affected. Between March and June, schools in B.C. and Alberta abruptly closed. Alberta’s government is closing middle and high schools again...

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  • November 20, 2020
  • Image: German government launches Covid-19 warning app for anonymous contact tracing of infected persons by verchmarco
In the wake of 9-11, after the twin towers fell in New York city, there was a strong sense that Americans – and North Americans – were under threat. The prevailing feeling was that drastic times called for drastic measures. In...

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  • October 30, 2020
  • Image: "File:A skeletal doctor testifies at court. Lithograph by L. Crusi Wellcome V0042242ER.jpg" is licensed under CC BY 4.0
In Cambie Surgeries Corporation v British Columbia (Attorney General), the court expressed concerns about the impartiality and independence of certain experts. The plaintiffs sought to have certain provisions of the Medicare Protection Act declared unconstitutional. Patients, they said, should not be...

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  • October 9, 2020
  • Image: "Job search" by slightly everything is licensed under CC BY 2.0
Recently, in Dubois v. Milne, the B.C. Court of Appeal considered a claim for an oppression remedy in the wrongful dismissal context. The oppression remedy is a powerful way of addressing misconduct that has harmed a “shareholder.” Section 227(2) of the Business...

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  • October 2, 2020
  • Image: "Never Give In !" by Neil. Moralee is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
In 2002, the provincial government amended the Workers’ Compensation Act. The amendments made it more difficult for injured workers to receive compensation for their workplace injuries. Earlier this year, B.C.’s Workers Compensation Act was amended. Significantly, a legislative provision which had attempted...

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  • September 25, 2020
  • Image: "hornby st" by Beach650 is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0
Lately, there is a dichotomy within B.C.’s justice system. As a result of concerns over COVID-19, B.C. courts have largely shut down, allowing only “urgent and essential matters” to proceed. This is a topic unto itself. Though efforts are certainly being made...

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