Business, Management, Marketing, Money, Tax, Law, People

OSC seeks feedback on a new proposed investment fund that will give retail investors access to long-term illiquid assets On October 10, 2024, the Ontario Securities Commission (OSC) released Consultation Paper 81-737 (the Proposal), to enhance retail investors’ access to long-term illiquid assets (Long-Term Assets) by creating a new investment fund category, the Ontario Long-Term Asset Fund (OLTF). The OSC seeks to expand the opportunity for retail investors to gain…

Taylor Swift mania has taken hold of Canada, and alongside it comes important changes to employment and employment-related legislation that Ontario employers need to understand and implement both immediately and in the near future. “Track 5” of the Ontario government’s employment legislation comes in the form of Bill 190, officially titled the Working for Workers Five Act, 2024. Bill 190 makes several amendments to Ontario’s employment standards legislation (ESA) as…

Generative AI has been a buzzword in the tech world, and it’s now making inroads into more traditional sectors like insurance. One standout example is Wisedocs, a Toronto-based startup using AI to review and summarize medical records, that recently raised $12.7 million in Series A financing and $4.5 million in growth capital financing with the support of BLG. BLG Partner Frazer House caught up with Wisedocs founders Connor Atchison and Jenna…

The year 2024 is a pivotal year for artificial intelligence regulation around the world with the enactment  of the European Union’s Artificial Intelligence Act, which is already pictured as the golden standard, not unlike what the General Data Protection Regulation had previously achieved. Canada showed leadership of its own in 2022 with the introduction of Bill C-27 and its proposed Artificial Intelligence and Data Act (AIDA). However, since its introduction,…

Updated guidance for entities (Guidance) has been published with respect to the reporting obligations under the Fighting Against Forced Labour and Child Labour in Supply Chains Act (the Supply Chains Act). The revisions provide significant clarification in several areas where there was previous uncertainty, including with respect to the definition of “assets” and the type of activities that will trigger a reporting obligation. The Guidance also includes tips for avoiding…

On Nov. 21, 2024, the Department of Finance announced temporary goods and services tax/harmonized sales tax (GST/HST) relief on certain qualifying goods as part of the federal government’s wider announcement titled More money in your pocket: A tax break for all Canadians. While the authors generally support substantive tax reform to address Canada’s declining productivity and relieve inflationary pressure on the cost of living for Canadians, temporary GST/HST relief on…