Skip to main content

British Columbia

  • September 4, 2020
  • Photo: "construction zone" by granth is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
Demand remains high for French immersion programs in Western Canada. Despite the high demand, many parents remain disappointed with the opportunities afforded to their children.  Constitutional Status The opportunity for children of Canadian citizens to study French, whether by attending a Francophone school...

Read More

  • June 25, 2020
  • Photo: "Snapshots of my whiteboard" by nilexuk is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0
Last week, we looked at the Supreme Court of Canada’s recent decision in Conseil scolaire francophone de la Colombie-Britannique v. British Columbia. That decision confirmed that the Province of British Columbia unjustifiably infringed section 23(1) of the Canadian Charter of Rights...

Read More

  • May 29, 2020
  • Photo: "6 feet" by artnoose is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
Amid fears over corona virus and declarations of emergency, many employers moved away from physical workplaces, toward either requiring employees to work remotely from home, or allowing employees to take leaves of absence. British Columbia’s state of emergency has now been...

Read More

  • May 17, 2020
What legal framework governs B.C.’s response to covid-19?   The Emergency Program Act  (EPA), passed in 1993, is the principal legislation for responding to disasters and emergencies in British Columbia. If the Minster of Public Safety, or the entire cabinet, is satisfied...

Read More

  • April 15, 2020
  • Photo: "Corona Virus" by danielfoster437 is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
British Columbia’s Employment Standards Act (ESA) has been amended in response to concerns regarding covid-19.  The amendments are now in effect. They include two new job protected unpaid leaves of absence: a covid-19 related leave; and an unpaid illness or injury leave. BC’s...

Read More

  • March 28, 2020
  • Photo: "response" is licensed under CC0 1.0
Liquor and cannabis stores remain open.   The list of essential services seems to be about a mile long. Amid all the concern about coronavirus, covid-19, even dollar stores are open. Lawyers are considered an “essential service.”  By definition, this includes the judiciary. Why,...

Read More

  • March 6, 2020
  • Photo: "Wahi Sawaal | Short Film" by Abhey Singh, jaikishan patel is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
As International Women’s Day approaches, what better time to introduce legislative amendments to assist employees impacted by “domestic or sexual violence.” For simplicity, I will refer to this as domestic abuse.  If implemented, the amendments will also apply to employees...

Read More

  • January 29, 2020
  • Photo: "Keyboard" by alvaroprieto is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0 cc-icon
“A reputation once broken may possibly be repaired, but the world will always keep their eyes on the spot where the crack was” (Joseph Hall).   Words, once spoken, can be impossible to ever take back. This includes social media posts. Social...

Read More